The Meaning of 1 Samuel 5:3 Explained

1 Samuel 5:3

KJV: And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

YLT: And the Ashdodites rise early on the morrow, and lo, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the ark of Jehovah; and they take Dagon, and put it back to its place.

Darby: And when they of Ashdod arose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

ASV: And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when they of Ashdod  arose early  on the morrow,  behold, Dagon  [was] fallen  upon his face  to the earth  before  the ark  of the LORD.  And they took  Dagon,  and set  him in his place  again. 

What does 1 Samuel 5:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 5:1-12 - The Captured Ark Brings Trouble
Dagon's fall before the Ark of God has a sublime significance. In the evening, as the priests left the temple, the hideous image stood erect on its pedestal; in the morning, it was found prostrate before the sacred symbol. A repetition of the incident proved that it was no coincidence. So shall it be with all the idols of the heathen. They shall be utterly abolished, and the demons of whom they are the grotesque representations, together with the Devil whom they obey, shall be cast into the "bottomless pit," Revelation 20:3. Thus has it been in many countries already. They have "cast their idols to the moles and bats," Isaiah 2:20.
Let this scene be reproduced in your heart! Let Jesus enter and the dearest idols you have known will yield before Him. The presence of Christ, which brings terror to his foes, will bring blessing and deliverance to those that love Him. The dying thief passes from his cross to Paradise, while Judas goes to his own place. Dare to admit the Savior into the secret place of your heart. He will utterly destroy the works of Satan, and will drive out the evil things that have too long infested it. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 5

1  The Philistines having brought the ark into Ashdod, set it in the house Dagon
3  Dagon is smitten down and cut and cut in pieces,
5  and they of Ashdod smitten with tumors
8  So God deals with them of Gath, when it was brought thither
10  and so with them of Ekron, when it was brought thither

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 5:3 mean?

And when arose early the Ashdodites in the morning and there was Dagon fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of Yahweh So they took - Dagon and set again it in its place
וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤מוּ אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וְהִנֵּ֣ה דָג֗וֹן נֹפֵ֤ל לְפָנָיו֙ אַ֔רְצָה לִפְנֵ֖י אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־ דָּג֔וֹן וַיָּשִׁ֥בוּ אֹת֖וֹ לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ

וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤מוּ  And  when  arose  early 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁכַם  
Sense: to rise or start early.
אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙  the  Ashdodites 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: אַשְׁדֹּודִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Ashdod.
מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת  in  the  morning 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָחֳרָת  
Sense: the morrow, the day after.
וְהִנֵּ֣ה  and  there  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
דָג֗וֹן  Dagon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּגֹון  
Sense: a Philistine deity of fertility; represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish.
נֹפֵ֤ל  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
לְפָנָיו֙  on  its  face 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אַ֔רְצָה  to  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לִפְנֵ֖י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֲר֣וֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיִּקְחוּ֙  So  they  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דָּג֔וֹן  Dagon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּגֹון  
Sense: a Philistine deity of fertility; represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish.
וַיָּשִׁ֥בוּ  and  set  again 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ  in  its  place 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.