1 Samuel 5:3

“And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, &e.] Either the people, the inhabitants of the place, who came early to pay their devotions to their idol, before they went on their business; or the priests of the idol, who came to sacrifice in the morning: and, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord; as if he was subject to it, and giving adoration to it, and owning it was above him, and had superior power over him: and they took Dagon, and set him in his place again; having no notion that it was owing to the ark of God, or to the God of Israel, that he was fallen, but that it was a matter of chance.”

“DAGON FALLS DOWN. (Sa1 5:3-5) they of Ashdod arose early--They were filled with consternation when they found the object of their stupid veneration prostrate before the symbol of the divine presence. Though set up, it fell again, and lay in a state of complete mutilation; its head and arms, severed from the trunk, were lying in distant and separate places, as if violently cast off, and only the fishy part remained. The degradation of their idol, though concealed by the priests on the former occasion, was now more manifest and infamous. It lay in the attitude of a vanquished enemy and a suppliant, and this picture of humiliation significantly declared the superiority of the God of Israel.”

“They - The priests of Dagon. Set him - Supposing his fall was casual. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 5:4”

“Dagon was: Exo 12:12; Psa 97:7; Isa 19:1, Isa 46:1, Isa 46:2; Zep 2:11; Mar 3:11; Luk 10:18-20; Co2 6:14-16 set him: Isa 19:1, Isa 40:20, Isa 41:7, Isa 44:17-20, Isa 46:1, Isa 46:2, Isa 46:7; Jer 10:8 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 5:4”

“The next morning the Ashdodites found Dagon lying on his face upon the ground before the ark of Jehovah, and restored him to his place again, evidently supposing that the idol had fallen or been thrown down by some accident. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 5:4”