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דָּבַק

𐤃𐤁𐤒

dâbaq

H1692 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To cling to or stick closely, to adhere physically or figuratively. In its primary sense, denotes the act of attaching oneself to something or someone (literally: to stick, to glue), and by extension, signifies close association, loyalty, or steadfast devotion to persons, groups, or principles. Used both of physical contact (soil adhering to skin, bones sticking together) and of deep personal or covenantal attachments (individuals closely joined, pursuing, or clinging to another, especially in the context of relationships, loyalty, faithfulness, or pursuit).

Semantic Range

to stick physically, cling to, join closely, adhere to, follow closely, pursue persistently, to be loyal or devoted (relational or covenantal sense), overtake in pursuit, keep fast, maintain close association

Root / Etymology

From the root דבק, meaning 'to stick, to adhere'. The verb דָּבַק is the basic or ground stem (qal) of this root and maintains the original physical sense of sticking or joining together.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early biblical contexts (patriarchal and monarchic eras), דָּבַק is most often used to describe the act of physically adhering or metaphorically attaching oneself to another person or group. Noteworthy uses include expressions of loyalty and commitment (e.g., Ruth 'clung' to Naomi, Ruth 1:14), close military pursuit (Joshua 23:12), and a covenantal sense (Deuteronomy 10:20, exhorting Israel to 'cling' to their deity in faithfulness). The word can express both desired, positive association (devotion, faithfulness, loyal alliance) and negative connotations (adhering to foreign practices or peoples deemed inappropriate in specific texts). Ancient translations sometimes render דָּבַק as 'cleave' or 'stick,' but such language in English may not convey the relational, covenantal, or emotional intensity present in Hebrew usage. The meaning remains consistent across biblical Hebrew, with occasional semantic narrowing in postexilic and later texts where it's almost exclusively relational or spiritual in sense. Contrast with קרב ('draw near') and חבק ('embrace'), which cover more physical or spatial proximity without necessarily implying enduring attachment or loyalty.

Translation Consistency

primary "cling" 25 occurrences

"Cling" best covers both the physical sense (stick, adhere) and the common figurative/covenantal sense (hold fast, be loyal, stay close or pursue). It matches the majority of attested English renderings (cling/clung/clings), reads naturally in English for relational devotion as well as literal sticking, and allows context to supply idioms (e.g., "cling to," "clung to," "clings to") for passages otherwise translated as "follow" or "overtake."

Alternatives (25 occurrences):
"clung" (14x) "overtook" (4x) "clung fast" (3x) "closely joined" (2x) "overtake" (1x) "joined" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; figuratively, to catch by pursuit; abide fast, cleave (fast together), follow close (hard after), be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

דבק (dâbaq) — to stick, cling, adhere

Root דבק to stick, cling, adhere
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1693 דְּבַק clinging ones
H1694 דֶּבֶק the bonding joints
H1695 דָּבֵק he clung

Word Forms

29 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1692-05 דָּבְקָ֣ה daveqah HVqp3fs clings she clung she clung 7
H1692-11 תִּֽדְבַּק tidebaq HVqi3fs cleaves you will cling you will cling 4
H1692-28 יִדְבַּ֧ק yidebaq HVqi3ms will cling he will cling he will cling 4
H1692-02 דָּבַ֥ק davaq HVqp3ms sticks he clung he clung 3
H1692-17 וּ/לְ/דָבְקָה uledaveqah HC/R/Vqc and to cleave and to cling closely and to cling closely 3
H1692-18 וַ/תִּדְבַּ֤ק vatidebaq HC/Vqw3fs and-clung and she clung and she clung 3
H1692-20 וַ/יַּדְבְּק֣וּ vayadebequ HC/Vhw3mp and they clung and they caused to cling and they caused to cling 3
H1692-06 דָּבְק֣וּ davequ HVqp3cp are joined they clung fast they clung fast 2
H1692-13 תִדְבָּקִ֖י/ן tidebaqin HVqi2fs/Sn stay you will cling you will cling 2
H1692-21 וַ/יַּדְבִּ֖יקוּ vayadebiqu HC/Vhw3mp and overtook and they made adhere and they overtook 2

