Reference: Dagon
American
Fish-god, a national idol of the Philistines, with temples at Gaza, Ashdid, etc., 1Ch 10:10. The temple at Gaza was destroyed by Samson, Jg 16:21-30. In that at Ashdod, Dagon twice miraculously fell down before the ark of God; and in the second fall his head and hands were broken off, leaving only the body, which was in the form of a large fish, 1Sa 5:1-9. See Jos 15:41; 19:27. There were other idols of like form among the ancients, particularly the goddess Derceto of Atergatis; and a similar form or "incarnation" of Vishnu is at this day much worshipped in India, and like Dagon is destined to be prostrated in the dust before the true God.
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and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah, and Makkedah, - sixteen cities, with their villages.
and it turneth toward sun-rise - to Beth-dagon, and toucheth Zebulun and the valley of Iphtah-el northward, and Beth-emek, and Neiel; and goeth out unto Cabul, on the left,
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, - and took him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and it came to pass that he used to grind in the prison. And the hair of his head began to grow, after he had been shaven. read more. Now, the lords of the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, - and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand, Samson our enemy. And, when the people saw him, they praised their god, - for they said - Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, even him who laid waste our land, and who multiplied our slain. And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the youth that held him by his hand, Place me where I may feel the pillars whereon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them. Now, the house, was full of men and women, there, also were all the lords of the Philistines, - and, on the roof, were about three thousand men and women, looking on while Samson made sport. So then Samson cried unto Yahweh, and said, - My Lord Yahweh! remember me, I pray thee, - and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged, with one avenging, for my two eyes, upon the Philistines. Then did Samson grasp the two middle pillars, whereon the house rested, and whereon it was upheld, and he braced himself against them, - the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. And Samson said - Let my soul die with the Philistines! And he bowed mightily, and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead, whom he slew at his death, were more than they whom he slew in his life.
Now, the Philistines, having taken the ark of God, - brought it in from Eben-ezer, unto Ashdod. And, when the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, - and placed it by the side of Dagon. read more. And, when they of Ashdod rose early on the morrow and entered into the house of Dagon, they looked and lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh, - so they took Dagon and restored him to his place. And, when they rose up early in the morning of the morrow, lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh - and, the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, had been cut off against the threshold, only, Dagon himself, was left to him. For this cause, do not the priests of Dagon, nor any that enter into the house of Dagon, tread upon the threshold of Dagon, in Ashdod, - until this day. Then was the hand of Yahweh heavy against them of Ashdod, and he astounded them, - and smote with tumours Ashdod and her bounds. And, when the men of Ashdod saw that, so, it was, then kept they saying, Let not the ark of the God of Israel abide with us, for, hard, is his hand upon us, and upon Dagon our god. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said - What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they said: To Gath, let the ark of the God of Israel go round. So they took round the ark of the God of Israel. And so it was, after they had taken it round, then was the hand of Yahweh against the city, with an exceeding great consternation, and he smote the men of the city, from the least, even unto the greatest, - and they brake out with tumours.
Easton
little fish; diminutive from dag = a fish, the fish-god; the national god of the Philistines (Jg 16:23). This idol had the body of a fish with the head and hands of a man. It was an Assyrio-Babylonian deity, the worship of which was introduced among the Philistines through Chaldea. The most famous of the temples of Dagon were at Gaza (Jg 16:23-30) and Ashdod (1Sam 5:1-7|). (See Fish.)
Illustration: Fish-God from Khorsabad
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Now, the lords of the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, - and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand, Samson our enemy.
Now, the lords of the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, - and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand, Samson our enemy. And, when the people saw him, they praised their god, - for they said - Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, even him who laid waste our land, and who multiplied our slain. read more. And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the youth that held him by his hand, Place me where I may feel the pillars whereon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them. Now, the house, was full of men and women, there, also were all the lords of the Philistines, - and, on the roof, were about three thousand men and women, looking on while Samson made sport. So then Samson cried unto Yahweh, and said, - My Lord Yahweh! remember me, I pray thee, - and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged, with one avenging, for my two eyes, upon the Philistines. Then did Samson grasp the two middle pillars, whereon the house rested, and whereon it was upheld, and he braced himself against them, - the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. And Samson said - Let my soul die with the Philistines! And he bowed mightily, and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead, whom he slew at his death, were more than they whom he slew in his life.
