Context No. 200 of 4322 · 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 5:7-12: in context

7When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us, for his hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” 8They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” They carried the ark of the God of Israel there. 9It was so, that after they had carried it there, the LORD’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, so that tumors broke out on them. 10So they sent God’s ark to Ekron. As God’s ark came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to us, to kill us and our people.” 11They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there. 12The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

The Philistines have beaten Israel in battle and captured the ark of the covenant. This passage is what happens to them afterward, and it is closer to comedy than to horror until it turns.

They put the ark in the temple of Dagon at Ashdod. The next morning Dagon has fallen face down before it. They set him back up. The next morning he is down again with his head and hands broken off on the threshold. Then the people of the city begin to suffer with tumors. Their conclusion is quick: the ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard on us and on Dagon our god.

So they hold a council of the Philistine lords, and the solution is to send it to Gath. Gath gets the tumors. So they send it to Ekron, and the people of Ekron cry out as it arrives: they have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us. The whole passage is a hot object being passed from city to city by men who have correctly diagnosed the problem and will not consider giving it back. In the next chapter they finally send it home with a guilt offering. What have I kept moving around rather than returning?

Sources

1 Samuel 4: the capture of the ark at the battle of Aphek
1 Samuel 5:1-5: Dagon fallen before the ark, with head and hands broken off on the threshold
1 Samuel 6: the ark finally sent back with a guilt offering