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They took Dagon and put him back in his place. <a href="/nlt/1_samuel/5.htm">New Living Translation</a> But 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. <a href="/esv/1_samuel/5.htm">English Standard Version</a> And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. <a href="/bsb/1_samuel/5.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. <a href="/kjv/1_samuel/5.htm">King James Bible</a> And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. <a href="/nkjv/1_samuel/5.htm">New King James Version</a> And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. <a href="/nasb_/1_samuel/5.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. <a href="/nasb/1_samuel/5.htm">NASB 1995</a> When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. <a href="/nasb77/1_samuel/5.htm">NASB 1977 </a> When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. <a href="/lsb/1_samuel/5.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> Then the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, and behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. <a href="/amp/1_samuel/5.htm">Amplified Bible</a> When the people of Ashdod got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. <a href="/csb/1_samuel/5.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. <a href="/hcsb/1_samuel/5.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. <a href="/asv/1_samuel/5.htm">American Standard Version</a> And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. <a href="/cev/1_samuel/5.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, they found the statue lying facedown on the floor in front of the sacred chest. They put the statue back where it belonged. <a href="/erv/1_samuel/5.htm">English Revised Version</a> And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. <a href="/gwt/1_samuel/5.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> Early the next day the people of Ashdod saw that Dagon had fallen forward on the ground in front of the LORD's ark. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. <a href="/gnt/1_samuel/5.htm">Good News Translation</a> Early the next morning the people of Ashdod saw that the statue of Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground in front of the LORD's Covenant Box. So they lifted it up and put it back in its place. <a href="/isv/1_samuel/5.htm">International Standard Version</a> When the people of Ashdod got up the next morning, there was Dagon, lying on the ground in front of the Ark of the LORD. They took Dagon and put him back in his place. <a href="/msb/1_samuel/5.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. <a href="/net/1_samuel/5.htm">NET Bible</a> When the residents of Ashdod got up early the next day, Dagon was lying on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. <a href="/nheb/1_samuel/5.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> And the Ashdodites rose early on the next day, and look, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they raised up Dagon and set him in his place again. <a href="/wbt/1_samuel/5.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. <a href="/web/1_samuel/5.htm">World English Bible</a> When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again. <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/1_samuel/5.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> And the Ashdodites rise early on the next day, and behold, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the Ark of YHWH; and they take Dagon, and put it back in its place. <a href="/ylt/1_samuel/5.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> And the Ashdodites rise early on the morrow, and lo, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the ark of Jehovah; and they take Dagon, and put it back to its place. <a href="/slt/1_samuel/5.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> And the Ashdodites will rise early on the morrow, and behold, Dagon fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah. And they will take Dagon, and will turn him back to his place.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/1_samuel/5.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> And when the Azotians arose early the next day, behold Dagon lay upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord: and they took Dagon, and set him again in his place. <a href="/cpdv/1_samuel/5.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> And when the Ashdodites had risen up at first light on the next day, behold, Dagon was lying prone on the ground before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and they set him again in his place. <a href="/nabre/1_samuel/5.htm">New American Bible</a> When the people of Ashdod rose early the next morning, Dagon was lying face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they picked Dagon up and put him back in his place. <a href="/nrsvce/1_samuel/5.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/1_samuel/5.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> And when the inhabitants of Ashdod arose early the next morning, they found Dagon was fallen upon his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again. <a href="/hpbt/1_samuel/5.