Now, the Philistines, having taken the ark of God, - brought it in from Eben-ezer, unto Ashdod. And, when the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, - and placed it by the side of Dagon. read more. And, when they of Ashdod rose early on the morrow and entered into the house of Dagon, they looked and lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh, - so they took Dagon and restored him to his place. And, when they rose up early in the morning of the morrow, lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh - and, the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, had been cut off against the threshold, only, Dagon himself, was left to him. For this cause, do not the priests of Dagon, nor any that enter into the house of Dagon, tread upon the threshold of Dagon, in Ashdod, - until this day. Then was the hand of Yahweh heavy against them of Ashdod, and he astounded them, - and smote with tumours Ashdod and her bounds. And, when the men of Ashdod saw that, so, it was, then kept they saying, Let not the ark of the God of Israel abide with us, for, hard, is his hand upon us, and upon Dagon our god.
Fausets
Diminutive (expressing endearment) of dag, "a fish." The male god to which Atargatis corresponds (2Ma 12:26), the Syrian goddess with a woman's body and fish's tail, worshipped at Hierapolis and Ascalon. Our fabulous mermaid is derived from this Phoenician idol. She corresponds to the Greek foam-sprung Aphrodite. The divine principle supposed to produce the seeds of all things from moisture. Twice a year, water was brought from distant places and poured into a chasm in the temple, through which the waters of the flood were said to have been drained away (Lucian de Syr. Dea, 883). Derived from tarag, targeto, "an opening," the goddess being also called DERCETO; or else addir, "glorious," and dagto, "a fish."
The tutelary goddess of the first Assyrian dynasty, the name appearing in Tiglath. Dag-on was the national god of the Philistines, his temples were at Gaza and Ashdod (Jg 16:21-30; 1Sa 5:5-6). The temple of Dagon, which Samson pulled down, probably resembled a Turkish kiosk, a spacious hall with roof resting in front upon four columns, two at the ends and two close together at the center. Under this hall the Philistine chief men celebrated a sacrificial meal, while the people assembled above upon the balustraded roof. The half-man half-fish form (found in bas-relief at Khorsabad) was natural to maritime coast dwellers. They senselessly joined the human form divine to the beast that perishes, to symbolize nature's vivifying power through water; the Hindu Vishnu; Babylonian Odakon.
On the doorway of Sennacherib's palace at Koyunjik there is still in bas-relief representations of Dagon, with the body of a fish but under the fish's head a man's head, and to its tail women's feet joined; and in all the four gigantic slabs the upper part has perished, exactly as 1Sa 5:4's margin describes: now in the British Museum. The cutting off of Dagon's head and hands before Jehovah's ark, and their lying on the threshold (from whence his devotees afterward did not dare to tread upon it), prefigure the ultimate cutting off of all idols in the great day of Jehovah (Isa 2:11-22). Beth-Dagon in Judah and another in Asher (Jos 15:41; 19:27) show the wide extension of this worship. In his temple the Philistines fastened up Saul's head (1Ch 10:10).
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and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah, and Makkedah, - sixteen cities, with their villages.
and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah, and Makkedah, - sixteen cities, with their villages.
and it turneth toward sun-rise - to Beth-dagon, and toucheth Zebulun and the valley of Iphtah-el northward, and Beth-emek, and Neiel; and goeth out unto Cabul, on the left,
and it turneth toward sun-rise - to Beth-dagon, and toucheth Zebulun and the valley of Iphtah-el northward, and Beth-emek, and Neiel; and goeth out unto Cabul, on the left,
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, - and took him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and it came to pass that he used to grind in the prison.
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, - and took him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and it came to pass that he used to grind in the prison. And the hair of his head began to grow, after he had been shaven.
And the hair of his head began to grow, after he had been shaven. Now, the lords of the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, - and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand, Samson our enemy.
Now, the lords of the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, - and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand, Samson our enemy. And, when the people saw him, they praised their god, - for they said - Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, even him who laid waste our land, and who multiplied our slain.
And, when the people saw him, they praised their god, - for they said - Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, even him who laid waste our land, and who multiplied our slain. And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars.
And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the youth that held him by his hand, Place me where I may feel the pillars whereon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them.
And Samson said unto the youth that held him by his hand, Place me where I may feel the pillars whereon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them. Now, the house, was full of men and women, there, also were all the lords of the Philistines, - and, on the roof, were about three thousand men and women, looking on while Samson made sport.
Now, the house, was full of men and women, there, also were all the lords of the Philistines, - and, on the roof, were about three thousand men and women, looking on while Samson made sport. So then Samson cried unto Yahweh, and said, - My Lord Yahweh! remember me, I pray thee, - and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged, with one avenging, for my two eyes, upon the Philistines.
