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וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙ לָֽקְח֔וּ אֵ֖ת אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיְבִאֻ֛הוּ מֵאֶ֥בֶן הָעֵ֖זֶר אַשְׁדּֽוֹדָה׃ 2 וַיִּקְח֤וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֣ית דָּג֑וֹן וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֵ֥צֶל דָּגֽוֹן׃ 3 וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤מוּ אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וְהִנֵּ֣ה דָג֗וֹן נֹפֵ֤ל לְפָנָיו֙ אַ֔רְצָה לִפְנֵ֖י אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־דָּג֔וֹן וַיָּשִׁ֥בוּ אֹת֖וֹ לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ 4 וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ בַבֹּקֶר֮ מִֽמָּחֳרָת֒ וְהִנֵּ֣ה דָג֗וֹן נֹפֵ֤ל לְפָנָיו֙ אַ֔רְצָה לִפְנֵ֖י אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֑ה וְרֹ֨אשׁ דָּג֜וֹן וּשְׁתֵּ֣י ׀ כַּפּ֣וֹת יָדָ֗יו כְּרֻתוֹת֙ אֶל־הַמִּפְתָּ֔ן רַ֥ק דָּג֖וֹן נִשְׁאַ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ 5 עַל־כֵּ֡ן לֹֽא־יִדְרְכוּ֩ כֹהֲנֵ֨י דָג֜וֹן וְכָֽל־הַבָּאִ֧ים בֵּית־דָּג֛וֹן עַל־מִפְתַּ֥ן דָּג֖וֹן בְּאַשְׁדּ֑וֹד עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ ס

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            פלשׁתי  name: “Philistines”

            אבן העזר  name: “Ebenezer”

            אשׁדוד  name: “Ashdod”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The name, Ebenezer, is a composite of two words, אבן “rock” and עזר “help.”
• The final qames he suffixed to the proper name of the city, אַשְׁדּֽוֹדָה Ashdod, is a so-called directive he (GKC 90c) indicating direction toward something/someplace.

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            דגון  name: “Dagon”

            יצג  verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect 3mpl): “set, place” (BDB, 426)

            אצל  “beside” (“in proximity to”)

Verse 3

            שׁכם  verb (Hiphil  waw-consecutive imperfect 3mpl): “arose (from sleep)”

            מחרת  “tomorrow” (BDB, 564)

Verse 4

            מחרת  “tomorrow” (BDB, 564)

            כף  “palms”

            מפתן  “threshold” (BDB, 837)

            רק  “only”

Verse 5

            על־כן  “therefore”

            מפתן  “threshold” (BDB, 837)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• Dagon was the Canaanite god of grain (more: Etana: Encyclopaedia Biblica (pdf), Wiki article).  See Joshua 15:41; 1 Samuel 5:2-7; 1 Chronicles 10:10.

Verse 3

• The directive he suffix is used again, אַ֔רְצָה, to indicate the direction to which Dagon fell.
• The word, פנים, has several meanings depending on the context of its use.  The first usage refers to the “face” (לְפָנָיו֙) and the second means “before the presence of” (לִפְנֵ֖י).

Verse 4

• The repetition is heightened by the severing of Dagon’s head and hands.
• The final clause is obscure in the MT (lit. “only Dagon remained on him”).  The LXX reads: πλὴν ἡ ῥάχις Δαγων ὑπελείφθη “only the backbone/spine of Dagon remained.”  Targums insert the word גופיה “body.”  Whether or not this is a textual emendation or exclusion, the meaning is clear from the context.

Verse 5

• The compound subject is כֹהֲנֵ֨י דָג֜וֹן וְכָֽל־הַבָּאִ֧ים בֵּית־דָּג֛וֹן.
• The participle, הַבָּאִ֧ים, is a substantive participle.
• The saying, עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה “until this day,” is found throughout the text (see 1 Samuel 6:18, 12:2, 27:6, 29:3, 6, 8, 30:25; 2 Samuel 4:3, 6:8, 18:18)

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