Targum Jonathan on the Prophets 1 Samuel · chapter 5

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   וּפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי שְׁבוֹ יַת אֲרוֹנָא דַייָ וְאַיְתוֹהִי מֵאֶבֶן סַעֲדָא לְאַשְׁדוֹד:

   After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

2. 2

   וּנְסִיבוּ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי יַת אֲרוֹנָא דַייָ וְאָעִילוּ יָתֵיהּ לְבֵית דָגוֹן וַאֲקִימוּ יָתֵיהּ בִּסְטַר דָגוֹן:

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

3. 3

   וְאַקְדִימוּ אֱנָשֵׁי אַשְׁדוֹד בְּיוֹמָא דְבַתְרוֹהִי וְהָא דָגוֹן רָמֵי עַל אַפּוֹהִי עַל אַרְעָא קֳדָם אֲרוֹנָא דַייָ וּנְסִיבוּ יַת דָגוֹן וַאֲתִיבוּ יָתֵיהּ לְאַתְרֵיהּ:

   When 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.

4. 4

   וְאַקְדִימוּ בְצַפְרָא בְּיוֹמָא דְבַתְרוֹהִי וְהָא דָגוֹן רָמֵי עַל אַפּוֹהִי עַל אַרְעָא קֳדָם אֲרוֹנָא דַייָ וְרֵישׁ דָגוֹן וְתַרְתֵּין פִּיסַת יְדוֹהִי קְצִיצָן מַחְתָא עַל סְקוּפְתָּא לְחוֹד גוּפֵיהּ אִשְׁתָּאַר עֲלוֹהִי:

   But 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.

5. 5

   עַל כֵּן לָא דָרְכִין כּוּמְרֵי דָגוֹן וְכָל דְעָלִין לְבֵית דָגוֹן עַל סְקוּפַת דָגוֹן בְּאַשְׁדוֹד עַד יוֹמָא הָדֵין:

   That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.

6. 6

   וּתְקֵיפַת מָחָתָא דַייָ עַל אֱנַשׁ אַשְׁדוֹד וְאַצְדִינוּן וְאַלְקִי יַתְהוֹן בִּטְחוֹרִין יַת אַשְׁדוֹד וְיַת תְּחוּמָהָא:

   Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

7. 7

   וַחֲזוֹ אֱנָשֵׁי אַשְׁדוֹד אֲרֵי שַׁוְיָא עֲלֵיהוֹן מְחָתָא וְאָמְרִין לָא יִשְׁרֵי אֲרוֹן אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל עִמָנָא אֲרֵי תְקִיפַת מְחָתֵיהּ עֲלָנָא וְעַל דָגוֹן טַעֲוָתָנָא:

   And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.”

8. 8

   וּשְׁלָחוּ וּכְנָשׁוּ יַת כָּל טוּרְנֵי פְּלִשְׁתָּאֵי לְוַתְהוֹן וַאֲמָרוּ מָה נַעְבֵּיד לַאֲרוֹן אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲמָרוּ לְגַת יִסְתַּחַר אֲרוֹן אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַסְחָרוּ יַת אֲרוֹן אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל:

   So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.

9. 9

   וַהֲוָה בָּתַר דְאַסְחָרוּ יָתֵיהּ וַהֲוַת מְחָתָא דַייָ בְּקַרְתָּא שִׁגוּשָׁא רַבָּא לַחֲדָא וּמְחָא יַת אֱנָשֵׁי קַרְתָּא מִזְעֵירָא וְעַד רַבָּא וּלְקוֹ לְהוֹן בִּטְחוֹרִין:

   But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.

10. 10

    וּשְׁלָחוּ יַת אֲרוֹנָא דַייָ לְעֶקְרוֹן וַהֲוָה כְּמֵיתֵי אֲרוֹנָא דַייָ לְעֶקְרוֹן וּזְעִיקוּ עֶקְרוֹנָאֵי לְמֵימָר אַסְחָרוּ לְוָתָנָא יַת אֲרוֹן אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְקַטָלוּתָנָא וְיַת עִמָנָא:

    So they sent the ark of God to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people!”

11. 11

    וּשְׁלַחוּ וּכְנָשׁוּ יַת כָּל טוּרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי וַאֲמַרוּ שַׁלְחוּ יַת אֲרוֹן אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל וִיתוּב לְאַתְרֵיהּ וְלָא יִקְטוֹל יָתִי וְיַת עַמִי אֲרֵי הֲוַת שִׁיגוּשׁ קְטָלָא בְּכָל קַרְתָּא תְּקֵיפַת לַחֲדָא מֲחָתָא דַייָ תַּמָן:

    Then the Ekronites called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was very heavy upon it.

12. 12

    וְגַבְרַיָא דִי לָא מִיתוּ לָקוּ בַּטְחוֹרִין וּסְלִיקַת צִוְחַת קַרְתָּא לְצֵית שְׁמַיָא:

    Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.