Occurrences in Scripture

54 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1692-23 Genesis 2:24 וְ/דָבַ֣ק vedavaq HC/Vqq3ms and shall cleave and he clung and he will cling
H1692-12 Genesis 19:19 תִּדְבָּקַ֥/נִי tidebaqani HVqi3fs/Sp1cs overtake me she will cling to me it will overtake me
H1692-19 Genesis 31:23 וַ/יַּדְבֵּ֥ק vayadebeq HC/Vhw3ms and overtook and he caused to cling and he overtook
H1692-18 Genesis 34:3 וַ/תִּדְבַּ֣ק vatidebaq HC/Vqw3fs clave and she clung and she clung
H1692-29 Numbers 36:7 יִדְבְּק֖וּ yidebequ HVqi3mp shall cling they will cling they will cling
H1692-29 Numbers 36:9 יִדְבְּק֕וּ yidebequ HVqi3mp shall-cleave they will cling they will cling
H1692-11 Deuteronomy 10:20 תִדְבָּ֔ק tidebaq HVqi2ms you shall cling you will cling you will cling
H1692-17 Deuteronomy 11:22 וּ/לְ/דָבְקָה uledaveqah HC/R/Vqc and-to-cleave and to cling closely and to cling closely
H1692-15 Deuteronomy 13:5 תִדְבָּקֽוּ/ן tidebaqun HVqi2mp/Sn you shall cleave you will cling closely you will cling closely
H1692-28 Deuteronomy 13:18 יִדְבַּ֧ק yidebaq HVqi3ms shall cling he will cling he will cling
H1692-26 Deuteronomy 28:21 יַדְבֵּ֧ק yadebeq HVhi3ms will cling he will cause to cling he will cause to cling
H1692-24 Deuteronomy 28:60 וְ/דָבְק֖וּ vedavequ HC/Vqq3cp and they will cling and they clung and they will cling
H1692-17 Deuteronomy 30:20 וּ/לְ/דָבְקָה uledaveqah HC/R/Vqc and to hold fast and to cling closely and to cling closely
H1692-17 Joshua 22:5 וּ/לְ/דָבְקָה uledaveqah HC/R/Vqc and to cleave and to cling closely and to cling closely
H1692-14 Joshua 23:8 תִּדְבָּ֑קוּ tidebaqu HVqi2mp you shall cling you will cling you will cling
H1692-16 Joshua 23:12 וּ/דְבַקְתֶּם֙ udevaqetem HC/Vqq2mp and cling to and you clung fast and you clung fast
H1692-21 Judges 18:22 וַ/יַּדְבִּ֖יקוּ vayadebiqu HC/Vhw3mp and overtook and they made adhere and they overtook
H1692-08 Judges 20:42 הִדְבִּיקָ֑תְ/הוּ hidebiqatehu HVhp3fs/Sp3ms overtook-them she made him cling overtook them
H1692-21 Judges 20:45 וַ/יַּדְבִּ֤יקוּ vayadebiqu HC/Vhw3mp and they overtook and they made adhere and they overtook
H1692-20 1 Samuel 14:22 וַֽ/יַּדְבְּק֥וּ vayadebequ HC/Vhw3mp they joined and they caused to cling and they joined
H1692-20 1 Samuel 31:2 וַ/יַּדְבְּק֣וּ vayadebequ HC/Vhw3mp and they followed hard and they caused to cling and they caused to cling
H1692-09 2 Samuel 1:6 הִדְבִּקֻֽ/הוּ hidebiquhu HVhp3cp/Sp3ms had overtaken him they caused to cling to him they caused to cling to him
H1692-06 2 Samuel 20:2 דָּבְק֣וּ davequ HVqp3cp clave they clung fast they clung fast
H1692-18 2 Samuel 23:10 וַ/תִּדְבַּ֤ק vatidebaq HC/Vqw3fs and-clung and she clung and she clung
H1692-02 1 Kings 11:2 דָּבַ֥ק davaq HVqp3ms clave he clung he clung
H1692-04 2 Kings 3:3 דָּבֵ֑ק daveq HVqp3ms he clung he clung fast he clung
H1692-11 2 Kings 5:27 תִּֽדְבַּק tidebaq HVqi3fs shall cleave you will cling you will cling
H1692-22 2 Kings 18:6 וַ/יִּדְבַּק֙ vayidebaq HC/Vqw3ms and he clung and he clung and he clung
H1692-28 Jeremiah 13:11 יִדְבַּ֨ק yidebaq HVqi3ms clings he will cling clings
H1692-07 Jeremiah 13:11 הִדְבַּ֣קְתִּי hidebaqeti HVhp1cs I made cling I caused to cling I caused to cling
H1692-28 Jeremiah 42:16 יִדְבַּ֧ק yidebaq HVqi3ms will cling he will cling it will cling
H1692-01 Ezekiel 3:26 אַדְבִּ֣יק adebiq HVhi1cs I-will-make-stick I cause to cling I will make cling
H1692-25 Ezekiel 29:4 וְ/הִדְבַּקְתִּ֥י vehidebaqeti HC/Vhq1cs and I will make stick and I caused to cling and I will make cling
H1692-11 Ezekiel 29:4 תִּדְבָּֽק tidebaq HVqi3fs will stick you will cling will cling
H1692-10 Psalms 22:16 מֻדְבָּ֣ק mudebaq HVHsmsa cleaves made to cling made to cling
H1692-05 Psalms 44:26 דָּבְקָ֖ה daveqah HVqp3fs clings she clung she clung
H1692-05 Psalms 63:9 דָּבְקָ֣ה daveqah HVqp3fs clings she clung she clung
H1692-28 Psalms 101:3 יִדְבַּ֣ק yidebaq HVqi3ms will cling he will cling he will cling
H1692-05 Psalms 102:6 דָּבְקָ֥ה daveqah HVqp3fs clung she clung clung
H1692-05 Psalms 119:25 דָּֽבְקָ֣ה daveqah HVqp3fs clings she clung she clung
H1692-03 Psalms 119:31 דָּבַ֥קְתִּי davaqeti HVqp1cs I cling I have clung I have clung
H1692-11 Psalms 137:6 תִּדְבַּ֥ק tidebaq HVqi3fs cleaves you will cling may it cling
H1692-05 Job 19:20 דָּבְקָ֣ה daveqah HVqp3fs clings she clung she clung
H1692-05 Job 29:10 דָּבֵֽקָה daveqah HVqp3fs stuck she clung clung
H1692-02 Job 31:7 דָּ֣בַק davaq HVqp3ms has clung he clung he clung
H1692-27 Job 38:38 יְדֻבָּֽקוּ yedubaqu HVPi3mp cleave together they will be closely joined they will be closely joined
H1692-27 Job 41:9 יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ yedubaqu HVPi3mp will cling they will be closely joined they will be closely joined
H1692-06 Job 41:15 דָבֵ֑קוּ davequ HVqp3cp are joined they clung fast they clung fast
H1692-05 Ruth 1:14 דָּ֥בְקָה daveqah HVqp3fs clung she clung she clung
H1692-13 Ruth 2:8 תִדְבָּקִ֖י/ן tidebaqin HVqi2fs/Sn stay you will cling you will cling
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