1 And Philistines took the ark of the Gods, and they brought him i from the Stone of Help to Ashdod. 2 And Philistines took the ark of the Gods and brought him in to the house of Dagon and placed him by Dagon. 3 And the Ashdodites rose early on the next day, and behold, Dagon was fallen before him to the earth before the ark of Yehvah. And they took Dagon and set him to his place.
4 And they rose early in the morning on the next day, and behold, Dagon was fallen before him to the earth before the ark of Yehvah. And Dagon's head and the two palms of his hands were cut off at the threshold. Only Dagon was left on it. 5 Therefore, the priests of Dagon, and all those who come in to the house of Dagon, do not tread upon the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
6 And the hand of Yehvah was heavy to the Ashdodites, and he made desolate and struck them with tumors ii at Ashdod and at her borders. 7 And men of Ashdod saw that it was so and said, “The ark of the Gods of Israel is not dwelling with us, for his hand is severe against us and against Dagon our Gods.” 8 And they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, “What shall we do to the ark of the Gods of Israel?” And they said, “Let the ark of the Gods of Israel go around Winepress.” iii And they brought the ark of the Gods of Israel around.
9 And it was, after they had brought him around, so the hand of Yehvah was in the city, a very great turmoil. iv And he struck the men of the city from small and unto great, and tumors broke out to them. 10 And they sent the ark of the Gods to Ekron.
And it was, as the ark of the Gods came in to Ekron, so the Ekronites cried out saying, “They have brought around to me v the ark of the Gods of Israel to kill me vi and my people!” vii 11 And they sent and gathered all lords of Philistines. And they said, “Send the ark of Gods of Israel and return to his place, and he will not kill me and my people.” viii For the hand of Gods was very heavy there, a deadly turmoil ix in all the city. 12 And the men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city for help went up to the heavens.
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.
- אוההוֻבבִי (yevi'uhu) “brought him”; NKJV, KJV, NAS “brought it” - this is literally him. There is no neuter in Hebrew. ^
- Kethib ים אֻל פל עפ`(âphâliym) “tumors”; qere ים אֻחרר בִט (techoriym) NKJV, NAS “tumors,” BDB, Green, DARBY, JUB “hemorrhoids”; KJV, YLT “emerods” - both Hebrew words appear to be the same or very similar in meaning. What is here as “read” (qere),ים אֻחרר בִט (techoriym), is in the written (kethib) only in 1 Samuel 6:11, 17 speaking of images of the same thing. ^
- ת( ג (gath) “Winepress”; NKJV, etc. “Gath” - see footnote for Joshua 11:22. ^
- ה הומל בִמ (mehumâ) “turmoil”; NAS “confusion”; NKJV, KJV, YLT, Green “destruction” – see footnotes for Deuteronomy 7:23. ^
- י( ללַא' (êlay) “to me” Green; “to us” NKJV, KJV, NAS; “unto us” YLT ^
- יֻנ לַית אֻמ המ ת( ל (lahamiytêniy) “to kill me” JUB; “to put me to death” Green; “to kill us” NKJV, NAS; “to slay us” KJV; “to put us to death” YLT ^
- יֻתמ( ע` (ammiy) “my people” JUB, Green; “our people” NKJV, YLT, KJV, etc. ^
- י אֻמ ת( ת־ע את בִו י אֻארת' (otiy ve'et-`immiy) “me and my people” JUB, MEV; “me . . . my people” Green; “us and our people” NKJV, NAS ^
- ת( בהומִמ (mehumat-mâvet) “deadly turmoil”; NAS, LEB “deadly confusion”; NKJV, KJV, YLT “deadly destruction” ^
And lords of Philistines were gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon their Gods and to rejoice. And they said, “Our Gods, he has given in our hand Samson our enemies.” -- (dâgon) Found also in 1 Samuel 5:2-5, 7; 1 Chronicles 10:10.
And they put the ark of Yehvah to the cart and the box and the gold mice and images of their tumors. -- (techorêyhem) “their tumors” NKJV, NAS; “their emerods” KJV, YLT; “hemorrhoids” Green – see footnote for 1 Samuel 5:6.
And the word of Samuel was to all Israel. And Israel went out to meet Philistines for the battle and encamped by the Help Stone, and Philistines encamped in Aphek. -- ר זר עז הע ן בר אר הע) hâ'even hâ`êzer) “the Help Stone”; NKJV, etc. “Ebenezer”; YLT “Eben-Ezer” - found also in 1 Samuel 5:1; 7:12 both without the article before “Stone” (“Eben”), thus there translated “the Stone of Help.” ר זר עז) êzer) “help” e.g. same word as “helper” in Genesis 2:18, 20; and “help” Exodus 18:4.