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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Gederoth, Bethdagon, Naamah and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.
and turneth toward the sun rising to Bethdagon, and met at Zebulun and in the valley of Iphtahel, and toward the northside of Bethemek and Neiel, and goeth out on the left side of Cabul;
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes; and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters. And he was made to grind in the prison house. Howbeit, the hair of his head began to grow again after that he was shorn. read more. Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands." And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, "Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, that destroyed our country and slew many of us." And when their hearts were merry, they said, "Send for Samson and let him play before us." And they fetched Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them, and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that led him by the hand, "Set me that I may touch the pillars that the house stands upon, and that I may lean to them." And the house was full of men and women. And there was all the lords of the Philistines. And there were upon the roof a three thousand men and women, that beheld how Samson played. And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, "My Lord Jehovah think upon me, and strengthen me at this time only, O God, that I may be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." And Samson caught the two middle pillars on which the house stood and on which it was borne up, the one in his righthand, and the other in his left, and said, "My soul die with the Philistines," and bowed them with might. And the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. And so the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life.
And the Philistines took the ark of God and carried it from the help stone, unto Ashdod, and brought it unto the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. read more. And when they of Ashdod were up in the morning, behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again. And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him. Wherefore neither the priests of Dagon, neither any man that cometh into Dagon's house might tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day. But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with hemorrhoids; both Ashdod and all the coasts thereof. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide here with us, for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god." And so they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" Then said they of Gath, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about. And when they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was in the city with a mighty great plague, and he smote the men of the city both small and great: and they were smitten in their secret places with the hemorrhoids.
And they put his harness in the houses of their gods. But his skull they hanged in the house of Dagon.
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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Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands."
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands." And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, "Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, that destroyed our country and slew many of us." read more. And when their hearts were merry, they said, "Send for Samson and let him play before us." And they fetched Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them, and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that led him by the hand, "Set me that I may touch the pillars that the house stands upon, and that I may lean to them." And the house was full of men and women. And there was all the lords of the Philistines. And there were upon the roof a three thousand men and women, that beheld how Samson played. And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, "My Lord Jehovah think upon me, and strengthen me at this time only, O God, that I may be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." And Samson caught the two middle pillars on which the house stood and on which it was borne up, the one in his righthand, and the other in his left, and said, "My soul die with the Philistines," and bowed them with might. And the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. And so the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life.
And the Philistines took the ark of God and carried it from the help stone, unto Ashdod, and brought it unto the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. read more. And when they of Ashdod were up in the morning, behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again. And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him. Wherefore neither the priests of Dagon, neither any man that cometh into Dagon's house might tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day. But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with hemorrhoids; both Ashdod and all the coasts thereof. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide here with us, for his hand is sore 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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Gederoth, Bethdagon, Naamah and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.
Gederoth, Bethdagon, Naamah and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.
and turneth toward the sun rising to Bethdagon, and met at Zebulun and in the valley of Iphtahel, and toward the northside of Bethemek and Neiel, and goeth out on the left side of Cabul;
and turneth toward the sun rising to Bethdagon, and met at Zebulun and in the valley of Iphtahel, and toward the northside of Bethemek and Neiel, and goeth out on the left side of Cabul;
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes; and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters. And he was made to grind in the prison house.
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes; and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters. And he was made to grind in the prison house. Howbeit, the hair of his head began to grow again after that he was shorn.
Howbeit, the hair of his head began to grow again after that he was shorn. Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands."
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands." And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, "Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, that destroyed our country and slew many of us."
And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, "Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, that destroyed our country and slew many of us." And when their hearts were merry, they said, "Send for Samson and let him play before us." And they fetched Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them, and they set him between the pillars.
And when their hearts were merry, they said, "Send for Samson and let him play before us." And they fetched Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them, and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that led him by the hand, "Set me that I may touch the pillars that the house stands upon, and that I may lean to them."
And Samson said unto the lad that led him by the hand, "Set me that I may touch the pillars that the house stands upon, and that I may lean to them." And the house was full of men and women. And there was all the lords of the Philistines. And there were upon the roof a three thousand men and women, that beheld how Samson played.
And the house was full of men and women. And there was all the lords of the Philistines. And there were upon the roof a three thousand men and women, that beheld how Samson played. And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, "My Lord Jehovah think upon me, and strengthen me at this time only, O God, that I may be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."
And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, "My Lord Jehovah think upon me, and strengthen me at this time only, O God, that I may be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." And Samson caught the two middle pillars on which the house stood and on which it was borne up, the one in his righthand, and the other in his left,
And Samson caught the two middle pillars on which the house stood and on which it was borne up, the one in his righthand, and the other in his left, and said, "My soul die with the Philistines," and bowed them with might. And the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. And so the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life.
and said, "My soul die with the Philistines," and bowed them with might. And the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. And so the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life.
