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1 Samuel 5 · Preschool

Dagon Falls

Name Date

Color the ark of God! The pretend god Dagon fell down before it.

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again.”

1 Samuel 5:3 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: The Philistines thought their idol was strong. But it fell down in front of God's ark. There is only one true God, and He is the strongest.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 5 · Kindergarten

One True God

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace each word with your pencil.

ARK
FELL
FACE
HAND
The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

1 Samuel 5:2 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each word to its picture.

ARK
HOUSE
HAND
CITY

Mini Maze

Help find the way through the maze.

Draw It

Draw a picture showing that God is greater than anything.

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being the only true God. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What is something only God can do?
  • Is anything stronger than God?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 5 · Grade 1

God Is Strong

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace the words and the verse.

FALLEN
GOD
ARK
CITY
The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

1 Samuel 5:2 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each sentence to its picture.

They put God's ark by Dagon.
Dagon fell on his face.
They set Dagon up again.
God's hand was heavy on them.
They sent the ark to another city.

The Ark Among the Philistines

Write the number 1 to 4 in each circle to show the right order.

The ark is set in Dagon's house

The people ask to send the ark back

Yahweh's hand is against the city

Dagon has fallen on his face

Draw a picture showing that God is greater than anything.

Memory Verse

“The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.”

1 Samuel 5:2 (WEB)

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being the only true God. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why did Dagon fall down?
  • How do you know God is the one true God?
  • What would you like to say to God about this chapter?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 5 · Grade 2

The Idol Falls Down

Name Date

Read the Story

The Philistines took God's ark. They put it in the house of their god Dagon. Dagon was an idol. He was not real.

The next morning they came in. Dagon had fallen on his face. He was on the ground in front of God's ark. They set him up again. The next day he fell again. This time he broke.

God's hand was heavy on the city. The people got sick. They sent the ark to another city. The people there got sick too. They wanted to send the ark away.

Memory Verse

“When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again.”

1 Samuel 5:3 (WEB)

Show What You Know

Circle the right answer, or write it on the lines.

  1. Where did they put God's ark?

  2. What was Dagon?

    In the house of DagonAn idolSend it away

  3. What happened to Dagon the first morning?

  4. What happened to the people?

    An idolIn the house of DagonThey got sick

  5. What did the people want to do with the ark?

    An idolSend it awayHe had fallen on his face

Word Search

Find and circle each word. Words go across and down.

PKOCITYYDGHVAFEYKAJJAGRPUHGIIMNGKGOOUIMUDNAUNFALLENTSDNEJFKPHEVBPVINBDSIIEKRONTJN
  • FALLEN
  • DAGON
  • HOUSE
  • EKRON
  • HAND
  • CITY
  • GATH
  • ARK

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being the only true God. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How does it help you to know God is stronger than anything?
  • What did the Philistines learn about God?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 5 · Grade 3

Fallen Before the Ark

Name Date

Read the Story

The Philistines brought God's ark from Ebenezer to Ashdod. They set it beside Dagon in Dagon's temple, as if the Lord were a prize their god had won.

Early the next day, Dagon had fallen on his face before the Lord's ark. The people set him back in his place. The following morning he had fallen again, and his head and hands were broken off on the doorway. Only his body was left.

The Lord's hand was heavy on Ashdod, and the people were struck with tumors. They sent the ark to Gath, and then to Ekron, but the same thing happened in each city. The Philistine lords agreed to send the ark of the God of Israel back to its own place.

Memory Verse

“When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact.”

1 Samuel 5:4 (WEB)

Answer the Questions

  1. Where did the Philistines put the ark?

  2. What happened to Dagon the first morning?

  3. What broke off Dagon the second time?

  4. Which cities did the ark go to?

  5. What did the lords decide?

The Ark Among the Philistines

Write what happened in each box.

1
2
3
4

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being the only true God. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why did each city want to send the ark away?
  • How did God show His power without an army?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 5 · Grade 4

The Lord Wins Alone

Name Date

Read and Think

Israel had lost the battle, and the ark was captured. To the Philistines, it looked as if Dagon had beaten the God of Israel. They placed the ark in Dagon's house in Ashdod, like a trophy beside their god.

But God needed no army to defend His honor. Dagon fell face down before the ark, as if bowing in worship. When the priests propped him up, he fell again, and his head and palms lay broken on the threshold. A lifeless idol could not even stand before the living God.

Then the Lord's hand was heavy on Ashdod, striking the people with tumors. The ark was moved to Gath and then to Ekron, and each city suffered panic and sickness. The Philistines finally admitted the hand of the God of Israel was against them, and they asked to send the ark home.

Show What You Know

  1. Why did the Philistines put the ark in Dagon's house?

  2. How did Dagon look when he fell the first time?

  3. What happened to the cities that held the ark?

  4. What did the Philistines finally admit?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

arkcityDagonGodhand
  1. Israel had lost the battle, and the was captured.
  2. To the Philistines, it looked as if had beaten the God of Israel.
  3. But needed no army to defend His honor.
  4. The ark was moved to Gath and then to Ekron, and each suffered panic and sickness.
  5. The Philistines finally admitted the of the God of Israel was against them, and they asked to send the ark home.

Think About It

  1. Israel lost, but God still showed His power. How does this help when it seems like God is losing?

  2. What idols, or things people put first, can never stand before God?

Memory Verse

“When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact.”

1 Samuel 5:4 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being the only true God. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why do you think the writer repeats the hand of God?
  • What false gods do people trust today?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 5 · Grade 5

No Rival to the Lord

Name Date

Read and Think

After Israel's defeat, the Philistines carried the ark to Ashdod and set it beside Dagon, their god. In the ancient world, capturing an enemy's sacred object was a way of saying our god is stronger than yours. The scene is set for a contest between the Lord and Dagon, with no Israelite soldier involved.

On the first morning Dagon lay face down before the Lord's ark. On the second, Dagon had fallen again, with his head and both palms cut off on the threshold, leaving only the torso. The picture is clear: the idol is powerless, and the Lord humbles false gods by Himself. Even the custom of not stepping on Dagon's threshold remained as a memory of that day.

The Lord's hand then pressed heavily on each city that held the ark: Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron, with tumors and deadly panic. The repeated phrase, the hand of God, shows who was truly in control. The Philistines who had celebrated their victory now begged to send the ark away. God's glory had not departed in defeat; it was on display among the nations.

Show What You Know

  1. What did capturing an enemy's sacred object mean in the ancient world?

  2. What does Dagon's fall show?

  3. Which repeated phrase shows who was in control?

  4. Where was God's glory on display?

Crossword

45231

Across

  1. Dagon had ____ on his face (5:3).
  2. The city where the ark was taken first (5:1)

Down

  1. The city that cried out when the ark came (5:10)
  2. The Philistines' false god (5:2)
  3. Yahweh's ____ was heavy on them (5:6).

Think About It

  1. Israel thought the glory had departed, but God was still at work. When might God be at work even in a loss?

  2. How does this chapter shape how you think about the idols of our culture?

Memory Verse

“When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact.”

1 Samuel 5:4 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being the only true God. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How can God's glory be seen even when His people fail?
  • How could you tell a friend that God is the one true God?
  • What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.