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דָּקַר

𐤃𐤒𐤓

dâqar

H1856 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To pierce or stab, generally with a sharp instrument; to kill or seriously wound by stabbing. In some contexts, used figuratively for the infliction of severe harm or even death, especially by hostile action. The most common sense is of literal physical piercing, especially in warfare or execution.

Semantic Range

to pierce, to stab with a weapon, to strike through and kill, to wound fatally, to execute by piercing, to inflict violent harm; rarely, to cause deep distress (figuratively)

Root / Etymology

Root: דקר. Although classified as a primitive root, its exact relationship to other Semitic roots is uncertain. The root conveys the idea of 'piercing' or penetrating physically, and the verb is most often used for actions involving spears or other pointed weapons.

Historical & Contextual Notes

דָּקַר is used in Hebrew prose and poetry primarily to describe the act of piercing, stabbing, or thrusting through, most often with a weapon such as a sword or spear. It typically refers to the act of killing or wounding someone in violent contexts (e.g., warfare, execution, violent encounter). In post-exilic texts (e.g., Zechariah 12:10), the term acquires an added layer of metaphorical meaning, being used to signify the deep sorrow or mourning over someone who has been 'pierced.' There are rare figurative uses, but the overwhelming majority refer to concrete, violent, physical action. The English tradition sometimes renders it more broadly as 'to wound' or 'to revile,' but there is little lexical basis for the sense of 'to starve' or 'to revile.' The word is distinct from other Hebrew terms such as חָלַל (ḥālal, 'to kill, to pierce/slay') or נָקַב (nāqab, 'to pierce [especially by boring a hole]'), and דָּקַר often carries a violent or fatal connotation. In classical biblical Hebrew, the sense of metaphorical reviling is a secondary and uncommon usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "pierce" 10 occurrences

Pierce is the most natural, neutral English verb that matches the primary, literal sense here (to penetrate or stab with a sharp instrument) and accommodates both transitive and passive uses. It is the most common rendering in the data and also covers rarer figurative senses (deep harm or distress) without sounding overly colloquial or technical.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"pierced-through ones" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to stab; by analogy, to starve; figuratively, to revile; pierce, strike (thrust) through, wound.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דקר (d-q-r) — to pierce, to stab, to thrust through

Root דקר to pierce, to stab, to thrust through
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4094 מַדְקָרָה like stab-wounds of
H920 בִּדְקַר By-Stabbing

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1856-08 וְ/דָקְרֵ֣/נִי vedaqereni HC/Vqv2ms/Sp1cs and thrust me and pierce me and pierce me 2
H1856-02 מְדֻקָּרִ֑ים meduqarim HVPsmpa stricken pierced-through ones pierced ones 2
H1856-05 וּ/מְדֻקָּרִ֖ים umeduqarim HC/VPsmpa and pierced through pierced-through ones and pierced-through ones 1
H1856-03 וּ/דְקָרֻ֜/הוּ udeqaruhu HC/Vqq3cp/Sp3ms and they will pierce him and they pierced him and they will pierce him 1
H1856-04 וּ/דְקָרֻ֨/נִי֙ udeqaruni HC/Vqp3cp/Sp1cs and thrust me and they pierced me and they pierce me 1
H1856-01 דָּקָ֑רוּ daqaru HVqp3cp they have pierced they pierced they pierced 1
H1856-09 יִדָּקֵ֑ר yidaqer HVNi3ms will be thrust through he will be pierced will be pierced 1
H1856-07 וַ/יִּדְקֹר֙ vayideqor HC/Vqw3ms and he pierced and he pierced through and he pierced through 1
H1856-06 וַ/יִּדְקְרֵ֥/הוּ vayideqerehu HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms and thrust him through and he pierced him and he pierced him 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1856-07 Numbers 25:8 וַ/יִּדְקֹר֙ vayideqor HC/Vqw3ms and he pierced and he pierced through and he pierced through
H1856-06 Judges 9:54 וַ/יִּדְקְרֵ֥/הוּ vayideqerehu HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms and thrust him through and he pierced him and he pierced him
H1856-08 1 Samuel 31:4 וְ/דָקְרֵ֣/נִי vedaqereni HC/Vqv2ms/Sp1cs and thrust me and pierce me and pierce me
H1856-04 1 Samuel 31:4 וּ/דְקָרֻ֨/נִי֙ udeqaruni HC/Vqp3cp/Sp1cs and thrust me and they pierced me and they pierce me
H1856-09 Isaiah 13:15 יִדָּקֵ֑ר yidaqer HVNi3ms will be thrust through he will be pierced will be pierced
H1856-02 Jeremiah 37:10 מְדֻקָּרִ֑ים meduqarim HVPsmpa wounded pierced-through ones pierced ones
H1856-05 Jeremiah 51:4 וּ/מְדֻקָּרִ֖ים umeduqarim HC/VPsmpa and pierced through pierced-through ones and pierced-through ones
H1856-01 Zechariah 12:10 דָּקָ֑רוּ daqaru HVqp3cp they have pierced they pierced they pierced
H1856-03 Zechariah 13:3 וּ/דְקָרֻ֜/הוּ udeqaruhu HC/Vqq3cp/Sp3ms and they will pierce him and they pierced him and they will pierce him
H1856-02 Lamentations 4:9 מְדֻקָּרִ֔ים meduqarim HVPsmpa stricken pierced-through ones pierced ones
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