And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him.
And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him.
And they put his harness in the houses of their gods. But his skull they hanged in the house of Dagon.
And they put his harness in the houses of their gods. But his skull they hanged in the house of Dagon.
which casteth down the high looks of presumptuous persons, and bringeth low the pride of man, and the LORD only shall be exalted in that day.
which casteth down the high looks of presumptuous persons, and bringeth low the pride of man, and the LORD only shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of Hosts shall go over all pride and presumption, upon all them that exalt themselves, and shall bring them all down:
For the day of the LORD of Hosts shall go over all pride and presumption, upon all them that exalt themselves, and shall bring them all down: upon all high and stout Cedar trees of Lebanon, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
upon all high and stout Cedar trees of Lebanon, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, upon all high hills, and upon all stout mountains,
upon all high hills, and upon all stout mountains, upon all costly towers, and upon all strong walls,
upon all costly towers, and upon all strong walls, upon all ships of Tarshish, and upon everything that is glorious and pleasant to look upon.
upon all ships of Tarshish, and upon everything that is glorious and pleasant to look upon. And it shall bring down the pride of man, and lay man's presumptuousness full low, and the LORD shall only have the victory in that day.
And it shall bring down the pride of man, and lay man's presumptuousness full low, and the LORD shall only have the victory in that day. But the Idols shall utterly be rooted out.
But the Idols shall utterly be rooted out. Men shall creep into holes of stone, and into caves of the earth, for the fear of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty: what time as he shall arise to shake the earth.
Men shall creep into holes of stone, and into caves of the earth, for the fear of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty: what time as he shall arise to shake the earth. Then, then shall man cast away his gods of silver and gold - which he nevertheless had made to honour them - unto moles and bats
Then, then shall man cast away his gods of silver and gold - which he nevertheless had made to honour them - unto moles and bats that he may the better creep into the caves and rocks, and into the cliffs of hard stones, from the sight of the fearful judge and from the glory of his Majesty.
that he may the better creep into the caves and rocks, and into the cliffs of hard stones, from the sight of the fearful judge and from the glory of his Majesty. Fear not, then, any man whose breath is in his nostrils - for what is he?
Fear not, then, any man whose breath is in his nostrils - for what 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 to Gaza, and saw there an whore, and went in unto her.
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands."
And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him.
And so they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" Then said they of Gath, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.
Then said they, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall reward him with?" And they answered, "Five golden arses with hemorrhoids and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For it was one manner of plague that was on you all, and on your lords too. Wherefore ye shall make images like to your arses with hemorrhoids and images like to your mice that destroyed your land, and shall give glory unto the God of Israel: that he may take his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
And the golden mice were according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines through the five lordships: both of walled towns and of towns unwalled, even unto the great stone whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite.
And they put his harness in the houses of their gods. But his skull they hanged in the house of Dagon.
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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Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands."
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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Gederoth, Bethdagon, Naamah and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.
and turneth toward the sun rising to Bethdagon, and met at Zebulun and in the valley of Iphtahel, and toward the northside of Bethemek and Neiel, and goeth out on the left side of Cabul;
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes; and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters. And he was made to grind in the prison house. Howbeit, the hair of his head began to grow again after that he was shorn. read more. Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands." And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, "Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, that destroyed our country and slew many of us." And when their hearts were merry, they said, "Send for Samson and let him play before us." And they fetched Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them, and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that led him by the hand, "Set me that I may touch the pillars that the house stands upon, and that I may lean to them." And the house was full of men and women. And there was all the lords of the Philistines. And there were upon the roof a three thousand men and women, that beheld how Samson played. And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, "My Lord Jehovah think upon me, and strengthen me at this time only, O God, that I may be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." And Samson caught the two middle pillars on which the house stood and on which it was borne up, the one in his righthand, and the other in his left, and said, "My soul die with the Philistines," and bowed them with might. And the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. And so the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life.
And when they of Ashdod were up in the morning, behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again. And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him. read more. Wherefore neither the priests of Dagon, neither any man that cometh into Dagon's house might tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day.
Wherefore neither the priests of Dagon, neither any man that cometh into Dagon's house might tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day. But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with hemorrhoids; both Ashdod and all the coasts thereof.
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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Gederoth, Bethdagon, Naamah and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.
and turneth toward the sun rising to Bethdagon, and met at Zebulun and in the valley of Iphtahel, and toward the northside of Bethemek and Neiel, and goeth out on the left side of Cabul;
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands."
And the Philistines took the ark of God and carried it from the help stone, unto Ashdod, and brought it unto the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. read more. And when they of Ashdod were up in the morning, behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again. And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him. Wherefore neither the priests of Dagon, neither any man that cometh into Dagon's house might tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day.