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a> And the Ashdodites arose the day after, and they found Dagun thrown on his face on the ground before the Ark of God, and they took Dagun and they set him on his place<div class="vheading2">OT Translations</div><a href="/jps/1_samuel/5.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a> And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. <a href="/sep/1_samuel/5.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a> And the people of Azotus rose early, and entered into the house of Dagon; and looked, and behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the Lord: and they lifted up Dagon, and set him in his place. And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Azotians, and he plagued them, and he smote them in their secret parts, Azotus and her coasts. <a href="/parallel/1_samuel/5-3.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H8oQfYUMRZg?start=1225" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/1_samuel/5.htm">The Ark Afflicts the Philistines</a> …2carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue. 3<a href="/hebrew/796.htm" title="796: ’aš·dō·w·ḏîm (N-proper-mp) -- An inhab. of Ashdod. Patrial from 'Ashdowd; an Ashdodite or inhabitant of Asdod.">When the people of Ashdod</a> <a href="/hebrew/7925.htm" title="7925: way·yaš·ki·mū (Conj-w:: V-Hifil-ConsecImperf-3mp) -- A primitive root; properly, to incline; but used only as denominative from shkem; literally, to load up, i.e. To start early in the morning.">got up early</a> <a href="/hebrew/4283.htm" title="4283: mim·mā·ḥo·rāṯ (Prep-m:: N-fs) -- The morrow. Or mochoratham; feminine from the same as machar; the morrow or tomorrow.">the next morning,</a> <a href="/hebrew/2009.htm" title="2009: wə·hin·nêh (Conj-w:: Interjection) -- Lo! behold! Prolongation for hen; lo!">there</a> <a href="/hebrew/1712.htm" title="1712: ḏā·ḡō·wn (N-proper-ms) -- A god and an idol of the Philistines. From dag; the fish-god; Dagon, a Philistine deity.">was Dagon,</a> <a href="/hebrew/5307.htm" title="5307: nō·p̄êl (V-Qal-Prtcpl-ms) -- To fall, lie. A primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications.">fallen</a> <a href="/hebrew/6440.htm" title="6440: lə·p̄ā·nāw (Prep-l:: N-cpc:: 3ms) -- Face, faces. Plural of an unused noun; the face; used in a great variety of applications; also as a preposition.">on his face</a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: ’ar·ṣāh (N-fs:: 3fs) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth."></a> <a href="/hebrew/6440.htm" title="6440: lip̄·nê (Prep-l:: N-cpc) -- Face, faces. Plural of an unused noun; the face; used in a great variety of applications; also as a preposition.">before</a> <a href="/hebrew/727.htm" title="727: ’ă·rō·wn (N-csc) -- A chest, ark. Or laron; from 'arah; a box.">the ark</a> <a href="/hebrew/3068.htm" title="3068: Yah·weh (N-proper-ms) -- The proper name of the God of Israel. From hayah; self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.">of the LORD.</a> <a href="/hebrew/3947.htm" title="3947: way·yiq·ḥū (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp) -- To take. A primitive root; to take.">So they took</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/1712.htm" title="1712: dā·ḡō·wn (N-proper-ms) -- A god and an idol of the Philistines. From dag; the fish-god; Dagon, a Philistine deity.">Dagon</a> <a href="/hebrew/7725.htm" title="7725: way·yā·ši·ḇū (Conj-w:: V-Hifil-ConsecImperf-3mp) -- A primitive root; to turn back transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively; generally to retreat; often adverbial, again.">and returned</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’ō·ṯōw (DirObjM:: 3ms) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self.">him</a> <a href="/hebrew/4725.htm" title="4725: lim·qō·w·mōw (Prep-l:: N-msc:: 3ms) -- Or maqom; also mqowmah; or mqomah; from quwm; properly, a standing, i.e. A spot; but used widely of a locality; also of a condition.">to his place.</a> 4But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/isaiah/46-1.htm">Isaiah 46:1-2</a> Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal. / The gods cower; they crouch together, unable to relieve the burden; but they themselves go into captivity. <a href="/jeremiah/50-2.htm">Jeremiah 50:2</a> “Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’ <a href="/jeremiah/51-44.htm">Jeremiah 51:44</a> I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall. <a href="/judges/16-23.htm">Judges 16:23-24</a> Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.” / And when the people saw him, they praised their god, saying: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy who destroyed our land and multiplied our dead.” <a href="/1_kings/18-26.htm">1 Kings 18:26-29</a> And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. / At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!” / So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. ... <a href="/2_kings/19-37.htm">2 Kings 