It is not a surprise that Philistines get treated like Egyptians, since according to Genesis 10:13–14, they come from the family of “Mizraim,” the Hebrew name for Egypt. The Lord can handle the Philistines; long ago, He won a great war with their relatives, the Egyptians. As in the Exodus, Yahweh wars not only against a nation but against the gods of the nation. Yahweh’s throne is put in the temple of Dagon, because the Philistines think Dagon has defeated Yahweh. In the morning, the image of Dagon is fallen before the ark, and the next day, he is broken in pieces (1 Sam. 5:1–5). The Lord
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