Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary1 Samuel 5

The Fall of DagonThis section describes how the Philistines captured the ark of God and brought it to the temple of their god, Dagon. They were proud of their victory, but God used this event to show His power over false gods. Even when it seems like God is being dishonored, He can turn situations around for His glory. The story shows that the true God cannot be placed alongside idols or treated with disrespect.v. 1–2: The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to Ashdod, one of their main cities. There, they put the ark in the temple of Dagon, placing it beside Dagon’s statue (1 Samuel 5:2 ). They might have done this to show respect to the ark, or more likely, to show that their god Dagon was more powerful than Israel’s God. They wanted to celebrate their victory, like they did when they captured Samson (Judges 16:23-24 ). But God allowed this only for a time, to show later that He is greater than any idol. Even when people try to dishonor God, He can still use their actions to bring Himself honor (Psalm 76:10 ).

v. 3: The next morning, the people of Ashdod found Dagon fallen on his face before the ark of the Lord

v. 4: The priests quickly put Dagon back in his place. But the next morning, Dagon had fallen again in front of the ark. This time, his head and hands were broken off and lying on the threshold; only the lower part, shaped like a fish, was left . This made Dagon look ridiculous and powerless. It proved he could not protect himself or his worshippers. This happened because the Philistines tried to set up their god against the true God, but no one who opposes God can win (Isaiah 8:9 ).

v. 5: After this, the priests and people of Ashdod would not step on the threshold of Dagon’s temple . They made this a rule because Dagon’s head and hands had fallen there. This superstitious custom continued for a long time. Instead of turning from their false god, the people kept their old ways, as evil men and seducers...wax worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13 ). Still, the story of Dagon’s fall would be remembered. It showed that the God of Israel is greater than all idols (Isaiah 44:20 ).

The Distress of the PhilistinesThis section explains the troubles that came upon the Philistines after they captured the ark of God. Instead of learning from the fall of Dagon and turning away from their idols, the Philistines kept worshipping false gods. Because of their stubbornness and disrespect for God, He sent severe punishments to show His power. The story teaches that fighting against God always leads to suffering, and that God’s presence is a blessing to those who respect Him, but a curse to those who reject Him.v. 6: The Lord

v. 7: The people of Ashdod soon realized that the sickness and death were caused by the God of Israel. They said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us . However, instead of turning to God and leaving their idols, they only wanted to get rid of the ark, like the people who asked Jesus to leave when they lost their pigs (Matthew 8:34 ). Many people would rather avoid God’s presence than change their hearts.

v. 8: The leaders of the Philistines called a meeting and decided to send the ark to another city, Gath . They thought maybe the problem was the location, not their actions. But moving the ark did not help. The people of Gath, both strong and weak, were struck with the same disease. God’s judgment does not miss anyone—no one is too great or too small for Him to notice.

v. 9: In Gath, the Lord

v. 10: The ark was then sent to Ekron, but the people there were terrified. They said, They have sent about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people . To the Philistines, the ark brought only fear and death, while to God’s people, it was precious and life-giving (2 Corinthians 2:16 ).

v. 11: The leaders of the Philistines now gathered again and decided to send the ark back to Israel. They said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people . While they were discussing this, more people died, and many others were suffering from the disease. The punishment became worse as long as they tried to avoid God instead of turning to Him.

v. 12: The people of Ekron were desperate. Many died, and those who survived were in terrible pain from the emerods (1 Samuel 5:12 ). Their shouts of suffering were heard everywhere. The Philistines, who once celebrated capturing the ark, were now eager to get rid of it. This shows that God can turn pride into sorrow and that no one can win by fighting against Him (Job 20:15-20 ).