And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
- BSB After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,
- NKJV Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
- NASB Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
- NLT After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Philistines carry the captured ark from Ebenezer to their city of Ashdod. The enemy thinks they have triumphed over Israel's God.
Overview
Having seized the ark, the Philistines bring it to Ashdod, presumably as a trophy of victory. From a human standpoint, Yahweh appears defeated. But the narrative is about to reveal that God will defend His own honor among the nations, needing no army to do so.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Sam 7:12Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.
- 1 Sam 4:1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
- 1 Sam 4:22And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.
- Josh 13:3From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
- 1 Sam 4:17–18And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
- Acts 8:40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
- 1 Sam 4:11And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
- Josh 11:22There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
- Ps 78:61And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 5:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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