דָּגַל
𐤃𐤂𐤋
dâgal
H1713 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To raise or display a banner or standard, making something conspicuous or prominent; by extension, to be made prominent, honored, or held in special esteem, particularly as distinguished or set apart. The verb expresses the action of signaling presence or identity through a visible symbol, such as a flag or banner, and figuratively, the act of designating or distinguishing something as special or preeminent.
Semantic Range
to lift or display a banner; to make conspicuous; to honor or elevate; to distinguish or designate as special; to be set apart prominently
Root / Etymology
Root דגל, meaning 'to set up a banner, flag, or standard.' The verbal form דָּגַל (dâgal) directly derives from this root, with cognate forms in later Hebrew and Aramaic bearing similar senses related to banners or standards. The basic idea of the root is the lifting or presentation of a banner as a sign.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, דָּגַל appears rarely (e.g., Song of Songs 5:10) in contexts denoting esteem, prominence, or selection. While concrete usage refers to the act of raising a banner (often for identification or rallying in camp and battle contexts), figurative usage—especially in poetic literature—extends to being set apart or signaled as 'chiefest' or outstanding. By the post-exilic period, derived nouns such as דֶּגֶל (degel, 'standard, banner') are more common, especially in military or tribal camp contexts (Numbers 1–2). The action of banner-raising in the Israelite tribal camp structure is closely related but not identical to symbolic use in later biblical poetry, where being 'bannered' can imply being chosen or honored. English translations often render figurative senses with 'chiefest,' but this falls short of the Hebrew nuance, which is rooted in the notion of marking out by display or signal. The term is distinct from related vocabulary for sign-raising (e.g., נֵס, nes, 'signal pole, standard'), which emphasizes signaling or summoning rather than identification by group banner.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to flaunt, i.e. raise a flag; figuratively, to be conspicuous; (set up, with) banners, chiefest.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דגל (d-g-l) — to raise a banner, to signal, to designate, to make conspicuous
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1714 | דֶּגֶל | displayed standard |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1713-02 |
כַּ/נִּדְגָּלֽוֹת | kanidegalot | HRd/VNrfpa |
as an army with banners | like bannered ones | 2 |
H1713-03 |
נִדְגֹּ֑ל | nidegol | HVqh1cp |
we-will-wave | let us raise a banner | 1 |
H1713-01 |
דָּג֖וּל | dagul | HVqsmsa |
outstanding | banner-raised one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1713-03 |
Psalms 20:6 | נִדְגֹּ֑ל | nidegol | HVqh1cp |
we-will-wave | let us raise a banner |
H1713-01 |
Song of Songs 5:10 | דָּג֖וּל | dagul | HVqsmsa |
outstanding | banner-raised one |
H1713-02 |
Song of Songs 6:4 | כַּ/נִּדְגָּלֽוֹת | kanidegalot | HRd/VNrfpa |
as troops with banners | like bannered ones |
H1713-02 |
Song of Songs 6:10 | כַּ/נִּדְגָּלֽוֹת | kanidegalot | HRd/VNrfpa |
as an army with banners | like bannered ones |