Harmony Upon 1 Samuel, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
1. Quest. v. 2. Why the Philistims brought the Arke of God into the house of Dagon.
1. SOme thinke, that the Philistims herein did honour the Arke, (which the Israelites had prophaned, and vsed with small reuerence) placing the same in the most honourable place, as they thought, in the temple of their Idol Dagon: therein shewing their error and simplicitie, rather then treacherie. Pellican. 2. But it appeareth rather, that they did it in dishonour, and disgrace of the Arke, as giuing vntounto Dagon the honour of the victorie, and consecrating it vntounto their Idol, as one of their chiefe spoiles. Bor. Osiand. And this is euident by the euent, first the casting downe and defacing of their Idol by the hand of God, then the plaguing of the people: which things came vponupon them for the contempt of the Arke. 3. Thus in the kingdome of the beast and Antichrist,Contr. Against Idols in Temples. as the Philistims did giuegive vntounto Dagon the honour of the Arke, so the Romanists prophane the Sacraments of religion, in their temples of Idols. Borr.
2. Quest. v. 4. Of these words, onelyonly Dagon remained.
1. Some read, the bodie of Dagon, Chald. others, the trunk of Dagon, L. or stumpe. B. G. but none of these wordes are in the originall, but onelyonly Dagon remained: some read thus: onelyonly that which resembled a fish remained, Iun. but this expoundeth rather the sense, then interpreteth the words. 2. This Idol Dagon as appeareth by this description, in his vpper parts he was like a man, in his nether parts, he resembled a fish: for dag signifieth a fish: and his head and hands beeing cut off, onelyonly that which was properly called Dagon, representing a fish remained: some thinke, it was called dagon, of the great abundance of wheate and graine in those sea coasts: Osiand. but the other deriuation is more certaine: for whereas the countrey of the Philistims, which were the same, called of forraine writers, Phenicians, consisted of merchandise and fishing, they to that ende framed their Idol to the similitude partly of a man, partly of a fish. Borr.
3. Quest. Why the Lord shewed this example vponupon the Philistims god.
1. Herein the Lord manifestly sheweth, that when religion seemeth to be vtterly banished, and the true worship of God to be abolished, and superstition and impietie to take place, that then God will take the cause into his owne hand, and auenge himselfe of those which dishonour him. Osiand. And as here God maintained the honour of the Arke, euen in the middes of Dagons temple, so he hath restored the Arke of the Gospel, and set it vp, which was as kept in bondage in grosse popish superstition and Idolatrie. 2. The Lord herein manifested the vanitie of Idols, that are not able to helpe themselues, as the Philistims are faine to set vp Dagon in his place againe beeing cast downe: such are the vaine Idols, and images of both Gentile and popish Idolaters: they hauehave eyes and see not, feete and walke not. Borr. 3. Hereby it is also euident,Controv. God will hauehave no partners in his worship. that God admitteth no partner in his worship, neither will suffer his honour to be giuen to an other: as Dagon can not stand in the presence of the Arke, so all copartners, as Saints, Images, honoured with religious worship, are an abomination vntounto God. Osiand. 4. Further it may be here obserued, that the true God expelleth and driueth away all false gods: for as the Arke here, which was the seate of the God of Israel, vanquisheth Dagon: so after that Christ the true light of the world was come, the oracles of Apollo, and other heathen Idols ceased. Plutarke maketh many light and vaine coniectures, as that it might be the spirits, which were presidents of those Idols, grew old and decaied: or that there might be some alteration in the influence of the planets: or the exhalations were staied, whereby Apollos prophetesse vsed to be inspired. But these are fonde conceits: the true cause was, that Christ the true Prophet was come, and therefore all such false cousening prophets held their peace: like as, where the Gospel is receiued, many visions and apparitions of Sathan, with false signes and wonders are abolished. Mar.
4. Quest. v. 5. Why the priests of Dagon doe not tread vponupon the threshold.
1. They foolishly imagined, that the threshold was sanctified by the very touching of Dagon, and therefore they did forbeare as it were to prophane that place with treading vponupon it. Osiand. 2. Thus in stead of giuing God the honour, they fall into a further degree of superstition. Genev. 3. Yet this also redounded to the honour of God: for as oft as they vsed this ceremonie, it called to their remembrance the confusion of their Idol in that place. Pellic. 4. But much vnlike vntounto this superstitious vse, was that custome obserued of old time among the Iewes, in forbearing to eate of the sinew of the hinder parts, in memorie of the shrinking of Iakobs sinew, Gen. 32.32. for that was kept as a ciuill remembrance of a thing done, but this was a superstitious obseruation in honour of a filthie Idol.
5. Quest. v. 5. Of the meaning of these words, vntounto this day.
1. Some so vnderstand them, as that the Philistims should among themselues decree this to be a perpetuall ordinance firmely to be kept: as Augustine also vnderstandeth the like place, Iosh. 4.9. where it is said, that the twelue stones, which Ioshuah caused to be set vp within Iorden, continued vntounto this day. But seeing both there and here, these are the words, not of them, whereof it is writtē, but of the writer, it is cleare, that they are not referred to any such decree or purpose of the doer, sic Masius in 4. Iosh. v. 9. 2. Some thinke againe, that by this phrase, it is insinuated, that the things spoken of so remained, vntill the day and time of the writer of the historie. sic Vatab. Borr. Pellican. But where the historie fell out to be written not long after the acting thereof, in this sense no long time should be signified, if it exceeded not the time of the writer. 3. Therefore I thinke rather, that by the phrase, vntounto this day, is implied, that it so continued a long indefinite time: though precisely according to the letter, many of those things are not extant now: sic Iun. they continued immutabili & perpetuo statuto, by an immutable and perpetuall ordinance. Iosh. 4.9.
6. Quest. v. 6. What manner of disease and plague it was, wherewith the Philistims were smitten.
1. Some read that he smote them in altis locis, in the high places, Ar. but this agreeth not with that which followeth, that the hand of God was against the citie, v. 9. that is, the inhabitants thereof, not vponupon their grounds. 2. Some doe vnderstand the place where the disease was, not the disease it selfe, as that they were smitten in their secret parts. S. L. V. 3. Others, that take it for the disease it selfe, some thinke it was the dysenterie or bloodie flixe, Ioseph. others, the falling downe of the long gut, Osian. it was rather the hemorrhoides, or piles, called mariscae, P. or ficus. 4. And of this disease there were two kindes, which are touched here; the first is called ghephalim, the common sort of Hemorrhoides: the other more grieuous, which wrung them in their inward parts: and therefore it is saide, v. 9. that they lay hid within them. Iun. 5. Some beside this disease adde further, that the waters boiled out of the earth, & nati sunt mures, and abundance of mise were bread, wherewith the countrey was plagued; so the Latine, following some Greeke copies: but although it be euident in the next chapter by their manner of offerings, that they were troubled also with mise, yet no such thing is expressed here. Osiand.
7. Quest. v. 8. Why the Philistims agreed to carrie about the Arke vntounto Gath.
1. Herein appeareth the fondnes of this people, that seeing, and finding by experience, that the religion of Israel was of greater power then theirs, yet consulted among thēselues, and conferred not with the Lords priests, to take direction of them. Osiand. 2. And they likewise shew their malice, in that they had rather keepe the Arke vntounto their cost, then send it home to Israel againe. Pellican. 3. Their superstition also appeareth, in that they thinke the change of place would alter the effect, and in carrying about the Arke from one place to an other, they thought to trie, whether it were the presence of the Arke that had caused those plagues, or rather that it came of chance. Osiand. 4. They doe acknowledge the hand of God to be against them, and their god Dagon: but this seruile feare could not bring them to repentance: like as Pharaohs sorcerers confessed it was the finger of God, and as the Deuills felt the power of God, when they said to Christ, What hauehave we to doe with thee? after the same manner the Philistims here doe confesse God: and such is their blindnes, though they saw, that their god also was iudged, yet they would not leaue their filthie idolatrie. Borr.