דַּל (H1800) — Hebrew Lexicon

דַּל

𐤃𐤋

dal

H1800 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

A person characterized by poverty, weakness, or low social status; one who is materially poor, destitute, or without resources. The term can refer to physical frailty, social marginalization, or economic insufficiency. In a broader sense, it denotes someone who lacks strength, power, or influence within society.

Semantic Range

poor, weak, lacking means or status, physically frail, insignificant, destitute, lean (of animals or persons), lowly, vulnerable

Root / Etymology

Root: ד-ל-ל. The root דלל ('to hang down, become low, languish, be feeble or thin') conveys the idea of something hanging loosely or diminishing, both physically and metaphorically. The noun דַּל represents someone who has become low in status or resources, derived from the weakening or waning inherent in the root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In First Temple (monarchic) period texts, דַּל often appears in legal and prophetic passages, commonly in conjunction with the term אֶבְיוֹן ('in need, destitute') to describe individuals at the margins of society who require protection or support. The term is distinct from רָשׁ ('poor'), which can emphasize lack of wealth, whereas דַּל often highlights vulnerability, weakness, or social inferiority. In some texts, דַּל focuses on physical frailty (e.g., lean livestock), but its more frequent use is metaphorical—expressing the 'lowly' or 'oppressed.' Later biblical writings maintain this double sense, though the focus may shift more strongly toward social class and justice concerns. English translations usually render it as 'poor,' but this can obscure the nuances of weakness, insignificance, and vulnerability integral to the Hebrew usage. In post-biblical Hebrew and later Jewish literature, דַּל continues to function as a primary term for the poor or weak, though often with religious and ethical implications not explicit in the biblical texts.

Translation Consistency

primary "poor" 42 occurrences

“Poor” is the most natural, widely used English term to cover the primary semantic range of דַּל — material destitution, lack of means, and by extension weakness or low status. It is succinct, idiomatic, and will read naturally across contexts while remaining faithful to the typical biblical sense of the term.

Alternatives (5 occurrences):

"lowly one" (3x) "lowly ones" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from דָּלַל; properly, dangling, i.e. (by implication) weak or thin; lean, needy, poor (man), weaker.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

דלל (d-l-l) — to hang down, become weak, diminish, droop

Root ד-ל-ל to hang down, become weak, diminish, droop

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H1807	דְּלִילָה	Delilah
H1809	דָּלַל	they became diminished
H1817	דֶּלֶת	lowly one

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H1800-01`	דַּ֣ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one	20
`H1800-02`	דַּלִּ֔ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones	16
`H1800-05`	לַ/דָּ֛ל	ladal	`HRd/Aamsa`	to the poor	to the lowly one	to the poor one	3
`H1800-07`	וְ/דָ֕ל	vedal	`HC/Aamsa`	a poor man	lowly one	and the poor one	3
`H1800-06`	וָ/דָ֑ל	vadal	`HC/Aamsa`	and lowly	and lowly one	and lowly one	1
`H1800-09`	וְ/הַ/דַּל֙	vehadal	`HC/Td/Aamsa`	and the poor	and the lowly one	and the lowly one	1
`H1800-04`	הַ/דַּלִּ֗ים	hadalim	`HTd/Aampa`	the poor	the lowly ones	the lowly ones	1
`H1800-08`	וְ/דַלִּֽים	vedalim	`HC/Aampa`	and weak	and lowly ones	and lowly ones	1
`H1800-03`	הַ/דַּ֣ל	hadal	`HTd/Aamsa`	the poorest	the lowly one	the lowly one	1

