Lexical Summary doq: Thinness, thin layer, fine dust Original Word: דֹּק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance curtain From daqaq; something crumbling, i.e. Fine (as a thin cloth) -- curtain. see HEBREW daqaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom daqaq Definition a veil, curtain NASB Translation curtain (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs דֹּק noun [masculine] veil, curtain (as thin), הַנּוֺטֶה כַּדֹּק שָׁמַיִם Isaiah 40:22 he who spreadeth out, like a veil, the heavens. Topical Lexicon Literary Placementדֹּק occurs only once in the Old Testament, at Isaiah 40:22, making it a hapax legomenon. The term is embedded in the sweeping hymn of Isaiah 40, where the prophet magnifies the unrivaled sovereignty of the Lord in creation, providence, and redemption. Context in Isaiah 40 Isaiah 40 opens the “Book of Comfort,” addressing Judah in anticipation of Babylonian exile. Verse 22 reads in the Berean Standard Bible, “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” The single-use word דֹּק (“curtain”) enriches the prophet’s imagery: the heavens are likened to a delicate, gauze-like drape easily unfurled by the Creator. Imagery of the Celestial Curtain 1. Delicacy and Ease The choice of a rare term that evokes fineness underscores how effortlessly God manipulates the cosmos. What appears immeasurable to humanity is no more than a thin veil in His hand (compare Job 9:8; Psalm 104:2). 2. Transcendence and Immanence A curtain both reveals and conceals. By it the heavens are portrayed as the threshold between God’s throne and human habitation. The Lord is simultaneously above creation (“sits enthroned”) and present within it (“spreads them out … to dwell in”). 3. Tent Motif Linking the curtain to a “tent” transports the reader to wilderness imagery (Exodus 25–40). As the Tabernacle housed God’s glory among His people, so the stretched-out sky testifies that all creation is His dwelling (Acts 7:48–49). Relationship to Other Biblical Texts • Psalm 104:2 employs יְרִיעָה, a more common word for “curtain,” yet the thematic overlap accentuates the uniqueness of דֹּק while reinforcing the same doctrine of effortless divine creation. Historical Background Ancient Near Eastern texts sometimes depict gods beating back primordial chaos or pitching a cosmic tent; Isaiah subverts these myths by attributing creative mastery to the one true God alone. The rarity of דֹּק may hint at specialized weaving or netting known in Isaiah’s milieu—objects prized for fineness and often associated with royalty. Theological Significance 1. Creator-Creature Distinction Humanity, “like grasshoppers,” is dwarfed by the scope of God’s handiwork. The image cultivates humility and worship. 2. Divine Sovereignty The thinness of the curtain exposes the fragility of the material universe before God’s omnipotence, reinforcing later affirmations that “all things hold together” in Him (Colossians 1:17). 3. Covenant Faithfulness Isaiah 40 comforts exiles by showing that the Lord who formed the heavens can as readily restore His people. His promise-keeping is as sure as the fabric of the sky. Ministry and Devotional Application • Preaching: Isaiah 40:22 invites proclamation of God’s supremacy over worldly powers, encouraging believers facing cultural or political upheaval. Summary דֹּק, though appearing only once, contributes a vivid stroke to Isaiah’s portrait of the Creator. By presenting the heavens as a fragile curtain effortlessly extended, the prophet exalts God’s transcendence, reassures His people of covenant fidelity, and calls every generation to awe-filled trust. Forms and Transliterations כַדֹּק֙ כדק chadDok ḵad·dōq ḵaddōqLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 40:22 HEB: כַּחֲגָבִ֑ים הַנּוֹטֶ֤ה כַדֹּק֙ שָׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּמְתָּחֵ֥ם NAS: out the heavens like a curtain And spreads KJV: the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out INT: grasshoppers stretches A curtain the heavens and spreads 1 Occurrence |
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