דָּגַר
𐤃𐤂𐤓
dâgar
H1716 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To sit, crouch, or brood—especially used of birds sitting over eggs or young in the nest, implying protective watchfulness or attentive presence. In derived or metaphorical uses, connotes attentive waiting, gathering, or care, usually over something vulnerable or developing.
Semantic Range
to brood over eggs, to sit on young, to crouch protectively, to cover for warmth or safety; metaphorically, to guard attentively or foster (rare, poetic)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root ד-ג-ר, which carries the general verbal concept of 'crouching, brooding, sitting closely.' Likely imitative of bird behavior, particularly the motion or posture of a nesting bird. The form is a primitive verb in Hebrew, and is rarely attested outside a handful of poetic or metaphoric contexts. Root meaning and lexical meaning are closely aligned in this case.
Historical & Contextual Notes
דָּגַר occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, almost exclusively in poetic passages (e.g., Deuteronomy 22:6, Isaiah 34:15, Job 39:14, Psalms 84:4). Its usage is strongly linked to avian imagery, emphasizing the protective and nurturing act of a bird over its eggs or young. Notably, in these contexts, the verb always conveys the image of physically covering or closely contacting offspring or eggs for warmth, incubation, or safety. By extension, some poetic uses draw on this literal image to convey a sense of care, protection, or fostering, but the word never broadens into more generalized senses like 'to dwell' (as does שכן, shakan). The English 'brood' or 'sit' only capture part of the Hebrew nuance: 'gather' (Strong's gloss) is not a primary semantic value but rather an aspect of the bird's action. The verb is not commonly used for non-avian subjects, nor does it intrinsically carry connotations of anger or aggression, focusing instead on nurturing or guarding presence. Later postbiblical Hebrew retained the association with brooding or covering, but the verb itself became rare in prose.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root,; to brood over eggs or young; gather, sit.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דגר (d-g-r) — to brood, to crouch, to sit over, to incubate
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1716-02 |
וְ/דָגְרָ֣ה | vedagerah | HC/Vqq3fs |
and gathers | and she brooded | 1 |
H1716-01 |
דָגַר֙ | dagar | HVqp3ms |
that hatches | he brooded | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1716-02 |
Isaiah 34:15 | וְ/דָגְרָ֣ה | vedagerah | HC/Vqq3fs |
and gathers | and she brooded |
H1716-01 |
Jeremiah 17:11 | דָגַר֙ | dagar | HVqp3ms |
that hatches | he brooded |