דּוּשׁ
to trample
Definition
The Hebrew verb דּוּשׁ (dûwsh) means to trample, tread down, or thresh. In its primary sense, it describes the physical act of crushing something underfoot, often with a connotation of force and subjugation. In the Bible, it is used metaphorically to depict political or military domination, where one power violently subdues another. Its single biblical occurrence is in Daniel 7:23, where it describes a terrifying kingdom that will 'trample' and crush other nations.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in the Aramaic portion of the book of Daniel. In Daniel 7:23, the fourth beast's kingdom is described as one that will 'trample' (דּוּשׁ) and devour the whole earth. The usage is entirely metaphorical and prophetic, depicting ruthless imperial conquest and oppression, rather than the literal agricultural act of threshing grain.
Etymology
The word דּוּשׁ (dûwsh) is the Aramaic form corresponding to the Hebrew verb דּוּשׁ (H1758), which has the same meaning. Both derive from a common Semitic root meaning to tread or thresh. The Hebrew root is used frequently for the agricultural process of threshing grain by oxen (e.g., Deuteronomy 25:4), but the Aramaic form in Daniel carries the derived sense of violent trampling in a political context.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it is used in a key apocalyptic vision in Daniel 7 to describe the oppressive nature of worldly kingdoms opposed to God's sovereignty. Understanding this term enriches the reading of Daniel's prophecy by highlighting the violent, crushing nature of earthly empires, which stands in stark contrast to the everlasting, peaceful kingdom that the 'son of man' will receive from the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13-14). It underscores a biblical theme of God's ultimate judgment on oppressive power.
In the ancient Near East, threshing (the literal meaning of the root) was a common agricultural practice where livestock trampled harvested grain to separate the edible kernel from the chaff. This provided a powerful and immediate cultural image for violent subjugation. For Daniel's original audience, the metaphor of a kingdom 'treading down' others would have evoked the familiar, brutal reality of imperial conquest by armies that literally marched over and crushed their enemies.
כָּתַשׁ (kâthash, H3807) — to pound or beat fine, often in a mortar; more about crushing to powder than trampling underfoot. רָמַס (râmas, H7429) — to trample or tread upon; a more general Hebrew synonym for trampling, used in both literal and figurative contexts (e.g., Isaiah 63:3).
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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