19:37</a> One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place. <a href="/isaiah/37-38.htm">Isaiah 37:38</a> One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place. <a href="/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1-4</a> Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. / Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. / Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. ... <a href="/daniel/5-23.htm">Daniel 5:23</a> Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways. <a href="/psalms/115-4.htm">Psalm 115:4-8</a> Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ... <a href="/psalms/135-15.htm">Psalm 135:15-18</a> The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ... <a href="/acts/19-26.htm">Acts 19:26-27</a> And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. / There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.” <a href="/acts/17-29.htm">Acts 17:29</a> Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination. <a href="/1_corinthians/8-4.htm">1 Corinthians 8:4</a> So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. <a href="/1_corinthians/10-19.htm">1 Corinthians 10:19-20</a> Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.Dagon was<a href="/exodus/12-12.htm">Exodus 12:12</a> For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.<a href="/psalms/97-7.htm">Psalm 97:7</a> Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.<a href="/isaiah/19-1.htm">Isaiah 19:1</a> The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.set him<a href="/isaiah/19-1.htm">Isaiah 19:1</a> The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.<a href="/isaiah/40-20.htm">Isaiah 40:20</a> He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.<a href="/isaiah/41-7.htm">Isaiah 41:7</a> So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.<div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/1_samuel/5-2.htm">Ark</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-1.htm">Ashdod</a> <a href="/joshua/13-3.htm">Ashdodites</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-2.htm">Dagon</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/28-13.htm">Downward</a> <a href="/1_samuel/1-19.htm">Early</a> <a href="/1_samuel/4-12.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/1_samuel/3-15.htm">Morning</a> <a href="/judges/21-4.htm">Morrow</a> <a href="/1_samuel/1-19.htm">Rise</a> <a href="/1_samuel/1-19.htm">Rose</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/1_samuel/5-4.htm">Ark</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-5.htm">Ashdod</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-6.htm">Ashdodites</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-4.htm">Dagon</a> <a href="/2_kings/19-30.htm">Downward</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-4.htm">Early</a> <a href="/1_samuel/14-15.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-4.htm">Morning</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-4.htm">Morrow</a> <a href="/1_samuel/9-3.htm">Rise</a> <a href="/1_samuel/9-26.htm">Rose</a><div class="vheading2">1 Samuel 5</div>1. <a href="/1_samuel/5-1.htm">The Philistines having brought the ark into Ashdod, set it in the house Dagon</a> 3. <a href="/1_samuel/5-3.htm">Dagon is smitten down and cut and cut in pieces, </a> 5. <a href="/1_samuel/5-5.htm">and they of Ashdod smitten with tumors</a> 8. <a href="/1_samuel/5-8.htm">So God deals with them of Gath, when it was brought thither</a> 10. <a href="/1_samuel/5-10.htm">and so with them of Ekron, when it was brought thither</a> </div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/1_samuel/5.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/1_samuel/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/1_samuel/5.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div>When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning Ashdod was one of the five major Philistine cities, known for its strategic location and strong fortifications. The Philistines were a seafaring people, often in conflict with Israel. The early morning rising of the people suggests a routine or ritual, possibly related to their worship practices. This timing emphasizes the immediacy and surprise of the event that follows.there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. Dagon was a major deity of the Philistines, often associated with grain and fertility. His temple in Ashdod was a significant religious site. The image of Dagon fallen on his face is symbolic of submission and defeat, especially in the presence of the ark, which represented the presence and power of the God of Israel. This act of falling prophesies the ultimate defeat of false gods before the true God, echoing themes found in <a href="/isaiah/45-23.htm">Isaiah 45:23</a>, where every knee shall bow to God.So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. The Philistines' response to return Dagon to his place indicates their attempt to restore order and maintain their religious beliefs despite the clear sign of their god's impotence. This act of restoring Dagon can be seen as a denial of the power of the God of Israel, similar to how people often resist acknowledging divine truth. It also foreshadows the repeated futility of idolatry, as seen throughout the Old Testament, such as in <a href="/isaiah/44-9.htm">Isaiah 44:9-20</a>, where the folly of idol worship is highlighted.