דָּשֵׁן
𐤃𐤔𐤍
dâshên
H1878 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be or become fat, rich, or well-nourished; transitively, to make fat, enrich, or treat with fat/oil, especially in ritual contexts. Used physically for animals, persons, or land becoming plump/well-nourished, and metaphorically for being blessed, prosperous, or satisfied. Also refers to the ritual removal of ashes (fat-ashes) from burnt offerings, deriving from the noun for fat or ashes produced by burning sacrificial fat.
Semantic Range
to become fat or rich (of people, land, animals); to make fat, enrich, or anoint with oil; to satisfy, to delight or prosper; to take away or remove ashes (specifically sacrificial fat-ashes); to treat as fat (regard as prosperous or honored)
Root / Etymology
From the root דָּשֵׁן (d-sh-n), meaning 'to be fat' or 'to become rich'. Derives directly from the sense of physical fatness or richness. The root yields both the verb meaning 'to become/make fat' and the noun דֶּשֶׁן (deshen), 'fat, the fatty ashes from sacrifices, or fertilizing ashes'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, דָּשֵׁן applies both to literal states (well-nourished persons or animals, fertile land) and to metaphorical states (prosperity, spiritual blessing, satisfaction). It is used especially in ritual contexts to describe the handling of the ashes from burnt offerings—more specifically, the removal or treatment of ashes that are derived from the fatty parts of a sacrifice. In wisdom and prophetic literature, the verb frequently shifts to a metaphorical sense of abundance or spiritual satisfaction. English translations often render it as 'make fat,' 'anoint,' 'prosper,' 'enrich,' or 'remove ashes,' but these can obscure nuances such as ritual or agricultural prosperity. The denominative sense from דֶּשֶׁן highlights the close conceptual connection between fat as a symbol of abundance and its ritual role in offerings. No direct religious connotation of 'anointing'—in the sense used for rulers or priests—should be assumed; the usage here pertains to the physical act of applying oil or dealing with richness of substance, not to ritual consecration as with מָשַׁח (mashach). Use in the exilic and post-exilic period is generally limited to idiomatic or literary expressions, reflecting transition from cultic to metaphorical or poetic use.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; also denominatively (from דֶּשֶׁן); to be fat; transitively, to fatten (or regard as fat); specifically to anoint; figuratively, to satisfy; to remove (fat) ashes (of sacrifices); accept, anoint, take away the (receive) ashes (from), make (wax) fat.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דשן (d-sh-n) — fatness, richness, prosperity, enrichment
Word Forms
9 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1878-09 |
יְדֻשָּֽׁן | yedushan | HVPi3ms |
shall be gorged | he will be fattened | 2 |
H1878-05 |
תְדֻשָּׁ֑ן | tedushan | HVPi3fs |
is made fat | she will be fattened | 2 |
H1878-02 |
הֻדַּ֣שְׁנָה | hudashenah | HVup3fs |
is-made-fat | she was made fat | 1 |
H1878-01 |
דִּשַּׁ֖נְתָּ | dishaneta | HVpp2ms |
you have anointed | you richly fattened | 1 |
H1878-06 |
וְ/דָשֵׁ֑ן | vedashen | HC/Vqq3ms |
and grow fat | and he became fat | 1 |
H1878-03 |
לְ/דַשְּׁנ֔/וֹ | ledasheno | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
for removing its ashes | to make him fat | 1 |
H1878-04 |
תְּדַשֶּׁן | tedashen | HVpi3fs |
fattens | she will make fat | 1 |
H1878-07 |
וְ/דִשְּׁנ֖וּ | vedishenu | HC/Vpq3cp |
and they shall take away | and they made fat | 1 |
H1878-08 |
יְדַשְּׁנֶ֣/ה | yedasheneh | HVpi3ms/Sh |
he will accept | he will make fat | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1878-03 |
Exodus 27:3 | לְ/דַשְּׁנ֔/וֹ | ledasheno | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
for removing its ashes | to make him fat |
H1878-07 |
Numbers 4:13 | וְ/דִשְּׁנ֖וּ | vedishenu | HC/Vpq3cp |
and they shall take away | and they made fat |
H1878-06 |
Deuteronomy 31:20 | וְ/דָשֵׁ֑ן | vedashen | HC/Vqq3ms |
and grow fat | and he became fat |
H1878-02 |
Isaiah 34:6 | הֻדַּ֣שְׁנָה | hudashenah | HVup3fs |
is-made-fat | she was made fat |
H1878-09 |
Isaiah 34:7 | יְדֻשָּֽׁן | yedushan | HVPi3ms |
shall be gorged | he will be fattened |
H1878-08 |
Psalms 20:4 | יְדַשְּׁנֶ֣/ה | yedasheneh | HVpi3ms/Sh |
he will accept | he will make fat |
H1878-01 |
Psalms 23:5 | דִּשַּׁ֖נְתָּ | dishaneta | HVpp2ms |
you have anointed | you richly fattened |
H1878-05 |
Proverbs 11:25 | תְדֻשָּׁ֑ן | tedushan | HVPi3fs |
shall be made fat | she will be fattened |
H1878-05 |
Proverbs 13:4 | תְּדֻשָּֽׁן | tedushan | HVPi3fs |
is made fat | she will be fattened |
H1878-04 |
Proverbs 15:30 | תְּדַשֶּׁן | tedashen | HVpi3fs |
fattens | she will make fat |