דְּהַב
𐤃𐤄𐤁
dᵉhab
H1722 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A precious metal, gold; specifically, the element gold, used both literally to refer to the metal itself (in objects, coins, vessels) and metaphorically to signify wealth, splendor, or value. In Aramaic contexts of the Hebrew Bible, 'dᵉhab' most commonly appears as the term for gold in inventories, royal decrees, and descriptions of wealth or temple furnishings, paralleling the Hebrew 'zahav.'
Semantic Range
gold (the metal, a precious substance); wealth; object made of gold; symbolic of opulence or value
Root / Etymology
From Aramaic דְּהַב, corresponding to Hebrew זָהָב (zahav). The root is cognate across Semitic languages (Akkadian 'dahābu,' Ugaritic 'dhb,' Arabic 'dhahab'), generally denoting the metal gold. The form דְּהַב is the standard Aramaic term, reflecting regular phonological shifts from Old Semitic into Aramaic.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term דְּהַב occurs in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (primarily Daniel and Ezra), where it is functionally equivalent to Hebrew זָהָב. Its use is limited to administrative, courtly, and liturgical descriptions during the Babylonian and Persian periods, reflecting both the vocabulary and the political realities of those times. In these texts, gold is almost exclusively mentioned as a tangible metal or as a standard of wealth and splendor, not as a metaphor for refinement or moral value as sometimes seen in later Hebrew or in other literatures. The preference for דְּהַב over זָהָב in Aramaic passages demonstrates adaptation to the official language of imperial administration (the Babylonian and Persian courts), underscoring cultural and linguistic influence on the biblical text. Modern English translations often render both דְּהַב and זָהָב simply as 'gold,' overlooking this linguistic distinction between Hebrew and Aramaic usages.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to זָהָב; gold; gold(-en).
Bantu Hebrew
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דהב (d-h-b) — to shine, to gleam, gold
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4062 | מַדְהֵבָה | golden place |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1722-01 |
דַהֲבָֽ/א | dahava | ANcmsd/Td |
of gold | the gold | 13 |
H1722-05 |
וְ/דַהֲבָ֗/א | vedahava | AC/Ncmsd/Td |
and the gold | and the gold | 3 |
H1722-04 |
וּ/דְהַ֑ב | udehav | AC/Ncmsa |
and gold | and gold | 2 |
H1722-03 |
דְהַ֣ב | dehav | ANcmsa |
gold | gold | 2 |
H1722-02 |
דַהֲבָ֣/ה | dahavah | ANcmsd/Td |
gold | the gold | 2 |
H1722-06 |
וְ/דַהֲבָ֖/ה | vedahavah | AC/Ncmsd/Td |
and-the-gold | and the gold | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
23 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1722-03 |
Daniel 2:32 | דְהַ֣ב | dehav | ANcmsa |
gold | gold |
H1722-05 |
Daniel 2:35 | וְ/דַהֲבָ֗/א | vedahava | AC/Ncmsd/Td |
and the gold | and the gold |
H1722-01 |
Daniel 2:38 | דַהֲבָֽ/א | dahava | ANcmsd/Td |
gold | the gold |
H1722-05 |
Daniel 2:45 | וְ/דַהֲבָ֔/א | vedahava | AC/Ncmsd/Td |
and the gold | and the gold |
H1722-03 |
Daniel 3:1 | דְהַ֔ב | dehav | ANcmsa |
gold | gold |
H1722-01 |
Daniel 3:5 | דַּהֲבָ֔/א | dahava | ANcmsd/Td |
of gold | the gold |
H1722-01 |
Daniel 3:7 | דַּהֲבָ֔/א | dahava | ANcmsd/Td |
the-golden | the gold |
H1722-01 |
Daniel 3:10 | דַּהֲבָֽ/א | dahava | ANcmsd/Td |
of gold | the gold |
H1722-01 |
Daniel 3:12 | דַּהֲבָ֛/א | dahava | ANcmsd/Td |
golden | the gold |
H1722-01 |
Daniel 3:14 | דַּהֲבָ֛/א | dahava | ANcmsd/Td |
gold-which | the gold |