1 Samuel 5:3

_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._ They of Ashdod arose early. They were filled with consternation when they found the object of their stupid veneration prostrate before the symbol of the divine presence. Though set up, it fell again, and lay in a state of complete mutilation. His head and arms, severed from the trunk, were lying in distant and separate places, as if violently cast off, and only х_ DAAGOWN_ (H1712)], the fishy part, remained. The degradation of their idol, though concealed by the priests on the former occasion, was now more manifest and infamous. He lay in the attitude of a vanquished enemy and a suppliant; and this picture of humiliation significantly declared the superiority of the God of Israel....

1-5 See the ark's triumph over Dagon. Thus the kingdom of Satan will certainly fall before the kingdom of Christ, error before truth, profaneness before godliness, and corruption before grace in the hearts of the faithful. When the interests of religion seem to be ready to sink, even then we may be confident that the day of their triumph will come. When Christ, the true Ark of the covenant, really enters the heart of fallen man, which is indeed Satan's temple, all idols will fall, every endeavour to set them up again will be vain, sin will be forsaken, and unrighteous gain restored; the Lord will claim and possess the throne. But pride, self-love, and worldly lusts, though dethroned and crucified, still remain within us, like the stump of Dagon. Let us watch and pray that they may not prevail. Let us seek to have them more entirely destroyed....

Verse 1 Samuel 5:3. _THEY OF ASHDOD AROSE EARLY ON THE MORROW_] Probably to perform some act of their superstition in the temple of their idol. _DAGON_ WAS _FALLEN UPON HIS FACE_] This was one proof, which they little expected, of the _superiority_ of the God of Israel. _SET HIM IN HIS PLACE AGAIN._] Supposing his fall might have been merely _accidental_....

EXPOSITION THE ARK OF GOD IN PHILISTIA (1 Samuel 5:1). 1 SAMUEL 5:1 THE PHILISTINES TOOK THE ARK OF GOD. The silence of Scripture is often as remarkable as what it tells us. From Psalms 78:60-19; Jeremiah 7:12; Jeremiah 26:9, we gather that from Aphek the Philistines marched upon Shiloh, and having captured it, put all whom they found there to the sword, a

AND WHEN THEY OF ASHDOD AROSE EARLY ON THE MORROW, e.] Either the people, the inhabitants of the place, who came early to pay their devotions to their idol, before they went on their business or the priests of the idol, who came to sacrifice in the morning: AND, BEHOLD, DAGON WAS FALLEN UPON HIS FACE TO THE EARTH BEFORE THE ARK OF THE LORD; as if he was subject to it, and giving adoration to it, and owning it was above him, and had superior power over him: AND THEY TOOK DAGON, AND SET HIM IN HIS PLACE AGAIN; having no notion that it was owing to the ark of God, or to the God of Israel, that he was fallen, but that it was a matter of chance....

6. THE ARK IN THE HANDS OF THE PHILISTINES AND ITS RETURN CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The ark in the house of Dagon (1 Samuel 5:1)_ 2. The Philistines smitten by Jehovah (1 Samuel 5:6) The ark was brought to Ashdod, the leading city of the Philistines, and set up in the temple dedicated to Dagon, the chief god of the people. It was half fish and half man, the symbol of fertility. Before this idol the ark was set up. In their blindness they imagined that Dagon had conquered the God of Israel. The next morning they found Dagon fallen with his face to the earth before the ark. It was the Lord who did it and not an accident. The next morning the whole idol-image, except the fish-part, is fallen upon the ground. “The head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off upon the threshold.” T

1 SAMUEL 5. THE ARK IN THE PHILISTINE CITIES. 1 Samuel 5:1. Ashdod. 1 Samuel 5:8. Gath. 1 Samuel 5:10. Ekron: see Joshua 11:22; Joshua 13:3; p 28. 1 Samuel 5:2. Dagon: see Judges 16:23 *. 1 Samuel 5:3. The Ark is thought of as possessing marvellous inherent powers; it brings disaster on

THE MORROW. Septuagint adds "and entered into the house of Dagon, they looked and "behold, &c. behold. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ in contrast with Dagon. App-4....

_Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth_ In the attitude of homage to the ark. Jehovah does not leave the Philistines to fancy that their god has conquered Him. He will shew that He is "the living God." "The idols shall be moved at his presence" (Isaiah 19:1)....

The Captivity of the Ark, 1 Samuel 5:1 to 1 Samuel 7:17. _The Ark in the Temple of Dagon. 1 Samuel 5:1-6_ And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3 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. 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