1 Samuel

1 Samuel 5:2–5

²carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.^a

³When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

⁴But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained. 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.

Footnotes

a 5:2 Literally set it beside Dagon

Read all of 1 Samuel 5

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 5:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
carried it into	וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ	way·yā·ḇî·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
the temple	בֵּ֣ית	bêṯ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
of Dagon	דָּג֑וֹן	dā·ḡō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1712 Dagon
and set	וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ	way·yaṣ·ṣî·ḡū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3322 set, place
it	אֹת֖וֹ	’ō·ṯōw	Direct object marker; third person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
beside	אֵ֥צֶל	’ê·ṣel	Preposition	H681 conjunction, proximity

1 Samuel 5:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When the people of Ashdod	אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙	’aš·dō·w·ḏîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H796 Ashdodite
got up early	וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤מוּ	way·yaš·ki·mū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7925 start, rise, early
the next morning	מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת	mim·mā·ḥo·rāṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular	H4283 the morrow
there	וְהִנֵּ֣ה	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
was Dagon	דָג֗וֹן	ḏā·ḡō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1712 Dagon
fallen	נֹפֵ֤ל	nō·p̄êl	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5307 fall, lie
on his face	לְפָנָיו֙	lə·p̄ā·nāw	Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine singular	H6440 face, before
before	לִפְנֵ֖י	lip̄·nê	Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
the ark	אֲר֣וֹן	’ă·rō·wn	Noun - common singular construct	H727 chest, ark
of the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
So they took	וַיִּקְחוּ֙	way·yiq·ḥū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3947 take
Dagon	דָּג֔וֹן	dā·ḡō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1712 Dagon
and returned	וַיָּשִׁ֥בוּ	way·yā·ši·ḇū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7725 turn back, return
him	אֹת֖וֹ	’ō·ṯōw	Direct object marker; third person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
to his place	לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃	lim·qō·w·mōw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4725 standing, spot, condition

1 Samuel 5:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But when they got up early	וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ	way·yaš·ki·mū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7925 start, rise, early
the next	מִֽמָּחֳרָת֒	mim·mā·ḥo·rāṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular	H4283 the morrow
morning	בַבֹּקֶר֮	ḇab·bō·qer	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1242 morning
there	וְהִנֵּ֣ה	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
was Dagon	דָג֗וֹן	ḏā·ḡō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1712 Dagon
fallen	נֹפֵ֤ל	nō·p̄êl	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5307 fall, lie
on his face	לְפָנָיו֙	lə·p̄ā·nāw	Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine singular	H6440 face, before
before	לִפְנֵ֖י	lip̄·nê	Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
the ark	אֲר֣וֹן	’ă·rō·wn	Noun - common singular construct	H727 chest, ark
of the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
with	וְרֹ֨אשׁ	wə·rōš	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7218 head
his hands	יָדָ֗יו	yā·ḏāw	Noun - feminine dual construct; third person masculine singular	H3027 hand
broken off	כְּרֻתוֹת֙	kə·ru·ṯō·wṯ	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine plural	H3772 cut off, cut down
and lying on	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the threshold	הַמִּפְתָּ֔ן	ham·mip̄·tān	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4670 threshold
Only	רַ֥ק	raq	Adverb	H7535 thin
remained	נִשְׁאַ֥ר	niš·’ar	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7604 remain, be left over

1 Samuel 5:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
That is why	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
to	עַ֖ד	‘aḏ	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
this	הַזֶּֽה׃ס	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
day	הַיּ֥וֹם	hay·yō·wm	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
the priests	כֹהֲנֵ֨י	ḵō·hă·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H3548 priest
of Dagon	דָג֜וֹן	ḏā·ḡō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1712 Dagon
and all	וְכָֽל־	wə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
who enter	הַבָּאִ֧ים	hab·bā·’îm	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
the temple	בֵּית־	bêṯ-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
of Dagon	דָּג֛וֹן	dā·ḡō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1712 Dagon
in Ashdod	בְּאַשְׁדּ֑וֹד	bə·’aš·dō·wḏ	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H795 Ashdod
do not	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
step	יִדְרְכוּ֩	yiḏ·rə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1869 tread, march
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the threshold	מִפְתַּ֥ן	mip̄·tan	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4670 threshold