דָּלַל
to slacken or be feeble; figuratively, to be oppressed
Definition
The Hebrew verb דָּלַל (dâlal) primarily means to hang down, become low, or be brought low, conveying a state of physical, social, or spiritual depletion. In a literal sense, it describes the drying up of water sources (Isaiah 19:6) or the physical exhaustion of people (Judges 6:6). Figuratively, it expresses being impoverished, oppressed, or made feeble, as when the psalmist feels brought very low (Psalm 142:6). The word can also denote something being inadequate or not equal to a task, like a proverb in the mouth of a fool (Proverbs 26:7).
Biblical Usage
דָּלַל is used 9 times across poetic, prophetic, and historical books. It appears in contexts of national distress (Judges 6:6, Psalm 79:8), personal lament (Psalms 116:6, 142:6), and descriptions of natural decay (Isaiah 19:6, Job 28:4). A pattern emerges of using the word to describe a transition from a state of strength or fullness to one of weakness, emptiness, or humiliation, often as a consequence of divine judgment or human oppression.
Etymology
A primitive root, דָּלַל is related to דָּלָה (dâlâh, H1802), meaning 'to draw (water).' The core idea is hanging down or being lowered. From this physical sense, the meaning developed to include becoming slack, feeble, poor, or diminished. Cognates in other Semitic languages support meanings related to being low, thin, or weak.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it often describes the human condition of vulnerability, oppression, and need before God. In the Psalms (116:6, 142:6), it expresses the psalmist's profound lowliness from which God delivers and hears. Its use in contexts of judgment (Isaiah 17:4, 19:6) shows that national decline and impoverishment can be a direct result of turning from God. Understanding דָּלַל enriches reading by highlighting that God is attentive to those who are brought low, whether by circumstance or consequence.
In an agrarian society, the literal drying up of streams (Isaiah 19:6) was a direct threat to survival, making this a powerful metaphor for total depletion. Socially, to be 'made low' or impoverished (Judges 6:6) meant a loss of status, security, and ability to provide, placing one in a position of complete dependence.
דָּל (dal, H1800) — An adjective meaning poor, weak, or thin, describing a state, while דָּלַל is the process of becoming so. כָּשַׁל (kāšal, H3782) — To stumble or fall, often physically or in failure, whereas דָּלַל focuses on declining or being lowered. עָנִי (ʿānî, H6041) — Poor or afflicted, often by external forces, similar to the figurative result of דָּלַל.
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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