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דֶּשֶׁא

𐤃𐤔𐤀

desheʼ

H1877 noun

SILEX Entry

Root דשא to sprout, to cause to sprout, to grow new shoots

Definition

Tender grass, young green vegetation, or herbage; refers primarily to the fresh sprouting of grass and young plants after rain, especially in the context of pastureland, fields, or natural growth in the wild. The word highlights the early, soft, nourishing stage of plant life rather than mature grain or harvestable crops.

Semantic Range

tender grass, fresh green vegetation, young plant shoots, (by extension) herbage, sprouting pasture, new grass after rain

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root דָּשָׁא (dasha), which means 'to sprout' or 'to cause to sprout.' דֶּשֶׁא is a concrete noun form denoting what is freshly sprouted – specifically grass or green herbage. The actual word derives from the process of vegetation beginning to emerge.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the literature of the Hebrew Bible, דֶּשֶׁא typically appears in poetic, narrative, or ritual contexts to emphasize new growth, provision, or divine blessing (e.g., Genesis 1:11; Psalm 23:2; Deuteronomy 32:2). In the ancient Israelite context, this term would primarily relate to grazing land or wild vegetation after seasonal rains, essential for pastoral life. While often translated 'grass' or 'green herb,' its emphasis is on the young, tender phase—contrasting with יֶרֶק (yereq, 'greenery' in a general sense) or חָצִיר (ḥatsir, 'mown grass' or 'herbage ready for cutting'). The Septuagint often renders it as χόρτος (chortos), meaning 'grass,' which later influenced English translations. Importantly, the word does not refer to cultivated grain or mature crops but specifically fresh, unsown, or wild sprouting vegetation relied upon by shepherds and animals for grazing. In later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew, the term retained this association with youthful greenness and springtime renewal, with cultural connotations of hope, provision, and the natural cycles dependent on rainfall. Early English Bible translations sometimes render it broadly as 'herb,' though 'tender grass' or 'new grass' better captures its nuance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from דָּשָׁא; a sprout; by analogy, grass; (tender) grass, green, (tender) herb.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דשא (d-sh-ʾ) — to sprout, to cause to sprout, to grow new shoots

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1876 דָּשָׁא they have sprouted
H1883 דֶּתֶא in the fresh green growth

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1877-02 דֶּ֔שֶׁא deshe HNcmsa grass fresh-sprouted grass 13
H1877-01 דָשָׁ֔ה dashah HVqrfsa treading sprouting (feminine) 1
H1877-03 כַּ/דֶּ֣שֶׁא kadeshe HRd/Ncmsa like-the-grass like tender sprouting grass 1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1877-02 Genesis 1:11 דֶּ֔שֶׁא deshe HNcmsa vegetation fresh-sprouted grass
H1877-02 Genesis 1:12 דֶּ֠שֶׁא deshe HNcmsa vegetation fresh-sprouted grass
H1877-02 Deuteronomy 32:2 דֶ֔שֶׁא deshe HNcmsa the tender grass fresh-sprouted grass
H1877-02 2 Samuel 23:4 דֶּ֥שֶׁא deshe HNcmsa grass fresh-sprouted grass
H1877-02 2 Kings 19:26 דֶּ֔שֶׁא deshe HNcmsa sprout fresh-sprouted grass
H1877-02 Isaiah 15:6 דֶ֔שֶׁא deshe HNcmsa grass fresh-sprouted grass
H1877-02 Isaiah 37:27 דֶּ֔שֶׁא deshe HNcmsa tender-grass fresh-sprouted grass
H1877-03 Isaiah 66:14 כַּ/דֶּ֣שֶׁא kadeshe HRd/Ncmsa like-the-grass like tender sprouting grass
H1877-02 Jeremiah 14:5 דֶּֽשֶׁא deshe HNcmsa grass fresh-sprouted grass
H1877-01 Jeremiah 50:11 דָשָׁ֔ה dashah HVqrfsa treading sprouting (feminine)
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