little fish; diminutive from dag = a fish, the fish-god; the national god of the Philistines ( Judges 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 ( Judges 16:23-30 ) and Ashdod ( 1 Samuel 5:1-7 ). (See FISH .)

These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.