Bible Person

Dagon

Meaning: corn; a fish · Male · 7 cross references

Dagon is the Philistine god associated in Scripture with rival worship, defeated power, and the humiliation of idols before the Lord. This entry represents a named deity in the biblical world rather than a human person. First appears in Judg 16:23.1

AI summary: Dagon matters because the cross references place him at scenes where the God of Israel exposes the weakness of false worship. In Gaza his temple becomes the site of Samson's final act, and in Ashdod his fallen image dramatizes the Lord's superiority even when the ark appears captured. The name therefore carries more than local religious background; it marks direct confrontation between living divine authority and powerless idols. Taken together, the material presents Dagon as a rival god repeatedly shown to be unable to stand before the Lord.1

Central Figure

Dagon

Meaning: corn; a fish

Little fish; diminutive from dag = a fish, the fish-god; the national god of the Philistines (Judg.