דַּכָּה
mutilated
Definition
The Hebrew noun דַּכָּה (dakkâh) refers to a person who is mutilated, crushed, or severely wounded, particularly in a way that involves the male reproductive organs. It specifically denotes a state of physical injury that results in the loss or destruction of testicles. This term appears only once in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 23:1, where it describes a man who has been crushed in this specific manner. The word conveys a sense of being broken or damaged beyond normal function, extending from the physical act of crushing (its root meaning) to the resulting permanent condition.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 23:1 (Hebrew 23:2). It is used in a legal context within the Mosaic Law, specifically in a statute that prohibits certain individuals from entering the assembly of the Lord. The context is a list of physical conditions or origins that barred full participation in the religious community. There are no patterns of usage across different books, as it is a hapax legomenon (a word occurring only once).
Etymology
The noun דַּכָּה (dakkâh) is derived from the root verb דָּכָה (dākâh, H1794), which means 'to crush' or 'to pulverize.' It is a feminine noun form, and its meaning is closely related to דַּכָּא (dakkā’, H1793), another noun meaning 'crushed' or 'contrite.' The development is straightforward: from the action of crushing, to the state of being crushed, and in this specific case, to the condition of being mutilated by crushing.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it relates to concepts of ritual purity, community boundaries, and wholeness in the Old Testament covenant. The law in Deuteronomy 23:1 uses this physical condition as a criterion for inclusion in the 'assembly of the Lord,' reflecting the importance of physical integrity for full participation in Israel's worship life. This regulation is part of the holiness code that set Israel apart. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of this passage by clarifying the specific and severe nature of the injury, moving beyond a general sense of 'wounded' to the particular cultural and legal disqualification it entailed.
In its original Ancient Near Eastern cultural setting, physical wholeness was often associated with ritual purity and fitness for sacred duties or spaces. A mutilation of the kind described by דַּכָּה would have been seen as making an individual incomplete, possibly rendering him unfit to represent the community before God. This differs from a modern understanding where such a physical condition might not carry the same religious or communal consequences. The law likely also served to distinguish Israel from surrounding pagan practices where such mutilations were sometimes part of religious rituals.
דַּכָּא (dakkā’, H1793) — Shares the root meaning 'crushed,' but is used more often in a figurative, spiritual sense (e.g., a contrite heart in Psalm 34:18). שָׁבוּר (shāvûr, H7665) — Means 'broken' in a more general sense, not specific to this type of mutilation. מְחֻתָּךְ (mĕchuttāk, H3772) — Refers to one who is 'cut off' or emasculated, a closely related concept but from a different root verb meaning 'to cut.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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