1 Samuel 5 tells how the Philistines captured the ark of God and carried it from one city to the next, and how each place it went was struck with trouble. This page gives you questions and leader’s notes for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study. Each set of questions moves from what the text says to what it means and then to how you might live it.
1 Samuel 5 at a Glance
The chapter opens with the Philistines placing the ark in the temple of their god Dagon at Ashdod. Twice the idol falls face down before the ark, and the second time its head and hands are broken off. The people of Ashdod are then struck with tumors, and the ark is moved to Gath and then to Ekron, where the same trouble follows.
The chapter ends with the Ekronites pleading to be rid of the ark, and the reader sees that the power in the story belongs to the LORD, not to the captured object. Keep this movement in mind as you work through the questions.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to the words in the text, and keep the discussion close to what is written. Let people read the verses aloud before answering.
1 Samuel 5:3-4
3 When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the LORD’s ark. They took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4 When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the LORD’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact.
(WEB)
Reading the account of Dagon falling before the ark gives the group a clear picture of the chapter’s central contrast. Ask someone to read it slowly so the details of the broken idol are heard.
1 Samuel 5:6
But the LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.
(WEB)
This verse names the LORD’s hand as the source of the trouble in Ashdod and introduces the theme that drives the rest of the chapter. Reading it aloud helps the group focus on who is acting in the story.
1 Samuel 5:7
When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us; for his hand is severe on us, and on Dagon our god.”
(WEB)
The men of Ashdod state their conclusion about the ark and the God of Israel in their own words. Hearing their voice helps the group consider how people often interpret God’s work through fear.
1 Samuel 5:9
It was so, that after they had carried it there, the LORD’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great so that tumors broke out on them.
(WEB)
This verse shows the trouble following the ark to Gath, which confirms that the pattern is not confined to one city. Reading it aloud helps the group see the repeated movement of the story.
1 Samuel 5:11-12
11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
(WEB)
The chapter closes with the Philistine lords seeking the ark’s removal and the cry of the city rising. Reading these closing verses aloud gives the group a sense of how the chapter ends and prepares them for discussion.
Memory Verse for 1 Samuel 5
1 Samuel 5:11
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there.
(WEB)
This verse captures the fear and confusion that the presence of the LORD’s ark produced, and it sums up the chapter’s pressure on those who held it. Memorizing it helps you recall how the story moves from Ashdod to Ekron and why the Philistines finally wanted the ark gone.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as people who often try to keep our own small idols standing. Thank you that you are the living God, who is not moved by false powers and who acts with holiness and justice in the world. Help us to notice where we rely on things that cannot save, and give us the courage to turn to you honestly. Where your presence feels uncomfortable to us, soften our hearts and teach us to trust your hand. Keep us attentive to the ways you are working in our lives this week, and make us people who speak of your power with humility and hope. Amen.
