דָּגָן
𐤃𐤂𐤍
dâgân
H1715 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Cultivated cereal crops; the produce of the field that includes grains such as wheat, barley, and sometimes other cereals. Used generally for field grain gathered at harvest, not limited to a specific type but especially prominent as basic foodstuffs in Israelite diet and economy. The term often refers to the product as gathered or stored, the outcome of agricultural yield.
Semantic Range
field grain, harvested cereal crops, produce of the field, wheat and barley, agricultural yield, staple produce
Root / Etymology
From the root דָּגָה (dgh), generally meaning 'to multiply, increase, be prolific'; the noun דָּגָן is derived to denote 'that which is produced in abundance', specifically applied to grain as a staple crop. The root sense of multiplication informs the idea of grain as the abundant result of harvest. However, some connect it to the more general sense of produce, though דָּגָן is distinguished from other agricultural products such as wine (תִּירוֹשׁ) and oil (יִצְהָר).
Historical & Contextual Notes
דָּגָן appears frequently in legal and liturgical contexts relating to tithes, offerings, and covenant blessings, underscoring grain's importance in the agrarian economy of ancient Israel. The word is often paired with תִּירוֹשׁ (wine) and יִצְהָר (oil) as the chief products of the land. While later English translations sometimes render דָּגָן as 'corn', this term originally meant 'grain' not specifically maize (which was unknown in the ancient Near East). The biblical term encompasses both wheat and barley, reflecting the staple grains of the southern Levant; its usage in the Hebrew Bible applies to general field grain, not to all possible cereals or legumes. In post-exilic and later periods, distinctions between types of grain (e.g., by specific species) become more pronounced, but in the biblical context, דָּגָן retains its inclusive sense. The root is distinct from דָּג (fish); there is no etymological connection.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from דָּגָה; properly, increase, i.e. grain; corn (floor), wheat.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דגה (d-g-h) — to increase, to multiply, to be prolific
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1709 | דָּג | prolific fish |
| H1710 | דָּגָה | fish-kind of |
| H1711 | דָּגָה | and they will multiply like fish |
Word Forms
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1715-01 |
דָּגָ֖ן | dagan | HNcmsa |
grain | abundant field grain | 17 |
H1715-06 |
הַ/דָּגָן֙ | hadagan | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-grain | the abundant grain | 8 |
H1715-03 |
דְּגָ֨נְ/ךָ֜ | deganekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
of your grain | your field grain | 5 |
H1715-09 |
וְ/דָגָ֥ן | vedagan | HC/Ncmsa |
and grain | harvested grain | 3 |
H1715-02 |
דְּגָנָ֖/ם | deganam | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
of their grain | their field-grain | 2 |
H1715-04 |
דְּגָנֵ֨/ךְ | deganekhe | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
your grain | your harvested grain | 1 |
H1715-05 |
דְגָנִ/י֙ | degani | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my-grain | my harvested grain | 1 |
H1715-07 |
כַּ/דָּגָן֙ | kadagan | HRd/Ncmsa |
as the grain | as abundant grain | 1 |
H1715-10 |
וְ/הַ/דָּגָן֙ | vehadagan | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and of the grain | and the abundant grain | 1 |
H1715-08 |
וּ/דְגַן | udegan | HC/Ncmsc |
and grain | and abundant field-grain of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
40 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1715-01 |
Genesis 27:28 | דָּגָ֖ן | dagan | HNcmsa |
of grain | abundant field grain |
H1715-09 |
Genesis 27:37 | וְ/דָגָ֥ן | vedagan | HC/Ncmsa |
and grain | harvested grain |
H1715-09 |
Numbers 18:12 | וְ/דָגָ֑ן | vedagan | HC/Ncmsa |
and of the grain | harvested grain |
H1715-07 |
Numbers 18:27 | כַּ/דָּגָן֙ | kadagan | HRd/Ncmsa |
as the grain | as abundant grain |
H1715-03 |
Deuteronomy 7:13 | דְּגָ֨נְ/ךָ֜ | deganekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your grain | your field grain |
H1715-03 |
Deuteronomy 11:14 | דְגָנֶ֔/ךָ | deganekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your grain | your field grain |
H1715-03 |
Deuteronomy 12:17 | דְּגָֽנְ/ךָ֙ | deganekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
of your grain | your field grain |
H1715-03 |
Deuteronomy 14:23 | דְּגָֽנְ/ךָ֙ | deganekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
of your grain | your field grain |
H1715-03 |
Deuteronomy 18:4 | דְּגָֽנְ/ךָ֜ | deganekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
of your grain | your field grain |
H1715-01 |
Deuteronomy 28:51 | דָּגָן֙ | dagan | HNcmsa |
grain | abundant field grain |