אָדַשׁ
𐤀𐤃𐤔
ʼâdash
H156 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To tread, crush, or thresh grain, especially by the action of human feet or animals. In biblical Hebrew, it most often refers to the manual or animal-driven process of separating the edible part of cereals from their husks by trampling.
Semantic Range
to tread (grain), to thresh by trampling, to crush underfoot, to process grain by treading
Root / Etymology
Root: אדש. The root appears to be onomatopoeic or descriptive of the sound or action of treading or crushing, though it is rare and etymologically uncertain. The form אָדַשׁ is a verbal root, typically appearing in agricultural contexts. No closely related cognates in other Semitic languages are clearly attested.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אָדַשׁ is an exceedingly rare word in the Hebrew Bible, occurring only in poetic or archaic contexts (e.g., Job 39:15). The much more common verb for 'to thresh' is דּוּשׁ (dūsh, H1758), which describes the general act of threshing, whether by human or animal agency. אָדַשׁ, in contrast, emphasizes the specific act of treading—especially crushing grain underfoot—possibly reflecting an older or regionally distinct agricultural practice. Later Hebrew is dominated by דוש and its derivatives for this semantic field. English translations sometimes equate אָדַשׁ with 'thresh,' but this may obscure the tactile, physical sense of treading with the feet. The word's rarity means its nuances are best discerned from context and comparison with other ancient Semitic terms, though clear rivals are lacking. In later periods, such as the rabbinic era, the distinction between terms became purely academic as mechanical threshing replaced foot-treading in practice.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to tread out (grain); thresh.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אדש (ʾ-d-sh) — to tread, to crush, to press by foot
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H156-01 |
אָד֣וֹשׁ | adosh | HVqa |
he treads | treading grain | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H156-01 |
Isaiah 28:28 | אָד֣וֹשׁ | adosh | HVqa |
he treads | treading grain |