דָּאָה
𐤃𐤀𐤄
dâʼâh
H1675 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
A verb meaning primarily 'to fly' or 'to glide on extended wings'; it especially describes the movement of birds as they soar or wheel aloft. The term implies a smooth, sustained, or gliding flight, rather than rapid beating of wings. It can also mean 'to hover' or 'to sail' in the air, depending on context. In biblical usage, the word describes birds of prey or large birds in effortless motion high in the sky, often in poetic or descriptive passages.
Semantic Range
to fly (by gliding or soaring), to hover, to sail in the air, to wheel or circle aloft
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root דָּאָה, which fundamentally means 'to fly (by gliding or soaring)'. The root is not widely attested and has no certain cognates in other Semitic languages, but seems to be onomatopoeic, relating to the visual image of birds soaring aloft. Thus, the verb derives directly from this root, with its primary focus on the action of soaring or gliding in the air.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:49, Jeremiah 48:40, 49:22) and often in poetic contexts, where it describes the flight of birds of prey, especially eagles or vultures. It is distinct from other common Hebrew verbs for 'fly' (e.g., עוּף, ʻûp), which may refer to general flying activity, including flapping flight or small birds. דָּאָה typically evokes the effortless, circling ascent of large raptors. Standard English translations sometimes render the word 'fly' or 'swoop', but these can be too general or fail to capture the imagery of soaring/gliding characteristic of this verb. In later stages of Hebrew, use of the word diminishes, and other terms become more common.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to dart, i.e. fly rapidly; fly.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דאה (d-ʾ-h) — to fly, to glide, to soar
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1675-03 |
יִדְאֶ֖ה | yideeh | HVqi3ms |
he shall swoop | he will soar aloft | 2 |
H1675-02 |
וְ/יִדְאֶ֔ה | veyideeh | HC/Vqi3ms |
and swoop down | and he will soar | 1 |
H1675-01 |
וַ֝/יֵּ֗דֶא | vayede | HC/Vqw3ms |
and He darted | and he soared | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1675-03 |
Deuteronomy 28:49 | יִדְאֶ֖ה | yideeh | HVqi3ms |
swoops | he will soar aloft |
H1675-03 |
Jeremiah 48:40 | יִדְאֶ֑ה | yideeh | HVqi3ms |
he shall swoop | he will soar aloft |
H1675-02 |
Jeremiah 49:22 | וְ/יִדְאֶ֔ה | veyideeh | HC/Vqi3ms |
and swoop down | and he will soar |
H1675-01 |
Psalms 18:11 | וַ֝/יֵּ֗דֶא | vayede | HC/Vqw3ms |
and He darted | and he soared |