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1 Samuel 5:2 — Word Study

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WLCוַיִּקְח֤וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ אֶת־ אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֣ית דָּג֑וֹן וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֵ֥צֶל דָּגֽוֹן׃

BSAcarried it intobôwʼ [took, brought] the templebayith [house] of DagonDâgôwn [a pagan God, idol] and setyâtsag [established, placed] itʼêth besideʼêtsel [near, alongside] [his statue]Dâgôwn [Dagon's, image, idol]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (da.Gon) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 5:2quick helps
In a sentenceThe Philistines took the ark of God and placed it in the temple of their god Dagon.
Who is speakingThe Philistines, a people known for their conflicts with Israel.
Where we areThe narrative describes the aftermath of the Philistines capturing the ark of God.
The hard wordדָּג֑וֹן
Take awayThe ark was placed beside Dagon, highlighting the contrast between the true God and idols.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectפְּלִשְׁתִּי verbלָקַח The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Samuel 5:2

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Capture of the Arkgenerated

1After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,
2carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.
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.

1 Samuel 5:2 describes how the Philistines, after capturing the ark of God, carried it into the temple of their god Dagon. This act signifies their belief in Dagon's superiority over the God of Israel, setting the stage for the subsequent events that demonstrate God's power over idols, as seen in the following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Judges 16:23Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”
21 Chronicles 10:10They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of Dagon.
3Daniel 5:2–23Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
4Habakkuk 1:11–16Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word לָקַח, vai.yik.Chugenerated

The verb לָקַח (*laqach*) means 'to take' and encompasses a wide range of actions, including to receive, seize, capture, and carry away. In this context, it indicates the Philistines' action of taking the ark of God into their possession.

The parsing indicates a sequential imperfect form, suggesting an ongoing action by the Philistines. This word sets the tone for their actions, reflecting their intent to assert dominance over the Israelites' God.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

Translations generally agree on the meaning of לָקַח, with the BSB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all using 'took' or similar terms.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb יִּקְח֤וּ (*yikḥu*) governs the sentence, with two additional verbs וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ (*vai.yavi'u*) and וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ (*vai.yatzi'gu*) indicating sequential actions by the Philistines.

The structure emphasizes the actions taken by the Philistines in a series, showcasing their determination to establish Dagon's supremacy over the ark.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates לָקַח with ἔλαβον (*elabon*), which means 'they took.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the sense of taking possession.

For דָּג֑וֹן, the LXX uses δαγων, reflecting a direct translation of the name of the Philistine deity, emphasizing its role in the narrative.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 5:2 shows the Philistines taking the ark of God and placing it in the temple of Dagon, their idol. This act reveals their belief in Dagon's power, but the following verses demonstrate God's authority over false gods.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the Philistines took the ark into Dagon's temple?

It signifies the Philistines' attempt to show that their god Dagon was superior to the God of Israel by placing the ark beside the idol.

Why is Dagon significant in this passage?

Dagon represents the false gods worshipped by the Philistines, and the narrative contrasts Dagon's impotence with God's power.

What happens to Dagon after the ark is placed beside him?

Dagon falls on his face before the ark, illustrating God's supremacy and the futility of idol worship.

How does this passage relate to the larger story of Israel's battles?

It highlights the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Philistines, showcasing the consequences of idolatry and the power of the true God.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does the placement of the ark beside Dagon reveal about the Philistines' understanding of power?
  2. How can we see the contrast between true worship and idolatry in our own lives?
  3. What lessons can we learn from the way God responds to false gods?
  4. In what ways do we sometimes elevate things in our lives to the status of idols?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early Church Fathers referenced this passage to discuss the futility of idol worship and the supremacy of God over false deities.

John ChrysostomDISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 6.7.1 c. 347–407
In short, if you believe the place is holy because the law and the books of prophets are there, then it is time for you to believe that idols and the temples of idols are holy.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 5 →
John ChrysostomDISCOURSE ON BLESSED BABYLAS 1.6 c. 347–407
And now is not the first time, but he has performed these amazing marvels from time immemorial. It is not pertinent to enumerate them all; I shall mention what seems to resemble these events most closely.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 5 →
Theodoret of CyrusON DIVINE PROVIDENCE 10.50-51 c. 393–460
So Dagon who was adored as God by them (although he was a dumb, senseless idol) was made to fall before the ark, and God prepared to stage a spectacle for the spectators,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 5 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 5:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

When the Philistines took the ark of God,.... And had brought it to Ashdod: they brought it into the house of Dagon; a temple dedicated to that idol, and in which his image stood; of which [See

Read John Gill on 1 Samuel 5 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. The house of Dagon.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Samuel 5 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Either, first, Out of respect to it, that it might be worshipped together with Dagon. Or rather, secondly, By way of reproach and contempt of it, as a spoil and trophy set there to the honour of Dagon, to whom doubtless they ascribed this victory, as they did a former, . And though they had some reverence for the ark before, , &c.; yet that was certainly much diminished by their success against Israel, notwithstanding the presence and help of the ark.

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Samuel 5 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Samuel 5:2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.Ver. 2. They brought it into the house of Dagon.] Which some will have to be Iupiter Aratrius sive Frumentarius, - called Dagon of Dagan, which signifieth grain, - because he taught them the use of the plough, and of tillage, Others, to be Triton, a sea god, - the Philistines or Phenicians were situate by the sea side, and worshipped fishes, as Xenophon, Siculus, and Cicero testify, - called Dagon of Dagah, a fish, because they made him like a man upward, and downward like a fish, whence that of Virgil, “ Frons hominem praefert, in pristin desinit alvus. ” And set it by…

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 5 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) They brought it into the house of Dagon.—The conquerors, we are told, in the meantime, with triumph, carried the captured Ark from the battle-field to Ashdod. This was one of the capital cities of the five Philistine princes. It is built on a hill close to the Mediterranean Sea, and was in after days known as Azotus (Acts 8:40). In Ashdod they placed it in the temple of the popular Philistine god, Dagon. This was their vengeance for the slaughter of the 3,000 Philistine worshippers in the temple of the same deity at Gaza, not many years before, by the blind Hebrew champion Samson. The princes and Philistine people well remembered how the blind hero on that awful day, when 3,000 perished…

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Samuel 5 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. The house of Dagon] On this idol, which was supposed to be partly in a human form, and partly in that of a fish, see the note on Judges 16:23. Some think that this idol was the same with Dirceto, Attergatis, the Venus of Askelon, and the Moon. - See Calmet's Dissertation on the gods of the Philistines. The motive which induced the Philistines to set up the ark in the temple of Dagon, may be easily ascertained. It was customary, in all nations, to dedicate the spoils taken from an enemy to their gods: 1. As a gratitude-offering for the help which they supposed them to have furnished; and, 2. As a proof that their gods, i.e., the gods of the conquerors, were more powerful than those…

Read AdamClarke on 1 Samuel 5 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. When the Philistines, &c.] Better, And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it. The repetition is characteristic of the Hebrew historical style. Dagon] Dagon (a diminutive of endearment from dâg = fish) was the national god of the Philistines, worshipped also at Gaza (Judges 16:21-30), and elsewhere, as the name Beth-dagon (Joshua 15:41; Joshua 19:27) indicates. The statue of Dagon had the head and hands of a man, and the body of a fish. The fish was an emblem of fruitfulness. See Smith’s Dict. of the Bible, I. 381, or Layard’s Nineveh, II. p. 466, for a representation of a fish-god, which is probably the Philistine Dagon, as the bas-reliefs at Khorsabad from which it is taken…

Read Cambridge on 1 Samuel 5 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They brought it into the house of Dagon (see the marginal reference) in order to enhance the triumph of the gods of the Philistines over the God of Israel.

