5:1 The Philistines having brought the ark into Ashdod, set it in the house of Dagon;
5:3 Dagon is smitten down and cut in pieces, and they of Ashdod smitten with emerods;
5:8 So God deals with them of Gath, when it was brought thither;
5:10 and so with them of Ekron, when it was brought thither. Verse 1took1 Samuel 4:11, 4:17, 4:18, 4:22; Psalm 78:61 Ebenezer1 Samuel 4:1, 7:12 AshdodAshdod, called Azotus by the Greeks, was one of the five satrapies of the Philistines, and a place of great strength and consequence. It was situated near the Mediterranean, between Askelon and Jamnia, thirty-four miles north of Gaza, according to Diodorus Siculus, and the Antonine and Jerusalem Itineraries. It is now called Shdood; and Dr. Richardson says they neither saw nor heard of any ruins there. "The ground," he observes, "around Ashdod is beautifully undulating, but not half stocked with cattle. The site of the town is on the summit of a grassy hill; and, if we are to believe historians, was anciently as strong as it was beautiful." Joshua 11:22; Acts 8:40, AzotusReciprocalJoshua 15:46 - near; 1 Samuel 6:1 - the ark; 6:17 - Ashdod; 2 Chronicles 26:6 - about; Nehemiah 4:7 - Ashdodites; 13:23 - Ashdod; Daniel 5:23 - and they; Amos 3:9 - Ashdod Verse 2of DagonJudges 16:23; 1 Chronicles 10:10; Daniel 5:2, 5:23; Habakkuk 1:11, 1:16ReciprocalGenesis 31:30 - my gods; Joshua 19:27 - Bethdagon; Judges 10:6 - the gods of the Philistines; 1 Samuel 14:18 - For the ark; 2 Samuel 5:21 - David; 1 Chronicles 14:12 - were burned; Nehemiah 4:7 - Ashdodites; Psalm 78:61 - his strength; Isaiah 19:1 - the idols; Daniel 1:2 - and he; Joel 3:5 - into; 2 Corinthians 6:14 - for; 6:15 - what concord Verse 3Dagon wasExodus 12:12; Psalm 97:7; Isaiah 19:1, 46:1, 46:2; Zephaniah 2:11; Mark 3:11; Luke 10:18-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 set himIsaiah 19:1, 40:20, 41:7, 44:17-20, 46:1, 46:2, 46:7; Jeremiah 10:8Reciprocal1 Samuel 5:7 - upon Dagon our god; 6:1 - the ark; 6:5 - off your; 11:14 - renew; Isaiah 41:6 - helped; 44:11 - all his; Jeremiah 22:28 - a despised; 48:13 - ashamed; Acts 19:28 - and cried Verse 4the headIsaiah 2:18, 2:19, 27:9; Jeremiah 10:11, 50:2; Ezekiel 6:4-6; Daniel 11:8; Micah 1:7 of DagonThe name of this idol, Dagon, signifies a fish, and it is supposed to be the Atergatis of the Syrians, corruptly called Derceto by the Greeks, which had the upper part like a woman, and the lower part like a fish; as Lucian informs us:
Δερκετους δε ειδος εν Φοινικη εθεησαμην, θεημα ξενον; ημισεη μεν γυνη; το δε οκοσον εκ μηρων ες ακρους ποδας, ιχθυος ουρη αποτεινεται
"In Phoenicia I saw the image of Derceto; a strange sight truly! For she had the half of a woman, but from the thighs downward a fish's tail."

Diodorus (1. ii.) describing the same idol, as represented at Askelon, says, το μεν προσωπον εχει γυναικος, το δἀλλο σωμα παν ιχθυος. "It had the head of a woman, but all the rest of the body a fish's.

