דָּוָה
to be sick (as if in menstruation)
Definition
The Hebrew verb דָּוָה (dâvâh) means to be sick, unwell, or in a state of physical infirmity. In its single biblical occurrence, it specifically describes a woman's condition of ritual impurity due to a bodily discharge following childbirth, as outlined in the laws of purity in Leviticus 12:2. While the root can imply general sickness, its specific legal context in Leviticus ties it to the concept of ceremonial uncleanness associated with certain physical states. This links the physical experience of illness or discharge directly to the religious framework of holiness and separation.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 12:2, within the context of the Mosaic Law. It describes the postpartum condition of a woman, which renders her ceremonially unclean for a prescribed period. The usage is entirely legal and cultic, forming part of the purity regulations that distinguished between clean and unclean states in ancient Israelite worship and community life.
Etymology
דָּוָה (dâvâh) is a primitive root. It is related to the adjective דָּוֶה (dāveh, H1739), meaning 'faint' or 'unwell.' The root conveys a sense of being physically afflicted or languishing. Cognates in other Semitic languages also carry meanings related to sickness or weakness, suggesting a core idea of diminished strength or health.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it connects a natural human physical experience (childbirth and recovery) directly to the concepts of ritual purity and holiness under the Mosaic covenant. It underscores that God's holiness encompasses all of life, including biological processes. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by highlighting how the Law provided a framework for reintegrating individuals into communal worship after periods of ritual separation, pointing to deeper themes of cleansing and restoration.
In its original cultural setting, this term was understood within a comprehensive system of ritual purity that governed social and religious participation. A woman's postpartum condition was not viewed as sinful, but as a temporary state of ritual impurity that required a waiting period and a sin offering (Leviticus 12:6-8) for purification. This differs significantly from modern medical or purely social understandings of postpartum recovery, as it was primarily a religious classification with practical community consequences.
חָלָה (ḥālâ, H2470) — a more general verb for being sick, weak, or wounded. דָּוֶה (dāveh, H1739) — the adjective form meaning faint, unwell, or languishing.
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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