1 Samuel 5:5

1 Samuel 5:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
• New International Version (NIV)That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

Context of 1 Samuel 5:5

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. That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold. 6Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors. 7When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.”

1 Samuel 5:5 word by word

עַל־כֵּ֡ן לֹֽא־יִדְרְכוּ֩ כֹהֲנֵ֨י דָג֜וֹן וְכָֽל־הַבָּאִ֧ים בֵּית־דָּג֛וֹן עַל־מִפְתַּ֥ן דָּג֖וֹן בְּאַשְׁדּ֑וֹד עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore neither the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• of Dagonדָּגוֹןdâgôn · DagonH1712
• nor any that comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• treadדָּרַךְdârak · to treadH1869
• on the thresholdמִפְתָּןmiphtân · thresholdH4670
• in Ashdodאַשְׁדּוֹד'ashdôd · AshdodH795
• unto this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 5:5

• Psalms 115:4Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
• Psalms 135:15The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
• Joshua 5:15The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told.
• Zephaniah 1:9Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies, and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 5:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Tread on the threshold - Because the arms, etc., of Dagon were broken off by his fall on the threshold, the threshold became sacred, and neither his priests nor worshippers ever tread on the threshold. Thus it was ordered, in the Divine providence, that, by a religious custom of their own, they should perpetuate their disgrace, the insufficiency of their worship, and the superiority of the God of Israel. It is supposed that the idolatrous Israelites, in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5This custom still existed among the worshippers of Dagon so late as the reign of Josiah (see the marginal reference).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5step on the threshold: The Philistines might have thought Dagon's statue broke because they did not honor him correctly. However, their real mistake was worshiping an idol instead of the one true God (Isaiah 44:6–20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Therefore neither the priests ... nor any ... tread on the threshold of Dagon--A superstitious ceremony crept in, and in the providence of God was continued, by which the Philistines contributed to publish this proof of the helplessness of their god. unto this day--The usage continued in practice at the time when this history was written--probably in the later years of Samuel's life. 1Sa 5:6-12. The Philistines Are Smitten with Emerods.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 5:5

• Superstition

In the dictionaries

• Ashdod
• Ashdod, or Azotus
• Ashdod, Azotus
• Dagon
• Destruction
• Ground
• Samuel, Books of
• Threshold
• Ark of the Covenant
• 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