The Meaning of 1 Samuel 5:1 Explained

1 Samuel 5:1

KJV: And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

YLT: And the Philistines have taken the ark of God, and bring it in from Eben-Ezer to Ashdod,

Darby: And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod.

ASV: Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the Philistines  took  the ark  of God,  and brought  it from Ebenezer  unto Ashdod. 

What does 1 Samuel 5:1 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 5:1 mean?

And the Philistines took - the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod
וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙ לָֽקְח֔וּ אֵ֖ת אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיְבִאֻ֛הוּ מֵאֶ֥בֶן הָעֵ֖זֶר אַשְׁדּֽוֹדָה

וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙  And  the  Philistines 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
לָֽקְח֔וּ  took 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲר֣וֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיְבִאֻ֛הוּ  and  brought  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָעֵ֖זֶר  Ebenezer 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר 
Sense: memorial stone erected by Samuel to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines—north of Jerusalem.
אַשְׁדּֽוֹדָה  to  Ashdod 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אַשְׁדֹּוד  
Sense: a major Philistine city on the Mediterranean Sea west from Jerusalem, modern Esdud.