Lexical Summary dakka': Crushed, contrite Original Word: דַּכָּא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance contrite, destruction From daka'; crushed (literally powder, or figuratively, contrite) -- contrite, destruction. see HEBREW daka' Brown-Driver-Briggs I. דַּכָּא adjective contrite (crushed) — דַּכָּא Isaiah 57:15; דַּכְּאֵי Psalm 34:19 — contrite Isaiah 57:15 ("" שְׁפַלרֿוּחַ); רוּחַ ׳ד Psalm 34:19 ("" נִשְׁבְּרֵילֵֿב). II. דַּכָּא noun [masculine] dust (as pulverized), תָּשֵׁב אֱנוֺשׁ עַדדַּֿכָּא Psalm 90:3 (on form compare BaNB 143). Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Imagery Hebrew writers employ דַּכָּא to picture something crushed to fine dust, shattered beyond human repair, yet still precious to God. The term evokes both physical frailty (returning to “dust,” Psalm 90:3) and spiritual humility (“contrite in spirit,” Psalm 34:18). Occurrences in Canonical Context • Psalm 34:18 highlights the Lord’s nearness to the crushed and His saving intention toward the contrite. Theological Themes 1. Human Mortality and Dependence Psalm 90:3 reminds every generation that life’s fragility drives us to seek divine mercy. The crushing into dust is not merely judgment but an invitation to recognize creaturely limits. Isaiah 57:15 unites two seemingly opposite truths: God “lives forever” in a “high and holy place,” yet He dwells with the contrite. Humility therefore becomes the meeting point between heaven and earth. Psalm 34:18 declares, “He saves the contrite in spirit”, attributing deliverance to God’s initiative toward those who acknowledge their spiritual bankruptcy. Historical Reception Early Jewish interpreters linked דַּכָּא with the theme of exile and restoration: national crushing in judgment followed by revival. Post-exilic communities heard in Isaiah 57:15 a promise that their fractured hearts would become God’s dwelling place. Church Fathers echoed this, applying the word to penitents under church discipline, urging them to embrace humility as the path to restoration. Christological Trajectory The Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 53 is “crushed for our iniquities,” connecting דַּכָּא thematically, if not lexically, to the Messiah’s atoning suffering. Jesus fulfills the ideal of lowliness (Matthew 11:29), and in the Beatitudes He blesses “the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), echoing the promise of Isaiah 57:15. Pastoral and Ministry Application • Gospel Invitation: Preaching that calls sinners to repentance can confidently assure the broken that God is “near” and saves the contrite (Psalm 34:18). Related Concepts Brokenheartedness (נִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵב), Humility (עֲנָוָה), Dust (עָפָר), Revival (הָחָיָה). Each complements דַּכָּא, enriching the biblical portrait of a God who restores what He permits to be crushed. Key Takeaway דַּכָּא reveals a paradox at the heart of Scripture: the Almighty chooses to dwell not with the self-sufficient but with those reduced to dust and open to His reviving breath. Forms and Transliterations דַּכְּאֵי־ דַּכָּ֑א דַּכָּא֙ דכא דכאי־ dak·kā dak·kə·’ê- dakKa dakkā dakkə’ê- dakkeeiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 34:18 HEB: לֵ֑ב וְֽאֶת־ דַּכְּאֵי־ ר֥וּחַ יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ NAS: And saves those who are crushed in spirit. KJV: and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. INT: A broken heart who spirit and saves Psalm 90:3 Isaiah 57:15 3 Occurrences |
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