John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. And the Philistines took the ark of God , etc.] Which fell into their hands, Israel being beaten, and caused to flee, and the priests that had the care of the ark slain; and when possessed of it, they did not destroy it, nor take out of it what was in it, only took it up: and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod . Ebenezer was the place where the camp of Israel was pitched, ( 1 Samuel 4:1) and near to which the battle was fought. Ashdod was one of the five principalities of the Philistines, the same with Azotus, ( Acts 8:40). The distance between these two places, according to Bunting was one hundred and sixty miles; though one would think the distance from each other was not so great: why it was carried to Ashdod is not plain; perhaps it might be the nearest place of note in their country; and certain it is that it was one of their most famous cities, if not the most famous; (see Gill on “ Isaiah 20:1”), and had a famous idol temple in it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - See the ark's triumph over Dagon. Thus the kingdom of Satan wil certainly fall before the kingdom of Christ, error before truth profaneness before godliness, and corruption before grace in the heart of the faithful. When the interests of religion seem to be ready to sink, even then we may be confident that the day of their triumph wil come. When Christ, the true Ark of the covenant, really enters the heart of fallen man, which is indeed Satan's temple, all idols wil fall, every endeavour to set them up again will be vain, sin will be forsaken, and unrighteous gain restored; the Lord will claim an possess the throne. But pride, self-love, and worldly lusts, thoug dethroned and crucified, still remain within us, like the stump of Dagon. Let us watch and pray that they may not prevail. Let us seek to have them more entirely destroyed.
Original Hebrew ופלשׁתים6430 לקחו3947 את853 ארון727 האלהים430 ויבאהו935 מאבן העזר72 אשׁדודה׃795