Read Albert Barnes on 1 Samuel 5 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

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

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

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

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, where they positioned it beside Dagon.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Euen the Philistims tooke ye Arke of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and the Philistines take the ark of God and bring it into the house of Dagon, and set it near Dagon.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and the Philistines take the Ark of God and bring it into the house of Dagon, and set it near Dagon.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The Philistines took the ark of God, brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it up beside Dagon.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the temple of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They brought the Ark of God into the Temple of Dagon and placed it next to Dagon.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They took the ark of God into the house of Dagon and put it by the side of Dagon.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיִּקְח֤וּthey.tooksubjectפְלִשְׁתִּים֙[the].Philistinesnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseאֲר֣וֹןthe.arknoun phraseהָof.(the)אֱלֹהִ֔יםGodוַandclauseverbיָּבִ֥יאוּthey.broughtnoun phrase · objectאֹת֖וֹitnoun phrase · adverbialבֵּ֣יתthe.houseדָּג֑וֹןof.Dagonוַandclauseverbיַּצִּ֥יגוּthey.placednoun phrase · objectאֹת֖וֹitprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֵ֥צֶלbesideדָּגֽוֹןDagon

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text (MT) states that the Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, setting it beside the statue of Dagon. The Septuagint (LXX) closely matches the MT, with 12 of the 13 words corresponding directly, though it reflects different word order and articles due to its Greek structure. There are no significant differences in meaning between the two texts in this verse. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide additional variations for this specific verse, thus aligning with the MT and LXX in content.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיִּקְח֤וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ אֶת־ אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֣ית דָּג֑וֹן וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֵ֥צֶל דָּגֽוֹן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיִּקְח֤וּἔλαβονפְלִשְׁתִּים֙ἀλλόφυλοιאֲר֣וֹןκιβωτὸνהָאֱלֹהִ֔יםκυρίουוַיָּבִ֥יאוּεἰσήνεγκανאֹת֖וֹαὐτὴνבֵּ֣יתοἶκονדָּג֑וֹןδαγωνוַיַּצִּ֥יגוּπαρέστησανאֹת֖וֹαὐτὴνאֵ֥צֶלπαρὰדָּגֽוֹן׃δαγων

12 of the 13 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Samuel 5:2לָקַחand they toand they tookלָקַחפְּלִשְׁתִּי[the] Phili[the] Philistinפְּלִשְׁתִּיאֵתthe object the object markאֵתאֲרוֹן[the] ark o[the] ark ofאֲרוֹןאֱלֹהִיםGodGodאֱלֹהִיםבּוֹאand they brand they broughבּוֹאאֵתthe object the object markאֵתבֵּית[the] house[the] house ofבֵּיתדָּגוֹןDagonDagonדָּגוֹןיָצַגand they pland they placedיָצַגאֵתthe object the object markאֵתאֵ֫צֶלbesidebesideאֵ֫צֶלדָּגוֹןDagonDagonדָּגוֹןאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתדָּגfishfishדָּגבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתPhilistiaPhilistiaפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתאָרָהto pluckto pluckאָרָהאָצַלto reserveto reserveאָצַלאֱלֹהַּgodgodאֱלֹהַּמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁאֲרוֹןarkarkאֲרוֹןמִפְתָּןthresholdthresholdמִפְתָּןיָצַגto setto setיָצַגמוּסָרdisciplinedisciplineמוּסָראִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהסֶ֫רֶןlordlordסֶ֫רֶןנָכָהto smiteto smiteנָכָהעֵדוּתtestimonytestimonyעֵדוּתבְּרִיתcovenantcovenantבְּרִיתאַחֵרanotheranotherאַחֵר
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Samuel 5:2

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
וַיִּקְח֤וּvai.yik.Chu and they took H3947 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
966× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to take or get something, and it is used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to take a wife, to take possession of something, or to receive a gift. For example, in Genesis 2:22, God takes a rib from Adam to create Eve.
Tyndale gloss
to take: take
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָקַח (*laqach*) means 'to take' and encompasses a wide range of actions, including to receive, seize, capture, and carry away. It can refer to taking something in hand, taking a wife, or even taking vengeance. The verb has various forms indicating different nuances, such as being taken away or captured.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָקַח 965 vb. take

