Lexical Summary deli: Bucket, pail Original Word: דְּלִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bucket Or doliy {dol-ee'}; from dalah; a pail or jar (for drawing water) -- bucket. see HEBREW dalah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom dalah Definition a bucket NASB Translation bucket (1), buckets (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs דְּלִי noun [masculine] bucket, כְּמַר מִדְּלִי like a drop (hanging) from a bucket Isaiah 40:15; Du suffix יזל מים מִדָּֽלְיָו Numbers 24:7 compare Di (on form doly¹w compare Ew§ 180 a & Anm. 3, also Sta§ 52 a); figurative of Israel's prosperity. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery דְּלִי pictures the ordinary bucket or pail used in the Ancient Near East for drawing water from a cistern or well. Because water meant life for shepherd, farmer, and king alike, the image quickly became a vehicle for communicating spiritual truths about fertility, blessing, human frailty, and God’s sovereignty. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Numbers 24:7 situates the term in Balaam’s fourth oracle over Israel: “Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will have abundant water; his king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted.” The bucket here points to overflowing provision and the forward-looking promise of a royal line that will triumph. Cultural and Historical Background A bucket in the biblical world was typically fashioned from leather, sewn into a bag-like shape, then attached to a rope or wooden pole. Operators hoisted these containers by pulley systems or simple hand-drawn methods. The act of lowering, filling, and raising a דְּלִי stood at the rhythm of village life and figured in communal wells, shepherding outposts, and royal projects such as Solomon’s pools near Bethlehem. Because the bucket mediated between parched land and subterranean supply, it naturally became an emblem of mediation between earthly need and heavenly provision. Theological Significance Abundance: In Numbers 24 the bucket brims with promise. The imagery anticipates the covenant motif of a land “flowing with milk and honey” and sets the stage for later pictures of spiritual water—culminating in Jesus’ offer of “living water” in John 4. Humility: Isaiah leverages the same object to humble the nations. While Israel’s bucket is overflowing, the Gentile empires are but a token drop. The two passages together stress that exaltation or diminution rests wholly on the Lord’s evaluation. Christological Echoes: Balaam’s oracle moves from bucket to king, lining up typologically with the Messiah who will both supply abundance and rule in exaltation (Psalm 72:6-8; Revelation 22:1-5). Ministry and Practical Application • Confidence in Provision: Believers may trust God to fill their “buckets” in service and mission, never lacking what is necessary for obedience (Philippians 4:19). Related Themes in Scripture – Wells and Springs: Genesis 24:13-20; Proverbs 5:15. – Divine Abundance: Psalm 23:5; Malachi 3:10. – Human Insignificance before God: Psalm 39:5; Daniel 4:35. Conclusion דְּלִי bridges the ordinary and the immense. One moment the bucket overflows with covenant blessing; the next it reduces empires to mere droplets. Through this humble vessel, Scripture instructs the believer to rejoice in God’s generous supply, walk humbly amidst worldly powers, and draw others to the only source that never runs dry. Forms and Transliterations מִדְּלִ֔י מִדָּ֣לְיָ֔ו מדלי מדליו mid·dā·lə·yāw mid·də·lî middāləyāw midDalYav middeLi middəlîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 24:7 HEB: יִֽזַּל־ מַ֙יִם֙ מִדָּ֣לְיָ֔ו וְזַרְע֖וֹ בְּמַ֣יִם NAS: will flow from his buckets, And his seed KJV: out of his buckets, and his seed INT: will flow Water his buckets and his seed waters Isaiah 40:15 2 Occurrences |
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