At first Dagon is found lying face down in front of the ar in symbolic submission and omen of immediate judgement on the Philistines. Finally Dagon is found again lying face down with its head and hands cut off in the similar fashion a defeated king in those days would suffer. What’s going on? Jehovah hasn’t been defeated as the Philistines (and probably everyone else) has so ignorantly supposed. This God charging straight into the enemies camp. Even if no one else is going to faithful to His covenant, He will.
What followed was a very great destruction from what formerly was supposed to be their trophy. From Ashdod to Gath to Ekron God alone claims victory where the people of Israel could not. Finally the decision is made to relinquish their so called trophy and instead humble themselves before God, and thus does the irony finishes it’s cycle. The wise has been confounded and the strong has been brought down.
J. C. Walz – Faith, Fiction, and DEvotional Writing 
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