Occurrences in Scripture

47 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H1800-07`	Exodus 23:3	וְ/דָ֕ל	vedal	`HC/Aamsa`	a poor man	lowly one	and the poor one
`H1800-09`	Exodus 30:15	וְ/הַ/דַּל֙	vehadal	`HC/Td/Aamsa`	and the poor	and the lowly one	and the lowly one
`H1800-01`	Leviticus 14:21	דַּ֣ל	dal	`HAamsa`	poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Leviticus 19:15	דָ֔ל	dal	`HAamsa`	poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-03`	Judges 6:15	הַ/דַּ֣ל	hadal	`HTd/Aamsa`	the poorest	the lowly one	the lowly one
`H1800-01`	1 Samuel 2:8	דָּ֗ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-08`	2 Samuel 3:1	וְ/דַלִּֽים	vedalim	`HC/Aampa`	and weak	and lowly ones	and lowly ones
`H1800-01`	2 Samuel 13:4	דַּ֤ל	dal	`HAamsa`	lean	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-02`	Isaiah 10:2	דַּלִּ֔ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-02`	Isaiah 11:4	דַּלִּ֔ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the-poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-02`	Isaiah 14:30	דַלִּ֔ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-05`	Isaiah 25:4	לַ/דָּ֛ל	ladal	`HRd/Aamsa`	to the poor	to the lowly one	to the poor one
`H1800-02`	Isaiah 26:6	דַלִּֽים	dalim	`HAampa`	the needy	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-02`	Jeremiah 5:4	דַּלִּ֖ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-04`	Jeremiah 39:10	הַ/דַּלִּ֗ים	hadalim	`HTd/Aampa`	the poor	the lowly ones	the lowly ones
`H1800-02`	Amos 2:7	דַּלִּ֔ים	dalim	`HAampa`	of the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-02`	Amos 4:1	דַּלִּ֔ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-01`	Amos 5:11	דָּ֗ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-02`	Amos 8:6	דַּלִּ֔ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-06`	Zephaniah 3:12	וָ/דָ֑ל	vadal	`HC/Aamsa`	and lowly	and lowly one	and lowly one
`H1800-01`	Psalms 41:2	דָּ֑ל	dal	`HAamsa`	poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Psalms 72:13	דַּ֣ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Psalms 82:3	דַ֥ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the weak	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Psalms 82:4	דַ֥ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Psalms 113:7	דָּ֑ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-02`	Proverbs 10:15	דַּלִּ֣ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the-poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-01`	Proverbs 14:31	דָּ֭ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-07`	Proverbs 19:4	וְ֝/דָ֗ל	vedal	`HC/Aamsa`	but the poor	lowly one	and the poor one
`H1800-01`	Proverbs 19:17	דָּ֑ל	dal	`HAamsa`	poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Proverbs 21:13	דָּ֑ל	dal	`HAamsa`	of the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-05`	Proverbs 22:9	לַ/דָּֽל	ladal	`HRd/Aamsa`	to the poor	to the lowly one	to the poor one
`H1800-01`	Proverbs 22:16	דָּ֭ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Proverbs 22:22	דָּ֭ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Proverbs 22:22	דַל	dal-2	`HAamsa`	poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-02`	Proverbs 28:3	דַּלִּ֑ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-02`	Proverbs 28:8	דַּלִּ֣ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-07`	Proverbs 28:11	וְ/דַ֖ל	vedal	`HC/Aamsa`	but poor	lowly one	and the poor one
`H1800-01`	Proverbs 28:15	דָּֽל	dal	`HAamsa`	poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-02`	Proverbs 29:7	דַּלִּ֑ים	dalim	`HAampa`	of the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-02`	Proverbs 29:14	דַּלִּ֑ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-05`	Job 5:16	לַ/דַּ֣ל	ladal	`HRd/Aamsa`	for the poor	to the lowly one	to the poor one
`H1800-02`	Job 20:10	דַלִּ֑ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-02`	Job 20:19	דַּלִּ֑ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-02`	Job 31:16	דַּלִּ֑ים	dalim	`HAampa`	the poor	lowly ones	poor ones
`H1800-01`	Job 34:19	דָ֑ל	dal	`HAamsa`	the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Job 34:28	דָּ֑ל	dal	`HAamsa`	of the poor	lowly one	poor one
`H1800-01`	Ruth 3:10	דַּ֖ל	dal	`HAamsa`	poor	lowly one	poor one

← H1799 Hebrew Lexicon H1801 →