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <a href="/topical/t/the_people_of_ashdod.htm">The People of Ashdod</a> Inhabitants of one of the five major Philistine cities, known for their worship of the god Dagon. 2. <a href="/topical/d/dagon.htm">Dagon</a> A major deity of the Philistines, often associated with grain and fertility. His temple in Ashdod was a significant religious site. 3. <a href="/topical/t/the_ark_of_the_lord.htm">The Ark of the LORD</a> The sacred chest representing the presence and covenant of God with Israel, captured by the Philistines in battle. 4. <a href="/topical/a/ashdod.htm">Ashdod</a> A Philistine city where the Ark was brought after being captured, and where the events of this passage take place. 5. <a href="/topical/t/the_temple_of_dagon.htm">The Temple of Dagon</a> The religious site where the Ark was placed, leading to the confrontation between the God of Israel and the Philistine deity.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><a href="/topical/g/god's_supremacy_over_idols.htm">God's Supremacy Over Idols</a> The fall of Dagon before the Ark demonstrates God's power and authority over all false gods and idols. Believers are reminded to place their trust in the one true God. <a href="/topical/t/the_futility_of_idolatry.htm">The Futility of Idolatry</a> The Philistines' attempt to restore Dagon to his place shows the futility of idol worship. Christians are encouraged to examine their lives for modern-day idols that may take precedence over God. <a href="/topical/g/god's_presence_and_power.htm">God's Presence and Power</a> The Ark symbolizes God's presence among His people. This event reminds us of the importance of seeking God's presence in our lives and recognizing His power to overcome any opposition. <a href="/topical/t/the_consequences_of_disobedience.htm">The Consequences of Disobedience</a> The Philistines' capture of the Ark and subsequent events serve as a warning about the consequences of opposing God's will. Believers are called to align their lives with God's purposes.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_1_samuel_5.htm">Top 10 Lessons from 1 Samuel 5</a> <a href="/q/evidence_of_ark's_impact_on_philistines.htm">1 Samuel 5 – Where is the historical or archaeological evidence that the Ark’s presence caused such devastation in Philistine cities? </a> <a href="/q/how_does_the_ark's_power_fit_science.htm">How does the apparent supernatural element of the Ark in 1 Samuel 4 fit with modern scientific understanding?</a> <a href="/q/why_did_dagon's_statue_keep_falling.htm">1 Samuel 5:3–5 – How could Dagon’s statue repeatedly fall and break without any natural explanation? </a> <a href="/q/what_does_it_mean_to_be_full_of_hope.htm">What is Ashdod's biblical significance?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/1_samuel/5.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(3) Dagon was fallen upon his face.--This Dagon was one of the chief Philistine deities, and had temples not only in Ashdod and in Gaza, but in the cities of Philistia. (See St. Jerome on <a href="/isaiah/46-1.htm" title="Bel bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols were on the beasts, and on the cattle: your carriages were heavy laden; they are a burden to the weary beast.">Isaiah 46:1</a>.) The idol had a human head and hands, and the body of a fish. Philo derives the word Dagon from dagan, "corn," and supposes the worship to have been connected with Nature worship. The true derivation, however, is from Dag, a fish, which represents the sea from which the Philistines drew their wealth and power. In one of the bas-reliefs discovered at Khorsabad, and which, Layard states, represents the war of an Assyrian king--probably Sargon--with the inhabitants of the coast of Syria, a figure is seen swimming in the sea, with the upper part of the body resembling a bearded man wearing the ordinary conical tiara of royalty, adorned with elephants' tusks, and the lower part re sembling the body of a fish. It has the hand lifted up, as if in astonishment or fear, and is surrounded by fishes, crabs, and other marine animals."There can be hardly any doubt," argues Keil, "that we have here a representation of the Philistine Dagon. This deity was a personification of the generative and vivifying principle of nature, for which the fish, with its innumerable multiplication, was specially adapted, and set forth the idea of the Giver of all earthly good."This strange image the men of Ashdod, on the morrow of their triumphal offering of the Ark of the Lord before the idol shrine, found prostrate on the temple floor, before the desecrated sacred coffer of the Israelites.They at once assumed that this had taken place owing to some accident, and they raised again the image to its place.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/1_samuel/5.