1 Samuel 5:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 5 The Philistines place the ark of God at Ashdod in the house of Dagon; which falls down, once and again, 1 Samuel 5:1-5. They of Ashdod are smitten with emerods; they send the ark to Gath, 1 Samuel 5:6-8. They are also smitten with emerods, and send the ark to Ekron; they resolve to return it back to the Israelites, 1 Samuel 5:9-12. Quest. Why were not they immediately killed, who touched the ark, as afterwards Uzzah was? 2 Samuel 6:7. Answ. First, Because the sin of the Philistines was not so great, because the law forbidding this was not given, or at least was not known to them; whereas Uzzah's fact was a transgression, and that of a known law. Secondly, Because God designed to reserve the Philistines for a more public and more shameful punishment, which had been prevented by this. From Eben-ezer; where they found it in the camp of the Israelites, 1 Samuel 4:1. Ashdod, called also Azotus; whither they brought it, either because it was the first city in their way, or rather because it was a great and famous city, and most eminent for the worship of their great god Dagon.