2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon . 3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning , behold , Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord . So they took Dagon and set him in his place again . 4 But when they arose early the next morning , behold , Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord . And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold ; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 5:2-4
Commentary on 1 Samuel 5:1-5
(Read 1 Samuel 5:1-5)
See the ark's triumph over Dagon. Thus the kingdom of Satan will certainly fall before the kingdom of Christ, error before truth, profaneness before godliness, and corruption before grace in the hearts of the faithful. When the interests of religion seem to be ready to sink, even then we may be confident that the day of their triumph will come. When Christ, the true Ark of the covenant, really enters the heart of fallen man, which is indeed Satan's temple, all idols will fall, every endeavour to set them up again will be vain, sin will be forsaken, and unrighteous gain restored; the Lord will claim and possess the throne. But pride, self-love, and worldly lusts, though dethroned and crucified, still remain within us, like the stump of Dagon. Let us watch and pray that they may not prevail. Let us seek to have them more entirely destroyed.