Qal

take, take in hand

take and carry along with oneself

take from, or out of

take, carry away

take away from, so as to deprive of

esp. take away life

take to or for a person

take up, upon = put upon

= fetch

take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

take = capture, seize

take = carry off

in phr. take vengeance

Niph.

be captured, of ark

be taken away, removed

be taken, brought unto

Pu.

be taken from, out of

= be stolen from

be taken captive

be taken away, removed

Hoph.

be taken, brought unto

be taken out of

be taken away from

Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3947 לָקַח take .. take, take in hand

. take and carry along with oneself

. . take from, or out of

. take, carry away

. take away from, so as to deprive of

. esp. take away life

. take to or for a person

. take up, upon = put upon

. = fetch

. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

. take = capture, seize

. take = carry off

. in phr. take vengeance

. . be captured, of ark

. be taken away, removed

. be taken, brought unto

. . be taken from, out of

. = be stolen from

. be taken captive

. be taken away, removed

. . be taken, brought unto

. be taken out of

. be taken away from

. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3947 laqach law-kakh'

a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of

applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch,

get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve,

seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָקַח (la.qach) — to take: take.

: take

1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to take, take in the hand

1a2) to take and carry along

1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away

1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept

1a5) to take up or upon, put upon

1a6) to fetch

1a7) to take, lead, conduct

1a8) to take, capture, seize

1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be captured

1b2) to be taken away, be removed

1b3) to be taken, brought unto

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be taken from or out of

1c2) to be stolen from

1c3) to be taken captive

1c4) to be taken away, be removed

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be taken unto, be brought unto

1d2) to be taken out of

1d3) to be taken away

1e) (Hithpael)

1e1) to take hold of oneself

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqw3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
פְלִשְׁתִּים֙fe.lish.Tim [the] Philistines H6430 Noun gentilic · masculine plural absolute
288× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Philistine is a person from the region of Philistia, which was inhabited by immigrants from other places. The Philistines were known for their conflicts with the Israelites, as recorded in the Bible. They were a distinct ethnic group.
Tyndale gloss
(Sea of the) Philistines
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פְּלִשְׁתִּי (*pelishtiy*) means 'Philistine' and refers to an inhabitant of Philistia, with roots indicating they are descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor. It is derived from the lemma for Philistia, פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת (*peleshet*), and is first mentioned in Genesis 10:14.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פְּלִשְׁתִּי 288 adj.gent. Philistine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6430 פְּלִשְׁתִּי Philistine

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6430 Plishtiy pel-ish-tee'

patrial from 6429; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of

Pelesheth:--Philistine.

see HEBREW for 06429

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — Philistine.

Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

Another spelling of pe.le.shet (פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת "Philistia" H6429)

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — Philistine.

A Philistine living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.14;

son of: Casluhim (H3695)

§ Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — (Sea of the) Philistines.

Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

Another name of ga.dol (גָּדוֹל "Great( Sea)" H1419J)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNgmpa — Noun gentilic · masculine plural absolute
HNgmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fi-lis'-tinz, fil'-is-tinz, fil'-is-tinz (pelishtim; Phulistieim, allophuloi):

I. OLD TESTAMENT NOTICES

1. Race and Origin

2. Religion

3. Individual Philistines Mentioned

4. Title of Ruler and Circumcision

5. History in the Old Testament to Death of Saul

6. History Continued to Time of Ahaz

7. Later Notices

II. MONUMENTAL NOTICES

1. Palestinian Excavations

2. Egyptian Monuments

3. Assyrian Texts

III. THE CRETAN THEORY

1. Cherethim and Kretes

2. Caphtor and Keft

IV. DAVID'S GUARDS

1. The "Cherethi" and the "Pelethi" Not Mercenaries

2. Meaning of These Terms

3. Native Hebrews

4. Review

LITERATURE

I. Old Testament Notices.

1. Race and Origin:

The Philistines were an uncircumcised people inhabiting the shore plain between Gezer and Gaza in Southwestern Palestine (see PHILISTIA). The name Palestine itself (Hebrew pelesheth) refers to their country. The word means "migrants," and they came from another country. They…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Philistines