Probably Horace alludes to this idol, in De Art. Poet. 1:4
Desinat in piscem, mulier formosa superne." "The upper part a handsome woman, and the lower part a fish." If such was the form of this idol, then everything that was human was broken off from what resembled a fish.the stumpor, the fishy partReciprocalExodus 20:23 - General; 1 Samuel 5:7 - upon Dagon our god; 6:5 - off your; Isaiah 40:20 - shall not; Hosea 10:2 - break down Verse 5neitherPsalm 115:4-7, 135:15-18 treadJoshua 5:15; Zephaniah 1:9ReciprocalGenesis 32:32 - eat not; Exodus 20:23 - General Verse 6the hand1 Samuel 5:7, 5:11; Exodus 9:3; Psalm 32:4; Acts 13:11 emerods1 Samuel 5:9, 5:11, 6:5; Deuteronomy 28:27; Job 31:3; Psalm 78:66 thereofThe LXX and Vulgate add:
Και μεσον της χωρας αυτης ανεφυησαν μυες και εγενετο συγχυσις θανατου μεγαλη εν τη πολει.
(Et ebullierunt ville et agri in medio regionis illius, et nati sunt mures; et facta est confusio mortis magne in civitate).

"And (the cities and fields in Vulg.) the midst of that region produced mice; (Vulg. burst up, and mice were produced;) and there was the confusion of a great death in the city." 1 Samuel 6:4, 6:5ReciprocalGenesis 41:31 - grievous; Deuteronomy 2:15 - the hand of the; Joshua 15:46 - near; 2 Chronicles 26:6 - about; Psalm 38:2 - thy hand; 44:2 - how thou didst afflict; Isaiah 26:11 - they shall; Revelation 16:2 - a noisome Verse 7saw1 Samuel 4:8; Exodus 8:8, 8:28, 9:28, 10:7, 12:33 The ark1 Samuel 6:20; 2 Samuel 6:9; 1 Chronicles 13:11-13, 15:13 upon Dagon our god1 Samuel 5:3, 5:4; Jeremiah 46:25, 48:7Reciprocal1 Samuel 5:6 - the hand; 6:3 - known; 6:5 - off your; Psalm 32:4 - hand; 44:2 - how thou didst afflict; Ezekiel 39:21 - and my Verse 8What shallZechariah 12:3 Gath1 Samuel 17:4; Amos 6:2Reciprocal1 Samuel 6:17 - Gath; 6:20 - General; 29:2 - the lords; 1 Chronicles 18:1 - Gath Verse 9the hand1 Samuel 5:6, 7:13, 12:15; Deuteronomy 2:15; Amos 5:19, 9:1-4 with a very1 Samuel 5:11 and they had emerods5:6, 6:4, 6:5, 6:11; Psalm 78:66ReciprocalDeuteronomy 28:27 - emerods; 1 Samuel 6:3 - known; 2 Kings 23:2 - both small and great; Psalm 32:4 - hand; 107:40 - contempt; Acts 13:11 - hand; Revelation 16:2 - a noisome Verse 10God to EkronJoshua 15:45; Judges 1:18; 2 Kings 1:2; Amos 1:8 us, to slay us and our peopleHeb. me, to slay me and my peopleReciprocalGenesis 20:18 - General; Joshua 15:11 - Ekron; 19:43 - Ekron; 1 Samuel 6:1 - the ark; 6:16 - they returned; 6:17 - Ekron; 2 Samuel 6:9 - afraid; 1 Chronicles 13:12 - afraid of God Verse 11us not, and our peopleHeb. me not, and my peoplea deadlyIsaiah 13:7-9; Jeremiah 48:42-44 the hand1 Samuel 5:6, 5:9ReciprocalGenesis 20:17 - General; Deuteronomy 2:15 - the hand of the; Ruth 1:13 - the hand; 1 Samuel 6:1 - the ark; 6:3 - known; 6:5 - lighten; 2 Samuel 6:9 - afraid; 1 Chronicles 13:12 - afraid of God; Psalm 32:4 - hand; 38:2 - thy hand; Ezekiel 39:21 - and my; Acts 13:11 - hand Verse 12died1 Kings 19:17; Amos 5:19 the cry1 Samuel 9:16; Exodus 12:30; Isaiah 15:3-5; Jeremiah 14:2, 25:34, 48:3ReciprocalGenesis 20:17 - General; Deuteronomy 28:27 - emerods; Jeremiah 46:12 - thy cry