Die Königszeit
The Philistines Capture the Ark of God
The Philistines take the Ark of God and bring it to Ashdod, where they place it beside their god Dagon in his temple. Two mornings in a row, they find Dagon fallen face down before the ark, eventually with his head and hands cut off. Then the hand of the Lord strikes Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron with boils and deadly terror, and the Philistine rulers decide that the ark must be sent back to Israel.
1. Samuel 5,1-12
1When the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙ לָֽקְח֔וּ אֵ֖ת אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיְבִאֻ֛הוּ מֵאֶ֥בֶן הָעֵ֖זֶר אַשְׁדּֽוֹדָה׃
2Then the Philistines took the ark of God, carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it up beside Dagon.
וַיִּקְח֤וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֣ית דָּג֑וֹן וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֵ֥צֶל דָּגֽוֹן׃
3When the people of Ashdod rose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.
וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤מוּ אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וְהִנֵּ֣ה דָג֗וֹן נֹפֵ֤ל לְפָנָיו֙ אַ֔רְצָה לִפְנֵ֖י אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־דָּג֔וֹן וַיָּשִׁ֥בוּ אֹת֖וֹ לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃
4But when they rose early the following morning, there was Dagon again, fallen face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD, with his head and the palms of both his hands cut off, lying on the threshold. Only his body was left.
וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ בַבֹּקֶר֮ מִֽמָּחֳרָת֒ וְהִנֵּ֣ה דָג֗וֹן נֹפֵ֤ל לְפָנָיו֙ אַ֔רְצָה לִפְנֵ֖י אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֑ה וְרֹ֨אשׁ דָּג֜וֹן וּשְׁתֵּ֣י ׀ כַּפּ֣וֹת יָדָ֗יו כְּרֻתוֹת֙ אֶל־הַמִּפְתָּ֔ן רַ֥ק דָּג֖וֹן נִשְׁאַ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃
5That is why to this day the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.
עַל־כֵּ֡ן לֹֽא־יִדְרְכוּ֩ כֹהֲנֵ֨י דָג֜וֹן וְכָֽל־הַבָּאִ֧ים בֵּית־דָּג֛וֹן עַל־מִפְתַּ֥ן דָּג֖וֹן בְּאַשְׁדּ֑וֹד עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ ס
6The hand of the LORD lay heavy on the people of Ashdod. He devastated them and struck them with tumors,<fn>The Hebrew term refers to painful swellings; the affliction may have been an outbreak of plague.</fn> both Ashdod and its territory.
וַתִּכְבַּ֧ד יַד־יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־הָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֖ים וַיְשִּׁ[c]מֵּ֑ם וַיַּ֤ךְ אֹתָם֙ *בעפלים **בַּטְּחֹרִ֔ים אֶת־אַשְׁדּ֖וֹד וְאֶת־גְּבוּלֶֽיהָ׃
7When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, for his hand is harsh against us and against Dagon our god."
וַיִּרְא֥וּ אַנְשֵֽׁי־אַשְׁדּ֖וֹד כִּֽי־כֵ֑ן וְאָמְר֗וּ לֹֽא־יֵשֵׁ֞ב אֲר֨וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עִמָּ֔נוּ כִּֽי־קָשְׁתָ֤ה יָדוֹ֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְעַ֖ל דָּג֥וֹן אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
8So they sent word and gathered all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" They answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be moved to Gath." So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
וַיִּשְׁלְח֡וּ וַיַּאַסְפוּ֩ אֶת־כָּל־סַרְנֵ֨י פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֗ה לַֽאֲרוֹן֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ גַּ֣ת יִסֹּ֔ב אֲר֖וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּסֵּ֕בּוּ אֶת־אֲר֖וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
9But after they had moved it, the hand of the LORD was against that city, throwing it into a very great panic. He struck the men of the city, young and old, and tumors broke out on them.
וַיְהִ֞י אַחֲרֵ֣י ׀ הֵסַ֣בּוּ אֹת֗וֹ וַתְּהִ֨י יַד־יְהוָ֤ה ׀ בָּעִיר֙ מְהוּמָה֙ גְּדוֹלָ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר מִקָּטֹ֖ן וְעַד־גָּד֑וֹל וַיִּשָּׂתְר֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם *עפלים **טְחֹרִֽים׃
10So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as the ark of God entered Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel around to us to kill us and our people!"
וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֛וּ אֶת־אֲר֥וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים עֶקְר֑וֹן וַיְהִ֗י כְּב֨וֹא אֲר֤וֹן הָאֱלֹהִים֙ עֶקְר֔וֹן וַיִּזְעֲק֨וּ הָֽעֶקְרֹנִ֜ים לֵאמֹ֗ר הֵסַ֤בּוּ אֵלַי֙ אֶת־אֲרוֹן֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לַהֲמִיתֵ֖נִי וְאֶת־עַמִּֽי׃
11They sent word and gathered all the rulers of the Philistines and said, "Send the ark of the God of Israel away. Let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people." For a deadly panic had fallen on the whole city; the hand of God lay very heavy there.
וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ וַיַּאַסְפ֜וּ אֶת־כָּל־סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ שַׁלְּח֞וּ אֶת־אֲר֨וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לִמְקֹמ֔וֹ וְלֹֽא־יָמִ֥ית אֹתִ֖י וְאֶת־עַמִּ֑י כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה מְהֽוּמַת־מָ֙וֶת֙ בְּכָל־הָעִ֔יר כָּבְדָ֥ה מְאֹ֛ד יַ֥ד הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים שָֽׁם׃
12Those who did not die were struck with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
וְהָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־מֵ֔תוּ הֻכּ֖וּ *בעפלים **בַּטְּחֹרִ֑ים וַתַּ֛עַל שַֽׁוְעַ֥ת הָעִ֖יר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