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דּוֹנַג

𐤃𐤅𐤍𐤂

dôwnag

H1749 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain, possibly 'to melt' or 'be soft'

Definition

A soft, malleable organic substance produced by bees or, less commonly, by other insects; 'wax'. In biblical usage, refers specifically to beeswax, often used in poetic metaphor for softness, melting, or dissolution under the influence of heat.

Semantic Range

beeswax, wax, material that melts from heat, symbol of weakness or dissolution

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain. The word דּוֹנַג (dônag) is of uncertain etymology and not clearly derived from any securely attested Hebrew root. Some have attempted to connect it to cognate words in related Semitic languages, but there is no consensus.

Historical & Contextual Notes

דּוֹנַג appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, notably in Psalm 22:15 [16] and Micah 1:4, always in poetic or metaphorical contexts. It is depicted as a substance that melts when exposed to heat, serving as a metaphor for fear, weakness, or the overwhelming presence of adversity. The word's usage reflects an awareness of beeswax as a familiar material in the ancient Levant, though it was not itself a primary focus of cultic or daily life description. Standard English 'wax' accurately renders the term, but its metaphoric usage is central in biblical passages. Later Hebrew (post-biblical and modern) continues to use דונג (donag/dôwnag) as the word for 'wax.' Unlike related terms, such as חֵמָה (chemah, 'fat, grease, butter') or שמן (shemen, 'oil'), דּוֹנַג is unique in denoting wax rather than other soft or fatty substances. There is no evidence in biblical Hebrew for the later association of wax with ritual candles or ceremonial uses; such associations are post-biblical in Jewish tradition and only emerge in later material.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; wax; wax.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דונג (uncertain) (d-w-n-g (uncertain)) — wax, softness, melting substance

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1749-02 כַּ/דּוֹנַג֙ kadonag HRd/Ncmsa like wax like beeswax 3
H1749-01 דּ֭וֹנַג donag HNcmsa wax beeswax 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1749-02 Micah 1:4 כַּ/דּוֹנַג֙ kadonag HRd/Ncmsa like wax like beeswax
H1749-02 Psalms 22:15 כַּ/דּוֹנָ֑ג kadonag HRd/Ncmsa like wax like beeswax
H1749-01 Psalms 68:3 דּ֭וֹנַג donag HNcmsa wax beeswax
H1749-02 Psalms 97:5 כַּ/דּוֹנַ֗ג kadonag HRd/Ncmsa like wax like beeswax
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