Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Samuel 5
Albert Barnes Commentary
1 Samuel 5
Albert Barnes Commentary
1 Samuel 5
"And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon." — 1 Samuel 5:2 (ASV)
They brought it into the house of Dagon in order to enhance the triumph of the gods of the Philistines over the God of Israel (compare 1 Samuel 31:9; Judges 16:23; Isaiah 37:12).
"Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon`s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day." — 1 Samuel 5:5 (ASV)
This custom still existed among the worshippers of Dagon as late as the reign of Josiah (see the marginal reference).
"But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders thereof." — 1 Samuel 5:6 (ASV)
Emerods is a corrupted form of the word “hemorrhoids.” It is mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:27 among the diseases with which God threatened to punish the Israelites for disobedience.
"They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel [thither]." — 1 Samuel 5:8 (ASV)
The “lords” were very unwilling to give up their triumph and, with common pagan superstition, imagined that some local bad luck was against them at Ashdod. The result was to bring the whole Philistine community under the same calamity.
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