So then Samson cried unto Yahweh, and said, - My Lord Yahweh! remember me, I pray thee, - and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged, with one avenging, for my two eyes, upon the Philistines. Then did Samson grasp the two middle pillars, whereon the house rested, and whereon it was upheld, and he braced himself against them, - the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.
Then did Samson grasp the two middle pillars, whereon the house rested, and whereon it was upheld, and he braced himself against them, - the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. And Samson said - Let my soul die with the Philistines! And he bowed mightily, and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead, whom he slew at his death, were more than they whom he slew in his life.
And Samson said - Let my soul die with the Philistines! And he bowed mightily, and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead, whom he slew at his death, were more than they whom he slew in his life.
And, when they rose up early in the morning of the morrow, lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh - and, the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, had been cut off against the threshold, only, Dagon himself, was left to him.
And, when they rose up early in the morning of the morrow, lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh - and, the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, had been cut off against the threshold, only, Dagon himself, was left to him.
And they put his armour, in the house of their gods, - but, his skull, fastened they up, in the house of Dagon.
And they put his armour, in the house of their gods, - but, his skull, fastened they up, in the house of Dagon.
The lofty looks of mean men, shall be humbled, And, the haughtiness of great men, shall be bowed down, - And Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day.
The lofty looks of mean men, shall be humbled, And, the haughtiness of great men, shall be bowed down, - And Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day. For, a day of Yahweh of hosts, shall be - Upon every one who is high and lofty, - And upon every one who is lifted up, And he shall be brought low;
For, a day of Yahweh of hosts, shall be - Upon every one who is high and lofty, - And upon every one who is lifted up, And he shall be brought low; And upon all cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, - And upon all the oaks of Bashan;
And upon all cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, - And upon all the oaks of Bashan; And upon all the lofty mountains, - And upon all the uplifted hills;
And upon all the lofty mountains, - And upon all the uplifted hills; And upon every high tower, - And upon every fortress wall;
And upon every high tower, - And upon every fortress wall; And upon all the ships of Tarshish, - And upon all desirable banners.
And upon all the ships of Tarshish, - And upon all desirable banners. And the haughtiness of mean men, shall be humbled, - And the loftiness of great men, shall be laid low, - And Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day.
And the haughtiness of mean men, shall be humbled, - And the loftiness of great men, shall be laid low, - And Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day. And, the idols, shall wholly pass away;
And, the idols, shall wholly pass away; And they shall enter into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of clay, - Because of the terribleness of Yahweh, And for his majestic splendour, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
And they shall enter into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of clay, - Because of the terribleness of Yahweh, And for his majestic splendour, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day shall the son of earth cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, - which had been made for him to worship, into the hole of the mice, and to the bats;
In that day shall the son of earth cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, - which had been made for him to worship, into the hole of the mice, and to the bats; That he may enter into the clefts of the rocks, and into the fissures of the crags, - Because of the terribleness of Yahweh, And for his majestic splendour, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
That he may enter into the clefts of the rocks, and into the fissures of the crags, - Because of the terribleness of Yahweh, And for his majestic splendour, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from the son of earth, In whose nostrils is but a breath, - For wherein to be reckoned upon, is he?
Cease ye from the son of earth, In whose nostrils is but a breath, - For wherein to be reckoned upon, is he?
Hastings
A god whose worship was general among the Philistines (at Gaza, Jg 16:23,1Ma 10:83-84; 1Ma 11:4; at Ashkelon, 1Sa 5:2; prob. at Beth-dagon [wh. see], which may at one time have been under Philistine rule). Indeed, the name Baal-dagon inscribed in Ph
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Then went Samson unto Gaza, - and saw there an unchaste woman, and went in unto her.
Now, the lords of the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, - and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand, Samson our enemy.
And, when the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, - and placed it by the side of Dagon.
And, when they rose up early in the morning of the morrow, lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh - and, the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, had been cut off against the threshold, only, Dagon himself, was left to him.
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said - What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they said: To Gath, let the ark of the God of Israel go round. So they took round the ark of the God of Israel.
And they said - What shall be the guilt-offering, that we shall return to him? And they said - By the number of the lords of the Philistines, five tumours of gold, and five mice of gold, - for, one plague, was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye shall make likenesses of your turnouts, and likenesses of your mice that are laying waste the land, and shall, give unto the, God of Israel, glory, - Peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your god, and from off your land.
And the golden mice, by the number of all the cities of the Philistines, pertaining to the five lords, both fortified cities, and country villages, - yea, even the great meadow whereon they rested the ark of Yahweh, until this day, is in the field-land of Joshua, the man of Beth-shemesh.
