Bible Chapter Summary
1 Samuel 5 Summary
The Ark in Philistine Hands
The Philistines bring the ark to Ashdod and place it in the temple of Dagon. When the people wake, they find Dagon fallen on his face before the ark. On the second day, Dagon is found fallen with his head and both hands cut off at the threshold. The Lord's hand becomes heavy upon Ashdod, destroying the people with emerods in secret parts. When the men of Ashdod see this, they determine the ark must be removed, sending it to Gath, but the Lord's destruction follows the ark there as well. The people send it to Ekron, where the Ekronites cry out in fear that it will slay them, and the hand of God is very heavy upon that city also.
Key themes
Key verses
1 Samuel 5:4
“And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.”
1 Samuel 5:6
“But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.”
1 Samuel 5:9
“And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.”
Read 1 Samuel 5 in full
Study the complete chapter with interlinear Hebrew & Greek, verse-by-verse, in the Gospel Daily reader.
Open the full chapter