Lexical Summary dakah: To crush, to break, to contrite Original Word: דָּכָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance break sore, contrite, crouch A primitive root (compare dak, daka'); to collapse (phys. Or mentally) -- break (sore), contrite, crouch. see HEBREW dak see HEBREW daka' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to crush NASB Translation broken (1), contrite (1), crouches (1), crushed (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [דָּכָה] verb id. (only Psalms); — Qal dubious; ודכה (יָשֹׁחַ) Psalm 10:10 Kt is read as Qal Perfect וְדָכָה consecutive by Rob-Ges Ol De and others, i.e. and he is crushed, or and he croucheth (Qr יִדְכֶּה Imperfect so AV RV he croucheth); others read וְדָכֶה יָשֹׁחַ (adjective intransitive or passive) and crushed he sinketh down, compare VB Che; possible would be יִדָּכֶה Niph`al ("" יָשֹׁחַ and ונפל). Niph`al Perfect וְנִדְכֵּ֫יתִי Psalm 38:9; Participle נִדְכֶּה Psalm 51:19; — be crushed, broken, of physical distress Psalm 38:9 ("" נְפוּגֹתִי); be contrite (לֵב נִדְכֶּה) Psalm 51:19 ("" נִשְׁבָּר). Pi`el Perfect דִּכִּיתָ Psalm 51:10; suffix דִּכִּיתָנוּ Psalm 44:20; crush down, of divine wrath; with accusative Psalm 44:20, and crush to pieces, object reference to עצמות, in metaphor Psalm 51:10. — דָּכוּ֨ Numbers 11:8 see דוך. Topical Lexicon OverviewThe verb דָּכָה paints the picture of something pressed down until it is shattered, humbled, or pulverized. Across its five occurrences the term consistently communicates the experience of being reduced to weakness—whether by an oppressor’s violence, the weight of personal sin, or the holy pressure of God’s chastening hand. Yet Scripture never leaves the crushed one without hope; every context ultimately directs the reader to divine compassion and restoration. Occurrences and Immediate Contexts Psalm 10:10 depicts the wicked hunter “crouching” until the helpless are “crushed,” showing how human violence mimics the serpent-like posture of Satan himself. Psalm 38:8 records David’s personal lament: “I am numb and badly crushed; I groan because of the anguish of my heart”. Here physical illness, inner turmoil, and the consequences of sin converge. Psalm 44:19 transfers the vocabulary from individual to nation: “Yet You have crushed us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death”. Israel interprets military defeat as God’s disciplinary yet covenant-bound hand. Psalm 51:8 pleads, “Let the bones You have crushed rejoice”, while Psalm 51:17 declares, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise”. In the great penitential psalm, being crushed is not the final word but the necessary doorway to renewed worship. Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty in Discipline Whether through enemy armies or inward conviction, the crushing serves God’s larger purpose of purifying His people. He is not a passive observer but the One who employs circumstances to expose pride and summon repentance. 2. The Value of Contrition Psalm 51 links the term to the “broken spirit” that delights God more than ritual sacrifice. True worship flows from hearts that have felt the weight of sin and abandoned all self-justification. 3. Protection of the Vulnerable Psalm 10 contrasts the wicked who crush with the LORD who “is King for ever and ever” (Psalm 10:16). God will ultimately reverse unjust crushing and vindicate the afflicted. Messianic and Redemptive Overtones David’s experiences foreshadow the Greater David. Isaiah 53:5 speaks of the Servant who was “crushed for our iniquities,” employing a cognate verb that reinforces the pattern: the righteous sufferer absorbs the crushing blow so that others may be healed. Psalm 51’s hope of restored joy anticipates the resurrection joy that follows Christ’s passion. Pastoral and Devotional Application • For the repentant believer, feelings of being spiritually pulverized need not lead to despair. Psalm 51 promises that God never despises the contrite. Connection with New Testament Themes Luke 18:13–14 echoes Psalm 51 when the tax collector beats his breast and is declared justified. 2 Corinthians 4:8–10 describes believers as “hard pressed on every side,” yet not crushed beyond hope; the life of Jesus is revealed in mortal flesh precisely through experiences that mirror דָּכָה. Historical and Liturgical Usage The early church adopted Psalm 51 as the classic penitential prayer, reciting it in baptismal preparation and Lenten worship. The Hebrew term’s nuance of pulverizing grain informed liturgical art that depicted contrition as the “mortar” in which the heart is ground so it may release the aroma of true praise. Conclusion דָּכָה gathers the Bible’s honest vocabulary for experiences of humiliation, suffering, and guilt, while simultaneously framing them within God’s righteous governance and redeeming love. Whether the pressure comes from enemies, illness, or the Spirit’s conviction, the crushed person who turns to the LORD will find not rejection but compassion, restoration, and ultimately rejoicing. Forms and Transliterations דִ֭כִּיתָנוּ דִּכִּֽיתָ׃ דכית׃ דכיתנו וְנִדְכֵּ֣יתִי וְנִדְכֶּ֑ה ונדכה ונדכיתי יִדְכֶּ֥ה ידכה dik·kî·ṯā ḏik·kî·ṯā·nū dikKita dikkîṯā Dikkitanu ḏikkîṯānū venidKeh venidKeiti wə·niḏ·kê·ṯî wə·niḏ·keh wəniḏkeh wəniḏkêṯî yiḏ·keh yidKeh yiḏkehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 10:10 HEB: [וַדָּכַה כ] (יִדְכֶּ֥ה ק) יָשֹׁ֑חַ NAS: He crouches, he bows down, KJV: He croucheth, [and] humbleth INT: break bows fall Psalm 38:8 Psalm 44:19 Psalm 51:8 Psalm 51:17 5 Occurrences |
    |