1 Samuel 5:4

But 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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator describes the Ashdodites' discovery the morning after they placed the captured ark in Dagon's temple.

The words — נֹפֵל (no.Fel) means [was] fallen, and אַרְצָה ('Ar.tza/h) means [the] ground/ towards, detailing the statue's prone position.

The thread — This pattern of divine judgment on foreign idols recurs in Micah 1:7, Isaiah 2:18, and Jeremiah 10:11, where carved images and false gods are smashed or vanish.

Why it lands — The plain text records the physical destruction of a pagan statue to demonstrate Yahweh's supremacy over false deities, demanding recognition of His exclusive authority.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

Cross-references

Micah 1:7 All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again on a prostitute.
Isaiah 2:18 and the idols will vanish completely.
Jeremiah 10:11 Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”
Jeremiah 50:2 “Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’
Isaiah 27:9 Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.
Ezekiel 6:4 Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will cast down your slain before your idols.
Daniel 11:8 He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North,