(Gen. 10:14, R.V.; but in A.V., “Philistim”), a tribe allied to the Phoenicians. They were a branch of the primitive race which spread over the whole district of the Lebanon and the valley of the Jordan, and Crete and other Mediterranean islands. Some suppose them to have been a branch of the Rephaim (2 Sam. 21:16-22). In the time of Abraham they inhabited the south-west of Judea, Abimelech of Gerar being their king (Gen. 21:32, 34; 26:1). They are, however, not noticed among the Canaanitish tribes mentioned in the Pentateuch. They are spoken of by Amos (9:7) and Jeremiah (47:4) as from Caphtor, i.e., probably Crete, or, as some think, the Delta of Egypt. In the whole record from Exodus to Samuel they are…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible; but as the prophets describe them as "the Philistines-from Caphtor," (Amos 9:7) and "the remnant of the maritime district of Caphtor" (Jeremiah 47:4) it is prima facie probable that they were the Caphtorim which came out of Caphtor" who expelled the Avim from their territory and occupied it; in their place, (2:23) and that these again were the Caphtorim mentioned in the Mosaic genealogical table among the descendants of Mizraim. (Genesis 10:14) It has been generally assumed that Caphtor represents Crete, and that the Philistines migrated from that island, either directly or through Egypt, into Palestine. But the name Caphtor is more probably…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A celebrated people, who inhabited the southern seacoast of Canaan, which from them took the name of Philistia, Ps 60:8 108:9, or Palestine. They seem originally to have migrated form Egypt to Caphtor, by which some understand Crete, and others with the ancients Cappadocia, Ge 10:14, and thence to have passed over to Palestine under the name of Caphtorim, where they drove out the Avim, who dwelt from Hazerim to Azzah, that is, Gaza, and swelt in their stead, De 2:23. The country they inhabited lay between the higher land of Judea and the Mediterranean, and was in the main a level and fertile territory. It resembles our own western prairies; and bears splendid crops year after year, though miserably cultivated and never manured.

and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
DirObjM | Suff — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
אֲר֣וֹן'a.Ron [the] ark of H727 Noun common · masculine singular construct
202× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a box or chest, like the Ark of the Covenant in Exodus 25:10-22. It can also mean a money chest or a coffin. In the Bible, it appears in stories about the Israelites and their sacred objects.
Tyndale gloss
ark
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲרוֹן, transliterated as arown, means 'chest' or 'ark.' It can refer to various types of containers, including a money chest, the Ark of the Covenant, and even a coffin. The word is built from the root meaning 'gathering' and is used in contexts related to sacred and practical storage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲרוֹן, c. art. הָאָרוֹן, הָאָרֹן 203 n.m. chest, ark

chest, for money-offerings

sarcophagus, mummy-case

chest, ark in tabernacle & temple

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H727 אֲרוֹן, c. art. הָאָרוֹן, הָאָרֹן chest, ark

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

727 'arown aw-rone'

or laron {aw-rone'}; from 717 (in the sense of gathering); a

box:--ark, chest, coffin.

see HEBREW for 0717

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲרוֹן (a.ron) — ark.

1) chest, ark

1a) money chest

1b) Ark of the Covenant

2)(TWOT) coffin

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
הָאֱלֹהִ֔יםha.'E.lo.Him God H430 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
2,603× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
God
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.

pl. in number.

rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

angels

gods

pl. intensive

god or goddess

godlike one

works of God, or things belongng to him

God

הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

אֱלֹהִים = God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

. angels

. gods

. pl. intensive . god or goddess

. godlike one

. works of God, or things belongng to him

. God

. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

. אֱלֹהִים = God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

430 'elohiym el-o-heem'

plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically

used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the

supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to

magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X

exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X

mighty.

see HEBREW for 0433

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.

This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.

Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.

Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTd/Ncmpa — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

god ('Elohim, 'El, [`Elyon], Shadday, Yahweh; Theos):

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL IDEA

1. The Idea in Experience and in Thought

2. Definition of the Idea

3. The Knowledge of God

4. Ethnic Ideas of God

(1) Animism

(2) Fetishism

(3) Idolatry

(4) Polytheism

(5) Henotheism

(6) Pantheism

(7) Deism

(8) Semitic Monolatry

(9) Monotheism

II. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. The Course of Its Development

2. Forms of Its Manifestation

(1) The Face or Countenance of God

(2) The Voice and Word of God

(3) The Glory of God

(4) The Angel of God

(5) The Spirit of God

(6) The Name of God

(7) Occasional Forms

3. The Names of God

(1) Generic

(2) Attributive

(3) Yahweh

4. Pre-prophetic Conceptions of God

(1) Yahweh Alone Is the God of Israel

(a) His Early Worship

(b) Popular Religion

(c) Polytheistic Tendencies

(i) Coordination

(ii) Assimilation

(iii) Disintegration

(d) No Hebrew Goddesses

(e) Human Sacrifices

Easton's Bible Dictionary

God

(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ’El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ’Eloah_, plural _’Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “LORD,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).

The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:

(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and JEHOVAH, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength , as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect , and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name, the derivation of which is uncertain, we give to that eternal, infinite, perfect, and incomprehensible Being, the Creator of all things, who preserves and governs all by his almighty power and wisdom, and is the only proper object of worship. The proper Hebrew name for God is JEHOVAH, which signifies He is. But the Jews, from a feeling of reverence, avoid pronouncing this name, substituting for it, wherever it occurs in the sacred test, the word ADONAI, Lord; except in the expression, ADONAI JEHOVAH, Lord Jehovah, for which they put, ADONAI ELOHIM, Lord God. This usage, which is not without an element of superstition, is very ancient, dating its origin some centuries before Christ; but there is no good ground for assuming its existence in the days of the inspired Old Testament writers. The proper word for God is ELOHIM, which is plural in its form, being thus used to signify…

and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
וַיָּבִ֥יאוּvai.ya.Vi.'u and they brought H935 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
took, brought
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
אֹת֖וֹ'o.To the object marker it H853 Particle · suffix
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo/Sp3ms — Particle · suffix
HTo/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
בֵּ֣יתbeit [the] house of H1004 Noun common · masculine singular construct
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Amplified meaning
house
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
דָּג֑וֹןda.Gon Dagon H1712 Noun proper
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Dagon was a pagan god worshipped by the Philistines, often depicted as a half-man, half-fish. In 1 Samuel 5:2, the Philistines placed the Ark of the Covenant in Dagon's temple, but God caused the idol to fall. The Philistines then returned the Ark to the Israelites.
Amplified meaning
a pagan God, idol
Tyndale gloss
Dagon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּגוֹן (Dagown) refers to a Philistine deity, specifically a god associated with fertility, often depicted with a human face and fish tail. The name is derived from the Hebrew root for 'fish,' indicating its connection to aquatic imagery. The entries consistently identify Dagon as a significant idol in Philistine culture.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּגוֹן n.pr.m. god & idol of Philistines

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1712 דָּגוֹן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1712 Dagown daw-gohn'

from 1709; the fish-god; Dagon, a Philistine deity:--Dagon.

see HEBREW for 01709

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּגוֹן (da.gon) — Dagon.

§ Dagon = "a fish"

a Philistine deity of fertility; represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da'-gon (daghon; apparently derived from dagh, "fish"): Name of the god of the Philistines (according to Jerome on Isa 46:1 of the Philistines generally); in the Bible, Dagon is associated with Gaza (Jud 16) but elsewhere with Ashdod (compare 1Sa 5 and 1 Macc 10:83 f; 11:4); in 1Ch 10:10 there is probably an error (compare the passage 1Sa 31:10). The god had his temple ("the house of Dagon") and his priests. When the ark was captured by the Philistines, it was conducted to Ashdod where it was placed in the house of Dagon by the side of the idol. But on the morrow it was found that the idol lay prostrate before the ark of the Lord. It was restored to its place; but on the following day Dagon again lay on the ground before the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Dagon

Little fish; diminutive from dag = a fish, the fish-god; the national god of the Philistines (Judg. 16:23). This idol had the body of a fish with the head and hands of a man. It was an Assyrio-Babylonian deity, the worship of which was introduced among the Philistines through Chaldea. The most famous of the temples of Dagon were at Gaza (Judg. 16:23-30) and Ashdod (1 Sam. 5:1-7). (See FISH.)