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verses 3, 4. - On the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah. I.e. he was in the attitude of adoration, and instead of triumphing over Jehovah, he was prostrate, as if compelled to worship. But his priests perhaps thought that it was an accident, and so they set the image in its place again. They also, we may be sure, took due precaution against any one entering his temple by stealth; but when early on the second morning they came with anxious minds to see whether any new prodigy had happened, they found their god not only prostrate, as before, but mutilated, and his head and both the palms of his hands were cut off - not broken off by the fall of the image from its place, but severed with deliberate care, and placed contemptuously upon the threshold, i.e. upon the door sill, the place where all must tread. Only Dagon was left to him. We cannot in English render the full contemptuousness of this phrase, because Dagon is to us a mere proper name, with no significance. In the original it conveys the idea that the head, the emblem of reason, and the human hands, the emblems of intellectual activity, were no real parts of Dagon, but falsely assumed by him; and, deprived of them, he lay there in his true ugliness, a mere misshapen fish; for dag, as we have seen, means a fish, and Dagon is here a diminutive of contempt. In spite of his discomfiture the Philistines were tree to their allegiance to their god, because, believing as they did in "gods many," he was still their own national deity, even though he had been proved inferior to the God of Israel, and would probably be rendered more particular and exacting as regards the homage due to him from his own subjects by so humiliating a defeat. For the gods of the heathen were jealous, fickle, and very ill tempered if any slight was put upon them. After all, perhaps they thought, he had done his best, and though worsted in the personal conflict, he had managed so cleverly that they had gained in fair fight a great victory. <a href="/commentaries/1_samuel/5-3.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div>When the people of Ashdod אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙ (’aš·dō·w·ḏîm) Noun - proper - masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_796.htm">Strong's 796: </a> Ashdodites -- an inhabitant of Ashdod got up early וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤מוּ (way·yaš·ki·mū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7925.htm">Strong's 7925: </a> To load up, to start early in the morning the next morning, מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת (mim·mā·ḥo·rāṯ) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4283.htm">Strong's 4283: </a> The morrow, tomorrow there וְהִנֵּ֣ה (wə·hin·nêh) Conjunctive waw | Interjection <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2009.htm">Strong's 2009: </a> Lo! behold! was Dagon, דָג֗וֹן (ḏā·ḡō·wn) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1712.htm">Strong's 1712: </a> Dagon -- a god and an idol of the Philistines fallen נֹפֵ֤ל (nō·p̄êl) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5307.htm">Strong's 5307: </a> To fall, lie on his face לְפָנָיו֙ (lə·p̄ā·nāw) Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6440.htm">Strong's 6440: </a> The face before לִפְנֵ֖י (lip̄·nê) Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6440.htm">Strong's 6440: </a> The face the ark אֲר֣וֹן (’ă·rō·wn) Noun - common singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_727.htm">Strong's 727: </a> A chest, ark of the LORD. יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3068.htm">Strong's 3068: </a> LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel So they took וַיִּקְחוּ֙ (way·yiq·ḥū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3947.htm">Strong's 3947: </a> To take Dagon דָּג֔וֹן (dā·ḡō·wn) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1712.htm">Strong's 1712: </a> Dagon -- a god and an idol of the Philistines and returned וַיָּשִׁ֥בוּ (way·yā·ši·ḇū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7725.htm">Strong's 7725: </a> To turn back, in, to retreat, again him אֹת֖וֹ (’ō·ṯōw) Direct object marker | third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_853.htm">Strong's 853: </a> Untranslatable mark of the accusative case to his place. לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ (lim·qō·w·mōw) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4725.htm">Strong's 4725: </a> A standing, a spot, a condition <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/1_samuel/5-3.htm">1 Samuel 5:3 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/1_samuel/5-3.htm">OT History: 1 Samuel 5:3 When they of Ashdod arose early (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/1_samuel/5-2.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="1 Samuel 5:2"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="1 Samuel 5:2" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/1_samuel/5-4.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="1 Samuel 5:4"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="1 Samuel 5:4" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>