1 Samuel 5:2-3 KJV,NLT

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - 1 Samuel 5:3

(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 Isaiah 46:1.) 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... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

CHAPTER VII.THE ARK AMONG THE PHILISTINES.1 Samuel 5:1-12; 1 Samuel 6:1-21ALTHOUGH the history in Samuel is silent as to the doings of the Philistines immediately after their great victory over Israel, yet we learn from other parts of the Bible (Psalms 78:60-64 ) Jeremiah 7:12; Jeremiah 26:9) that they proceeded to Shiloh, massacred the priests, wrecked the city, and left it a monument of desolation, as it continued to be ever after. Probably this was considered an appropriate sequel to the... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

6. The Ark in the Hands of the Philistines and Its Return CHAPTER 5 1. The ark in the house of Dagon (1 Samuel 5:1-5 ) 2. The Philistines smitten by Jehovah (1 Samuel 5:6-12 ) 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... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - 1 Samuel 5:2

5:2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of {b} Dagon, and set it by Dagon.(b) Which was their chief idol, and as some write, from the navel downward was like a fish, and upward like a man. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

Though God had allowed the Philistines to gain the victory, He very soon spoils their pleasure in having captured the ark, taking it to Ashdod. They think the most fit place for it is in the house of Dagon, the fish-god (half fish, half man). No doubt they even considered they were patronizing Israel's god by giving it this place! But the next morning Dagon was found fallen on its face before the ark, and they were given the work of lifting their god back into its place! The second morning,... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

ELI ’S DEATH ; THE LOSS OF THE ARK GOD SPEAKS TO SAMUEL (1 Samuel 3:0 ) “The word of the Lord was precious [or rare] in those days” (1 Samuel 3:1 ) is introductory to the record that it was now heard in the case of Samuel. It was Israel’s sin that hid God’s face from them and caused His voice to be silent so long only twice heard during the period of the Judges (Judges 4:4 ; Judges 6:8 ) but He was again to be gracious unto them in this respect, and a new epoch was to open in their... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1-2

(1) ¶ 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. What the Philistines design was in bringing the ark into the house of their idolatrous God, is not so easy to determine. Whether it might be to give honor to Dagon, as they did in the case of their conquering Samson, or whether it might be that they intended to unite the ark of God with Dagon as the... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:3

(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. Had the men of Ashdod only considered this as a supernatural work, instantly they must have seen in it the finger of God. read more

George Haydock

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:2

Dagon is the same as Derceto, Atergatis, Venus, and the moon, (Calmet) and was represented like a woman, (Tirinus) as far as the waist, and a fish below. (Haydock) (Judges xvi. 23.) --- The ark was placed near the idol, out of respect; (Calmet) or as a trophy of the victory, which they attributed to Dagon. (Menochius) --- Thus they hung up the arms of Saul in the temple of Asteroth; (chap. xxxi. 10,) and David placed the sword of Goliah[Goliath] in the tabernacle. read more