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דֶּרֶךְ

𐤃𐤓𐤊

derek

H1870 noun

SILEX Entry

Root דרך to tread, march, walk

Definition

A physical path, road, or way used for travel; by extension, a course, journey, or direction taken by a person or group, whether literal or metaphorical. Commonly refers to manner, conduct, or way of life, including moral or ethical behavior, decision-making pathways, or regular procedures. It can also denote the journey or travels of individuals or peoples, as well as processes or methods. In poetic and wisdom literature, often found in abstract or figurative senses relating to one's behavior or moral orientation.

Semantic Range

road, path, journey, route, manner, conduct, way of life, course of action, process, direction, behavior, method

Root / Etymology

From the root דָּרַךְ (darak), meaning 'to tread, march, walk,' denoting the act of walking a path or road. דֶּרֶךְ takes its meaning from the physical act of treading, which is then extended to the abstract ideas of journey, conduct, or way of life. The noun form preserves the concrete sense but is equally established in metaphorical and procedural uses throughout biblical Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite texts, דֶּרֶךְ most commonly refers to a literal road or journey, often used in narrative or geographic contexts. Over time, especially in prophetic, poetic, and wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs, Psalms), its usage expanded to encompass figurative senses: the 'way' a person lives (moral, ethical conduct), religious paths, or habitual actions. It is commonly contrasted with נתיב (natib, 'path'), which can imply a narrower or less trodden way, or אֹרַח (orach), which may stress 'route' or 'course.' English translations as 'way,' 'path,' or 'journey' often capture the general sense but may miss specific nuances of conduct or process present in Hebrew. The word also appears in phrases denoting both directions (eastward, etc.) and manner (in a certain way). In later texts, including Second Temple literature, דֶּרֶךְ continues to feature as a key term for moral or covenantal behavior, a precursor to later conceptual developments (such as 'the Way' in later Jewish and early Christian tradition, though these developments are not present in the biblical period).

Translation Consistency

primary "way" 673 occurrences

'Way' is the most frequent and versatile English equivalent in the corpus (most common attestation), and naturally covers both literal roads/paths and figurative senses (manner, conduct, course of life). It reads naturally in singular/plural inflected forms and fits the typical usage across poetic, wisdom, and narrative contexts.

Alternatives (38 occurrences):
"path" (9x) "paths" (7x) "treading-path" (7x) "toward" (5x) "path of" (3x) "journey" (2x) "journey of" (1x) "course of" (1x) "path-of" (1x) "road" (1x) "roads" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from דָּרַךְ; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb; along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דרך (d-r-k) — tread, march, walk

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1869 דָּרַךְ I will cause them to tread
H1926 הָדָר the trodden path
H4096 מִדְרָךְ treading-place of

Word Forms

85 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1870-36 דֶּ֖רֶךְ derekhe HNcbsc way path of way of 177
H1870-07 בְּ/דֶ֥רֶךְ bederekhe HR/Ncbsc in the way in a path in a way 54
H1870-44 הַ/דֶּ֗רֶךְ haderekhe HTd/Ncbsa the way the trodden path the trodden way 47
H1870-02 בַּ/דֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ baderekhe HRd/Ncbsa on the way in the path in the way 46
H1870-25 דַּרְכּ֖/וֹ dareko HNcbsc/Sp3ms his way his path his way 29
H1870-29 דְּרָכָי/ו֙ derakhayv HNcbpc/Sp3ms his ways his paths his ways 23
H1870-83 בְ/דֶ֨רֶךְ vederekhe HR/Ncbsa and the way treading-path and your way 19
H1870-14 דַּרְכָּ֗/ם darekam HNcbsc/Sp3mp their way their path their way 19
H1870-26 דְּרָכָ֑/י derakhay HNcbpc/Sp1cs my ways my paths my ways 17
H1870-01 בַּ/דָּֽרֶךְ badarekhe HRd/Ncbsa on the way on the trodden path on the trodden way 16

Occurrences in Scripture

712 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1870-36 Genesis 3:24 דֶּ֖רֶךְ derekhe HNcbsc the way path of way of
H1870-25 Genesis 6:12 דַּרְכּ֖/וֹ dareko HNcbsc/Sp3ms way his path his way
H1870-07 Genesis 16:7 בְּ/דֶ֥רֶךְ bederekhe HR/Ncbsc on the way in a path on the way
H1870-36 Genesis 18:19 דֶּ֣רֶךְ derekhe HNcbsc the way path of way of
H1870-57 Genesis 19:2 לְ/דַרְכְּ/כֶ֑ם ledarekekhem HR/Ncbsc/Sp2mp on your way to your way to your way
H1870-46 Genesis 19:31 כְּ/דֶ֖רֶךְ kederekhe HR/Ncbsc after the manner of as the trodden path of as the way of
H1870-25 Genesis 24:21 דַּרְכּ֖/וֹ dareko HNcbsc/Sp3ms his journey his path his way
H1870-02 Genesis 24:27 בַּ/דֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ baderekhe HRd/Ncbsa in the way in the path in the way
H1870-15 Genesis 24:40 דַּרְכֶּ֔/ךָ darekekha HNcbsc/Sp2ms your way your path your way
H1870-24 Genesis 24:42 דַּרְכִּ֔/י dareki HNcbsc/Sp1cs my way my path my way
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