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דּוּדַי

𐤃𐤅𐤃𐤉

dûwday

H1736 noun

SILEX Entry

Root דוד to boil, to love, to be beloved (root meanings; not directly the plant)

Definition

The term refers to the mandrake plant (Mandragora officinarum), noted for its distinctive scent and root form and, in ancient contexts, commonly associated with love-stimulating properties and fertility. In the Hebrew Bible, דּוּדַי (duday) only appears in the context of mandrake plants, not generic baskets or boilers. Its usage is botanical and symbolic, referring to the actual plant and also to its attributed qualities—especially regarding love, conception, or fertility.

Semantic Range

mandrake plant, plant associated with fertility, symbol of love or sexual attraction (by extension in ancient context)

Root / Etymology

The word is derived from the root דּוּד (dwd), which can mean 'pot, cauldron, basket.' However, this connection is tenuous, as duday refers specifically to a plant with no direct link to the meanings of the root. Some suggest the derivation is influenced by the plant's round fruit, resembling a small pot, but this is conjectural. Ultimately, the exact etymological path is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In all known biblical contexts (Gen 30:14–16; Song 7:13), דּוּדַי refers only to the mandrake plant, never to a pot or basket. Its significance is heightened by cultural associations with fertility and love—Rachel seeks mandrakes from Leah due to their reputation for aiding conception (Gen 30). Later Jewish and Near Eastern traditions maintained the mandrake's association with love and potency. Although some Hebrew roots related to vessels may be etymologically connected, there is no attestation of duday in the sense of 'basket' or 'boiler' in biblical usage. Translation traditions (e.g., KJV: 'mandrakes') reflect the botanical, not domestic, sense. The term is sometimes cited in post-biblical texts as a euphemism or symbol for sexual attraction or fertility. The word stands apart from other terms for plant, vessel, or container (such as סִיר for 'pot'), and its semantic range in the Bible is tightly focused on the mandrake and its associations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from דּוּד; a boiler or basket; also the mandrake (as an aphrodisiac); basket, mandrake.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דוד (d-w-d) — to boil, to love, to be beloved

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1717 דַּד your two breasts
H1721 דֹּדָנִים Dodanites
H1730 דּוֹד father's-brother of
H1731 דּוּד large cooking pots
H1732 דָּוִד in David

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1736-02 דּוּדָאֵ֖י dudaey HNcmpc mandrakes mandrakes of 3
H1736-05 מִ/דּוּדָאֵ֖י midudaey HR/Ncmpc of the mandrakes mandrakes of 1
H1736-03 דֽוּדָאִים֙ dudaim HNcmpa mandrakes mandrake plants 1
H1736-01 בְּ/דוּדָאֵ֖י bedudaey HR/Ncmpc with mandrakes in mandrakes of 1
H1736-04 הַֽ/דּוּדָאִ֣ים hadudaim HTd/Ncmpa the mandrakes the love-mandrakes 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1736-03 Genesis 30:14 דֽוּדָאִים֙ dudaim HNcmpa mandrakes mandrake plants
H1736-05 Genesis 30:14 מִ/דּוּדָאֵ֖י midudaey HR/Ncmpc of the mandrakes mandrakes of
H1736-02 Genesis 30:15 דּוּדָאֵ֖י dudaey HNcmpc mandrakes mandrakes of
H1736-02 Genesis 30:15 דּוּדָאֵ֥י dudaey-2 HNcmpc mandrakes mandrakes of
H1736-01 Genesis 30:16 בְּ/דוּדָאֵ֖י bedudaey HR/Ncmpc with mandrakes in mandrakes of
H1736-02 Jeremiah 24:1 דּוּדָאֵ֣י dudaey HNcmpc baskets mandrakes of
H1736-04 Song of Songs 7:14 הַֽ/דּוּדָאִ֣ים hadudaim HTd/Ncmpa the mandrakes the love-mandrakes
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