1833. demesheq
Lexical Summary
demesheq: cover

Original Word: דְּמֶשֶׁק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: dmesheq
Pronunciation: deh-MEH-shek
Phonetic Spelling: (dem-eh'-shek)
KJV: in Damascus
NASB: cover
Word Origin: [by orthographical variation from H1834 (דַּמֶּשֶׂק דּוּמֶשֶׂק דַּרמֶשֶׂק - Damascus)]

1. damask (as a fabric of Damascus)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
in Damascus

By orthographical variation from Dammeseq; damask (as a fabric of Damascus) -- in Damascus.

see HEBREW Dammeseq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
perhaps silk
NASB Translation
cover (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
דְּמֶשֶׁק noun [masculine] ? Amos 3:12 עָ֑רֶשׂ ׳וּבִד; punctuation & meaning dubious: all ancient Vrss דַּמֶּשֶׂק, and so Pusey HoffmZAW iii. 102 ('in Damascus on a couch') al., yet this hardly suitable in context; Thes Hi Ew Baer Ke Gunning RV and others follow ᵑ0, & render damask, silk, etc. (Arabic , connection with city דַּמֶּשֶׂק (Arabic ) disputed; according to Frä40. 288 Arabic is by metath. from , & this a loan-word from Syriac , & this from Greek μέταξα (Old Latin metaxa)).

דָּן see below דין.

דָּנִאֵל see below דין.

דנג (√ of following, meaning unknown).

Topical Lexicon
Overview

The term דְּמֶשֶׁק in Amos 3:12 is a spelling variant of “Damascus,” the ancient Aramean capital situated on the main caravan route linking Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Egypt. Though the particular form occurs only once, the city itself is mentioned frequently in Scripture and carries layers of historical, prophetic, and theological meaning.

Geographical and Historical Profile

Damascus lies on a well-watered oasis fed by the Barada River at the foot of the Anti-Lebanon range. Its fertile environs, strategic crossroads, and proximity to the coastal ports of Phoenicia made it an enduring commercial hub. Archaeology confirms occupation from the third millennium BC, corroborating the Bible’s picture of an old and influential city.

Damascus in the Patriarchal and Monarchical Periods

Genesis 15:2 records Abraham’s steward “Eliezer of Damascus,” showing the city’s prominence even in the patriarchal age.
• Under David, Israel clashed with Aramean forces near Damascus (2 Samuel 8:5–6); Solomon later established trading ties (1 Kings 11:23–25).
• The divided monarchies contended repeatedly with the Aramean kingdom of Damascus (1 Kings 20; 2 Kings 6–8). Alliances such as that between Rezin of Damascus and Pekah of Israel against Ahaz of Judah (Isaiah 7) illustrate the city’s political weight.

Prophetic Oracles Concerning Damascus

Several prophets speak against Damascus:
• “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke My wrath” (Amos 1:3).
Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 predict its downfall, stressing that no earthly strength can shield a city hardened in violence and idolatry.
Zechariah 9:1 foresees the Lord’s dominion reaching even to Damascus, hinting at future inclusion among the nations under Messiah’s reign.

The Unique Reference in Amos 3:12

“As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites dwelling in Samaria will be rescued—with only the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch” (Amos 3:12).

1. Setting: Amos confronts the northern kingdom’s elite, who lounge in luxury while oppression spreads.
2. Idiom: “Corner of a bed” and “Damascus of a couch” together evoke ornate Syrian furniture—symbols of extravagant security that will prove futile.
3. Message: The remnant saved will be as meager as scraps pulled from a lion’s jaws; complacency in wealth cannot avert divine judgment.

Spiritual Themes and Ministry Significance

• False Security: Wealth, comfort, and international alliances (embodied by Damascus exports) cannot shield a nation from the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness.
• Partial Deliverance: Like the shepherd recovering only fragments, God’s disciplinary acts may leave but a remnant, urging repentance before judgment falls.
• Universal Accountability: The same Damascus judged in Amos 1 is later offered hope (Acts 9), demonstrating both justice and grace in God’s dealings.

Damascus in the New Testament

The city re-enters salvation history when Saul of Tarsus encounters the risen Christ on the “road to Damascus” (Acts 9; 22; 26). This dramatic transformation of a persecutor into an apostle illustrates the prophetic vision of nations once hostile to God becoming instruments of the gospel.

Lessons for Contemporary Discipleship

1. Reject complacency—luxury can dull spiritual vigilance.
2. Embrace God’s warnings—prophetic rebuke is a mercy designed to restore.
3. Believe in redemptive possibilities—even cities and people long opposed to God can become centers of gospel advance.

Summary

דְּמֶשֶׁק in Amos 3:12 serves as a poignant reminder that no fortress of prosperity can withstand the verdict of a righteous God. Yet Damascus’s later role in the spread of the gospel testifies that divine judgment and mercy together fulfill God’s redemptive purposes.

Forms and Transliterations
וּבִדְמֶ֥שֶׁק ובדמשק ū·ḇiḏ·me·šeq ūḇiḏmešeq uvidMeshek
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Amos 3:12
HEB: בִּפְאַ֥ת מִטָּ֖ה וּבִדְמֶ֥שֶׁק עָֽרֶשׂ׃
NAS: of a bed and [the] cover of a couch!
KJV: of a bed, and in Damascus [in] a couch.
INT: With corner of a bed and cover of a couch

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1833
1 Occurrence


ū·ḇiḏ·me·šeq — 1 Occ.

1832
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