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(a fish), apparently the masculine, (1 Samuel 5:3,4) correlative of Atargatis, was the national god of the Philistines. The most famous temples of Dagon were at Gaza, (Judges 16:21-30) and Ashdod. (1 Samuel 5:5,6; 1 Chronicles 10:10) The latter temple was destroyed by Jonathan in the Maccabaean wars. Traces of the worship of Dagon likewise appear in the names Caphar-dagon (near Jamnia) and Beth-dagon in Judah, (Joshua 15:41) and Asher. (Joshua 19:27) Dagon was represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish. (

Fish-god, a national idol of the Philistines, with temples at Gaza, Ashdid, etc., 1Ch 10:10. The temple at Gaza was destroyed by Samson, Jud 16:21-30. In that at Ashdod, Dagon twice miraculously fell down before the ark of God; and in the second fall his head and hands were broken off, leaving only the body, which was in the form of a large fish, 1Sa 5:1-9. See Jos 15:41; 19:27. There were other idols of like form among the ancients, particularly the goddess Derceto of Atergatis; and a similar form or "incarnation" of Vishnu is at this day much worshipped in India, and like Dagon is destined to be prostrated in the dust before the true God.

and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּvai.ya.Tzi.gu and they placed H3322 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To set something in place permanently, like establishing a foundation, as seen in Exodus and Leviticus. It means to put something in a fixed position. This concept is used in various contexts, including setting up a tent or a monument.
Amplified meaning
established, placed
Tyndale gloss
to set
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָצַג (yatsag) is a Hebrew verb meaning to set or place. It has a Hiphil form that conveys actions like establishing or presenting, while the Hophal form indicates being stopped or detained. The word encompasses a range of meanings related to positioning or establishing something permanently.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָצַג] vb. Hiph. set, place

Hiph. set, place

Hoph. be stayed, stopped, detained

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3322 [יָצַג] Hiph. set, place

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3322 yatsag yaw-tsag'

a primitive root; to place permanently:--establish, leave,

make, present, put, set, stay.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָצַג (ya.tsag) — to set.

1) to place, set, establish

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to set, place

1a2) to present

1a3) to exhibit

1b) (Hophal) to be stopped, be stayed, be detained

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
אֹת֖וֹ'o.To the object marker it H853 Particle · suffix
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo/Sp3ms — Particle · suffix
HTo/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
אֵ֥צֶל'E.tzel beside H681 Noun common · both singular construct
61× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Beside or near, this preposition indicates proximity or closeness to something or someone. It is often translated as at, by, or near in the King James Version, and is used to describe physical or spatial relationships in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
near, alongside
Tyndale gloss
beside
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵ֫צֶל ('etsel) is a conjunction that denotes proximity or nearness. It can mean 'beside,' 'by,' or 'near,' and is derived from a root that implies joining. The entries indicate its use in contexts relating to physical closeness or adjacency, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵ֫צֶל 81 subst. conjunction, proximity

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H681 אֵ֫צֶל conjunction, proximity

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

681 'etsel ay'-tsel

from 680 (in the sense of joining); a side; (as a

preposition) near:--at, (hard) by, (from) (beside), near

(unto), toward, with. See also 1018.

see HEBREW for 0680

see HEBREW for 01018

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵ֫צֶל (e.tsel) — beside.

