It was a common practice in the ancient Near East to collect the hands and heads of the fallen in order to demonstrate a battle victory1 and to establish a proper body count (see Judges 7:25; Judges 8:6; 1 Samuel 17:54; 1 Samuel 31:9; 2 Samuel 4:12).2 With Dagon’s head and hands being chopped off, the Lord affirmed that Dagon had been defeated by him.
4 Le lendemain encore, s'étant levés de bon matin, ils trouvèrent Dagon étendu la face contre terre, devant l'arche de l'Eternel; la tête de Dagon et ses deux mains étaient abattues sur le seuil, et il ne lui restait que le tronc.