Morish
Da'gon
The national god of the Philistines, whose principal temples were at Gaza and Ashdod. The name has been traced by some to dag, a fish; others however associate the fish-god with EA, the water-god; and trace Dagon to dagan 'corn' as a god of agriculture. This was the idol that fell to pieces before the ark of Israel, and it was in its temple subsequently that the Philistines hung the head of Saul. A representation of a god found at Khorsabad has the head and hands of a man, and the body and tail of a fish. Jg 16:23; 1Sa 5:2-7; 1Ch 10:10.
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Smith
Da'gon
(a fish), apparently the masculine,
correlative of Atargatis, was the national god of the Philistines. The most famous temples of Dagon were at Gaza,
and Ashdod.
The latter temple was destroyed by Jonathan in the Maccabaean wars. Traces of the worship of Dagon likewise appear in the names Caphar-dagon (near Jamnia) and Beth-dagon in Judah,
and Asher.
Dagon was represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish.
The fish-like form was a natural emblem of fruitfulness, and as such was likely to be adopted by seafaring tribes in the representation of their gods.
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and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah, and Makkedah, - sixteen cities, with their villages.
and it turneth toward sun-rise - to Beth-dagon, and toucheth Zebulun and the valley of Iphtah-el northward, and Beth-emek, and Neiel; and goeth out unto Cabul, on the left,
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, - and took him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and it came to pass that he used to grind in the prison. And the hair of his head began to grow, after he had been shaven. read more. Now, the lords of the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, - and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand, Samson our enemy. And, when the people saw him, they praised their god, - for they said - Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, even him who laid waste our land, and who multiplied our slain. And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the youth that held him by his hand, Place me where I may feel the pillars whereon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them. Now, the house, was full of men and women, there, also were all the lords of the Philistines, - and, on the roof, were about three thousand men and women, looking on while Samson made sport. So then Samson cried unto Yahweh, and said, - My Lord Yahweh! remember me, I pray thee, - and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged, with one avenging, for my two eyes, upon the Philistines. Then did Samson grasp the two middle pillars, whereon the house rested, and whereon it was upheld, and he braced himself against them, - the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. And Samson said - Let my soul die with the Philistines! And he bowed mightily, and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead, whom he slew at his death, were more than they whom he slew in his life.
And, when they of Ashdod rose early on the morrow and entered into the house of Dagon, they looked and lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh, - so they took Dagon and restored him to his place. And, when they rose up early in the morning of the morrow, lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh - and, the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, had been cut off against the threshold, only, Dagon himself, was left to him. read more. For this cause, do not the priests of Dagon, nor any that enter into the house of Dagon, tread upon the threshold of Dagon, in Ashdod, - until this day.
For this cause, do not the priests of Dagon, nor any that enter into the house of Dagon, tread upon the threshold of Dagon, in Ashdod, - until this day. Then was the hand of Yahweh heavy against them of Ashdod, and he astounded them, - and smote with tumours Ashdod and her bounds.
Watsons
DAGON, ????, corn, from ???, or ??, a fish, god of the Philistines. It is the opinion of some that Dagon was represented like a woman, with the lower parts of a fish, like a triton or syren. Scripture shows clearly that the statue of Dagon was human, at least, the upper part of it. 1Sa 5:4-5. A temple of Dagon at Gaza was pulled down by Samson, Jg 16:23, &c. In another, at Ashdod, the Philistines deposited the ark of God, 1Sa 5:1-3. A city in Judah was called Beth-Dagon; that is, the house, or temple, of Dagon, Jos 15:41; and another on the frontiers of Asher, Jos 19:27.
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and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah, and Makkedah, - sixteen cities, with their villages.
and it turneth toward sun-rise - to Beth-dagon, and toucheth Zebulun and the valley of Iphtah-el northward, and Beth-emek, and Neiel; and goeth out unto Cabul, on the left,
Now, the lords of the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, - and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand, Samson our enemy.
Now, the Philistines, having taken the ark of God, - brought it in from Eben-ezer, unto Ashdod. And, when the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, - and placed it by the side of Dagon. read more. And, when they of Ashdod rose early on the morrow and entered into the house of Dagon, they looked and lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh, - so they took Dagon and restored him to his place. And, when they rose up early in the morning of the morrow, lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh - and, the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, had been cut off against the threshold, only, Dagon himself, was left to him. For this cause, do not the priests of Dagon, nor any that enter into the house of Dagon, tread upon the threshold of Dagon, in Ashdod, - until this day.