1) beside, by, near, nearness, joining, proximity

subst

2) (BDB)

2a) conjunction, proximity

2b) beside, in proximity, contiguous to, from beside

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Noun common · both singular construct
HNcbsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-sid': Near to, or close to (Ps 23:2). It is often used to refer to the mental state, to the derangement of the mind (existemi, Mr 3:21; Ac 26:24 the King James Version). Or it may refer to the condition of being out of the ordinary course of the life. A life consecrated to God and spent in the interest of humanity is so designated (2Co 5:13). It has the sense also of a state of being out of one's usual mind, but not of mental derangement, occasioned by something that causes amazement or ast onishment (Mr 5:42). Or it may refer to a state in which one is not conscious of present conditions, but is rapt in vision (

and they took [the] Philistines the object marker [the] ark of God and they brought the object marker it [the] house of Dagon and they placed the object marker it beside Dagon
דָּגֽוֹן׃da.Gon Dagon H1712 Noun proper
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Dagon was a pagan god worshipped by the Philistines, often depicted as a half-man, half-fish. In 1 Samuel 5:2, the Philistines placed the Ark of the Covenant in Dagon's temple, but God caused the idol to fall. The Philistines then returned the Ark to the Israelites.
Amplified meaning
Dagon's, image, idol
Tyndale gloss
Dagon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּגוֹן (Dagown) refers to a Philistine deity, specifically a god associated with fertility, often depicted with a human face and fish tail. The name is derived from the Hebrew root for 'fish,' indicating its connection to aquatic imagery. The entries consistently identify Dagon as a significant idol in Philistine culture.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּגוֹן n.pr.m. god & idol of Philistines

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1712 דָּגוֹן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1712 Dagown daw-gohn'

from 1709; the fish-god; Dagon, a Philistine deity:--Dagon.

see HEBREW for 01709

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּגוֹן (da.gon) — Dagon.

§ Dagon = "a fish"

a Philistine deity of fertility; represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da'-gon (daghon; apparently derived from dagh, "fish"): Name of the god of the Philistines (according to Jerome on Isa 46:1 of the Philistines generally); in the Bible, Dagon is associated with Gaza (Jud 16) but elsewhere with Ashdod (compare 1Sa 5 and 1 Macc 10:83 f; 11:4); in 1Ch 10:10 there is probably an error (compare the passage 1Sa 31:10). The god had his temple ("the house of Dagon") and his priests. When the ark was captured by the Philistines, it was conducted to Ashdod where it was placed in the house of Dagon by the side of the idol. But on the morrow it was found that the idol lay prostrate before the ark of the Lord. It was restored to its place; but on the following day Dagon again lay on the ground before the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Dagon

Little fish; diminutive from dag = a fish, the fish-god; the national god of the Philistines (Judg. 16:23). This idol had the body of a fish with the head and hands of a man. It was an Assyrio-Babylonian deity, the worship of which was introduced among the Philistines through Chaldea. The most famous of the temples of Dagon were at Gaza (Judg. 16:23-30) and Ashdod (1 Sam. 5:1-7). (See FISH.)

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(a fish), apparently the masculine, (1 Samuel 5:3,4) correlative of Atargatis, was the national god of the Philistines. The most famous temples of Dagon were at Gaza, (Judges 16:21-30) and Ashdod. (1 Samuel 5:5,6; 1 Chronicles 10:10) The latter temple was destroyed by Jonathan in the Maccabaean wars. Traces of the worship of Dagon likewise appear in the names Caphar-dagon (near Jamnia) and Beth-dagon in Judah, (Joshua 15:41) and Asher. (Joshua 19:27) Dagon was represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish. (

Fish-god, a national idol of the Philistines, with temples at Gaza, Ashdid, etc., 1Ch 10:10. The temple at Gaza was destroyed by Samson, Jud 16:21-30. In that at Ashdod, Dagon twice miraculously fell down before the ark of God; and in the second fall his head and hands were broken off, leaving only the body, which was in the form of a large fish, 1Sa 5:1-9. See Jos 15:41; 19:27. There were other idols of like form among the ancients, particularly the goddess Derceto of Atergatis; and a similar form or "incarnation" of Vishnu is at this day much worshipped in India, and like Dagon is destined to be prostrated in the dust before the true God.

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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