Lexical Summary dalleqeth: Burning, inflammation Original Word: דַּלֶּקֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance inflammation : from dalaq; a burning fever -- inflammation. see HEBREW dalaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom dalaq Definition inflammation NASB Translation inflammation (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs דַּלֶּ֫קֶת noun feminine inflammation, Deuteronomy 28:22. דֶּלֶת see below דלה. Topical Lexicon Usage and Immediate Context דַּלֶּקֶת (dalleqet) appears only once in the Hebrew canon, within the catalogue of covenant curses in Deuteronomy 28:22. It is grouped with “wasting disease, fever, … scorching heat and drought, blight and mildew”, portraying an intense, consuming inflammation sent by the LORD upon an unrepentant nation. The singular occurrence underscores its seriousness: it is not a passing ailment but a divinely directed instrument of judgment. Historical Background Ancient Near Eastern peoples feared epidemic fevers that could decimate populations, and Israel was no exception. In Moses’ era, high fevers and inflammatory diseases were often fatal, spreading rapidly through families and camps. By placing dalleqet among covenant sanctions, Scripture situates common experiences of disease within the theological framework of obedience versus disobedience; sickness was never merely natural but potentially revelatory of Israel’s covenant standing. Theological Significance 1. Divine Retribution and Covenant Faithfulness Deuteronomy 28 presents a reciprocal structure: blessings for obedience (28:1-14) and curses for rebellion (28:15-68). Dalleqet functions as one facet of multiplied retributions designed to lead Israel to repentance (compare Leviticus 26:18-41). It highlights God’s sovereignty over physical health, making clear that persistent sin invites bodily consequences. 2. Holistic Understanding of Sin’s Effects By naming physical inflammation among covenant curses, Scripture teaches that sin’s fallout touches every sphere—spiritual, social, environmental, and physical. Thus, dalleqet contributes to a comprehensive biblical anthropology: humanity, created as psychosomatic unity, cannot separate moral rebellion from bodily repercussions (see Psalm 32:3-4; 1 Corinthians 11:30). 3. Prophetic Foreshadowing In later prophetic literature, plagues and fevers recur as covenant lawsuit motifs (for example, Amos 4:9-10; Habakkuk 3:5). Dalleqet’s lone appearance seeds this imagery, reminding future generations that covenant stipulations remain in force and that God employs disease both as warning and as means of purifying a remnant (Isaiah 1:24-25). Practical and Ministry Application • Preaching and Teaching: Dalleqet warns congregations that habitual disobedience carries real-life consequences. While believers rest in Christ’s atonement (Galatians 3:13), the principle of divine discipline persists (Hebrews 12:5-11). Redemptive Trajectory The destructive heat of dalleqet contrasts sharply with the healing “sun of righteousness” promised in Malachi 4:2 and realized in the ministry of Jesus Christ, who “healed every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23). Where the Law records inflammation as a curse, the Gospel proclaims Christ bearing that curse, restoring bodies and souls, and pledging a future free from “mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). Forms and Transliterations וּבַדַּלֶּ֗קֶת ובדלקת ū·ḇad·dal·le·qeṯ ūḇaddalleqeṯ uvaddalLeketLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 28:22 HEB: בַּשַּׁחֶ֨פֶת וּבַקַּדַּ֜חַת וּבַדַּלֶּ֗קֶת וּבַֽחַרְחֻר֙ וּבַחֶ֔רֶב NAS: and with fever and with inflammation and with fiery heat KJV: and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, INT: consumption fever inflammation fiery the sword 1 Occurrence |
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