1 Samuel 5:2

1 Samuel 5:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
• New International Version (NIV)Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon.
• New King James Version (NKJV)When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

Context of 1 Samuel 5:2

1After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. 3But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. 4But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact.

1 Samuel 5:2 word by word

וַיִּקְח֤וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֣ית דָּג֑וֹן וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֵ֥צֶל דָּגֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• When the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• they broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• it into the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of Dagonדָּגוֹןdâgôn · DagonH1712
• and setיָצַגyâtsag · to setH3322
• it byאֵ֫צֶל'êtsel · besideH681

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 5:2

• Judges 16:23The Philistine rulers held a great festival, offering sacrifices and praising their god, Dagon. They said, “Our god has given us victory over our enemy Samson!”
• 1 Chronicles 10:10They placed his armor in the temple of their gods, and they fastened his head to the temple of Dagon.
• Daniel 5:2While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
• Habakkuk 1:11They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 5:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The house of Dagon - On this idol, which was supposed to be partly in a human form, and partly in that of a fish, see the note on Judges 16:23. Some think that this idol was the same with Dirceto, Attergatis, the Venus of Askelon, and the Moon. - See Calmet's Dissertation on the gods of the Philistines. The motive which induced the Philistines to set up the ark in the temple of Dagon, may be easily ascertained. It was customary, in all nations, to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2They brought it into the house of Dagon (see the marginal reference) in order to enhance the triumph of the gods of the Philistines over the God of Israel. (Compare 1 Samuel 31:9; Judges 16:23; Isaiah 37:12.)Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Dagon was a god worshipped by the Philistines (see Judges 16:23–24). The name might come from the Hebrew word dag, which means "fish." This would be an appropriate name for a god of seafaring people. However, it is more likely related to the Hebrew word dagan, which means "grain." This would indicate a god of fertility or agriculture.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. the house of Dagon--Stately temples were erected in honor of this idol, which was the principal deity of the Philistines, but whose worship extended over all Syria, as well as Mesopotamia and Chaldea; its name being found among the Assyrian gods on the cuneiform inscriptions [Rawlinson]. It was represented under a monstrous combination of a human head, breast, and arms, joined to the belly and tail of a fish. The captured ark was placed in the temple…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 5:2

• Miracles
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• God
• Philistines
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Dagon
• Destruction
• Ground
• Samuel, Books of
• Ark of the Covenant
• Ashdod
• Elijah

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings