📖 Biblical Definition
One of the five great Philistine cities (the Pentapolis: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath, Ekron), on the southern coastal plain of Canaan. Ashdod is famous as the city where the captured Ark of the Covenant was first taken after the Philistines defeated Israel at the battle of Ebenezer (1 Sam 4-5). The Philistines placed the ark in the temple of their god Dagon. The next morning, Dagon's statue was found prostrate before the ark; the morning after that, Dagon's head and hands lay broken on the threshold. The LORD then afflicted the city with tumors (1 Sam 5:6), forcing the Philistines to send the ark to Gath, then Ekron, before finally returning it to Israel. The prophets pronounce judgment-oracles against Ashdod (Amos 1:8; Isa 20:1; Jer 25:20; Zeph 2:4; Zech 9:6). Archaeology has identified Ashdod with Tel Ashdod, where extensive Philistine and later remains have been excavated.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Philistine city where Dagon fell before the ark.
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One of the five Philistine cities; site where the captured ark of YHWH was placed in Dagon's temple, and Dagon was repeatedly toppled before being broken; tumors broke out and the ark was sent on.
📖 Key Scripture
1 Samuel 5:1-3 — "And the Philistines took the ark of God... and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face."
1 Samuel 5:6 — "But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods."
Nehemiah 13:23-24 — "In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod... and their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Forgotten as obscure; missing the great Dagon-falls-before-ark theology of the chapter.
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No major postmodern redefinition of this place. The risk is that the geographic-symbolic resonance Scripture builds with it gets lost — modern readers skim past place-names that the biblical writers used as shorthand for whole histories.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew Ashdod.
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['Hebrew', 'H795', 'Ashdod', 'Ashdod']
['Hebrew', 'H1712', 'Dagon', 'Dagon']
Usage
"Where YHWH is set down, Dagon falls."
"Read 1 Samuel 5 to recover the joy."