Lexical Summary devay: Sickness, sorrow Original Word: דְּוַי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance languishing, sorrowful From daveh; sickness; figuratively, loathing -- languishing, sorrowful. see HEBREW daveh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom davah Definition illness NASB Translation loathsome (1), sickbed* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs דְּוַי noun [masculine] illness, עֶרֶשׂ דְּוָי֑ Psalm 41:4 bed of languishing (Che); singular construct (Ew De Di) הֵמָּה כִּדְוֵי לַחְמִי Job 6:7 they (i.e. my sufferings) are like disease (VB loathsomeness) in my meat, compare Di; but text dubious Topical Lexicon Definition and Nuance דְּוַי denotes the debilitating condition of bodily illness and, by extension, any loathsome weakness that strips a person of vitality. The term carries an emotive force; it is not the clinical “sickness” of a physician’s chart but the felt misery of a sufferer. Occurrences and Literary Setting 1. Job 6:7—Job’s outcry likens his food to “loathsome food”, expressing the revulsion produced by unrelenting affliction. The word conveys the nausea, weakness, and loss of appetite common in prolonged disease, underscoring Job’s total depletion. Human Frailty in Wisdom and Poetry Both passages occur in poetical books that meditate on life’s extremes. Job wrestles with the enigma of innocent suffering, while David (or the psalmist) celebrates God’s covenant mercy amid weakness. דְּוַי thus functions as a literary spotlight on humanity’s fragility, prompting reflection on the limits of self-reliance (Job 6:11; Psalm 39:4). Divine Intervention and Covenant Care Psalm 41:3 places דְּוַי inside a promise: the Lord “sustains” and “restores.” The verbs convey ongoing action—God not only heals but supports during convalescence. This anticipates the fuller revelation that God is “the LORD who heals you” (Exodus 15:26) and reveals His character as compassionate toward the infirm (Isaiah 57:18). Contrast with Other Hebrew Terms for Sickness Unlike חֹלִי (generic sickness) or מַכָּה (wound), דְּוַי highlights the subjective misery rather than the medical condition. It is the ache that drains enthusiasm, making even basic nourishment repulsive (Job 6:7). Where חֹלִי may record the fact of illness, דְּוַי records its toll on the spirit. Theological Trajectory Toward the New Covenant Old Testament hope for healing reaches its apex in Jesus Christ, who “healed all who were ill” (Matthew 8:16) and fulfilled the servant-prophecy “He took our infirmities” (Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:4). The compassion shown to the sick in the Gospels stands as the living embodiment of Psalm 41:3. Through Christ’s atonement believers anticipate the ultimate end of דְּוַי when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). Pastoral and Ministry Implications • Intercession: Psalm 41 encourages prayer for the bedridden, confident that the Lord upholds body and soul. Eschatological Consolation דְּוַי is temporary. Its very appearance in Scripture underscores the promise of its disappearance. In the consummated kingdom, every form of weakness—bodily, emotional, spiritual—will yield to the wholeness secured by the Lamb. Forms and Transliterations דְּוָ֑י דוי כִּדְוֵ֥י כדוי də·wāy deVai dəwāy kiḏ·wê kidVei kiḏwêLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 6:7 HEB: נַפְשִׁ֑י הֵ֝֗מָּה כִּדְוֵ֥י לַחְמִֽי׃ NAS: to touch [them]; They are like loathsome food KJV: to touch [are] as my sorrowful meat. INT: my soul are like loathsome food Psalm 41:3 2 Occurrences |
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