דָּאַב
𐤃𐤀𐤁
dâʼab
H1669 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To faint or languish emotionally, typically due to distress or grief; to become weak, to pine away, especially from sorrow or emotional affliction. The term is often associated with a deep, sometimes internalized emotional suffering that results in the depletion of strength or vitality. In some contexts, it carries the additional nuance of wasting away, whether figuratively (as in emotional despair) or physically (as in decline due to distress).
Semantic Range
to languish or faint due to distress; to pine away from sorrow; to waste away (emotionally or physically); to be worn out by anxiety or grief; to experience profound internal weakening
Root / Etymology
Root: דאב. The root דאב is not widely attested in related Semitic languages, and its precise origin is uncertain, though it consistently conveys the sense of emotional or physical languishing. The verb form embodies the idea of sinking, growing feeble, or dissolving strength, particularly in relation to internal sorrow or anxiety.
Historical & Contextual Notes
דָּאַב occurs mainly in the context of emotional and spiritual distress, often describing the inner experience of sorrow, depletion, or mental anguish rather than overt mourning acts. In the monarchic and exilic periods, it is used to describe the tribulation of individuals or the nation, especially in Psalms and prophetic literature (e.g., Psalms 6:7; 31:10; 38:8), where it indicates a profound sense of languishing due to sin, personal suffering, or national calamity. Unlike terms such as אבל ('to mourn' with ritualized or communal mourning acts) or יגון ('grief, anguish'), דאב highlights an acute, inner wasting away. Standard English translations often use 'faint,' 'languish,' or 'pine away,' but these may fail to fully convey the deep intertwining of emotional exhaustion and distress present in the biblical context. In later Hebrew, the verb largely drops from use, preserving its strong association with archaic, poetic descriptions of mental and physical decline.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to pine; mourn, sorrow(-ful).
Bantu Hebrew
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דאב (d-ʾ-b) — to faint, to languish, to pine away, to waste from grief
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1669-01 |
דָּאֲבָ֖ה | daavah | HVqp3fs |
languishes | she has languished | 2 |
H1669-02 |
לְ/דַאֲבָ֖ה | ledaavah | HR/Vqc |
to languish | to pine away | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1669-02 |
Jeremiah 31:12 | לְ/דַאֲבָ֖ה | ledaavah | HR/Vqc |
to languish | to pine away |
H1669-01 |
Jeremiah 31:25 | דָּאֲבָ֖ה | daavah | HVqp3fs |
sorrowful | she has languished |
H1669-01 |
Psalms 88:10 | דָאֲבָ֗ה | daavah | HVqp3fs |
languishes | she has languished |