דגון, _corn_, from דגן, or דג, _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, 1 Sam. v, 4, 5. A temple of Dagon at Gaza was pulled down by Samson,
Judges xvi, 23, &c. In another, at Ashdod, the Philistines deposited the
ark of God, 1 Sam. v, 1–3. A city in Judah was called Beth-Dagon; that
is, the house, or temple, of Dagon, Joshua xv, 41; and another on the
frontiers of Asher, Joshua xix, 27.
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, 1 Sam. v, 4, 5. A temple of Dagon at Gaza was pulled down by Samson,
Judges xvi, 23, &c. In another, at Ashdod, the Philistines deposited the
ark of God, 1 Sam. v, 1–3. A city in Judah was called Beth-Dagon; that
is, the house, or temple, of Dagon, Joshua xv, 41; and another on the
frontiers of Asher, Joshua xix, 27.