דֶּשֶׁן
𐤃𐤔𐤍
deshen
H1880 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Principal meaning: 'fatness, richness,' referring both to the physical fat or rich part of animal sacrifices and, by extension, to abundance and fertility in general. In cultic context, also denotes the substance or ashes resulting from the burning of fat portions on the altar. The word is used both for literal physical fat and as a metaphor for prosperity and blessing.
Semantic Range
fatness, rich part of sacrifice, abundance, luxuriance, the fatty ashes from offering, prosperity, spiritual or material blessing
Root / Etymology
Root: דָּשֵׁן (d-sh-n), meaning 'to be fat, become rich, prosper.' דֶּשֶׁן (deshen) derives from this verbal root and is a nominal formation indicating the state or substance of being rich/fat, whether literally ('fatness') or metaphorically ('abundance'). The shift from the sense of 'fat' to 'ashes' is due to cultic language, where the fat portions are burnt, and the residual ashes are termed דֶּשֶׁן as well.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In early Israelite cultic practice, דֶּשֶׁן primarily denoted the fatty portions of a sacrificial animal designated for burning on the altar (Lev 1:16; 4:12). Once these were burnt, the resultant rich, oily ashes were also called דֶּשֶׁן and were collected and treated as ritually significant (Lev 6:3–4). The term develops further metaphorically to indicate general prosperity, fertility of the land, or an abundance of resources (Psalm 63:6; Isa 55:2). In poetic contexts, it can refer to spiritual or material blessing. Later, as the cultic system evolved during the monarchic and post-exilic periods, the technical sense of דֶּשֶׁן for 'fatty ashes' remained, but the figurative meaning of abundance or luxuriance expanded in noncultic literature. The common English rendering as 'ashes,' especially in legal or ritual passages, does not always capture its richness or duality of meaning. The underlying Hebrew contrasts with related words for 'ash' (אֵפֶר) or generic 'fat' (חֵלֶב), note that דֶּשֶׁן emphasizes richness and the state of abundance, as opposed to neutral residue or byproduct.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from דָּשֵׁן; the fat; abstractly fatness, i.e. (figuratively) abundance; specifically the (fatty) ashes of sacrifices; ashes, fatness.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דשן (d-š-n) — to be fat, become rich, prosper
Word Forms
8 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1880-05 |
הַ/דֶּ֔שֶׁן | hadeshen | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ashes | the fatness | 6 |
H1880-02 |
דָּ֑שֶׁן | dashen | HNcmsa |
fatness | fat-rich | 3 |
H1880-06 |
מִ/דֶּ֣שֶׁן | mideshen | HR/Ncmsc |
from-fatness | from fatness | 1 |
H1880-07 |
וָ֭/דֶשֶׁן | vadeshen | HC/Ncmsa |
and-marrow | and fatness | 1 |
H1880-03 |
דִּשְׁנִ֔/י | disheni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my fatness | my fatness | 1 |
H1880-01 |
בַּ/דֶּ֖שֶׁן | badeshen | HRd/Ncmsa |
in-fatness | in the fatness | 1 |
H1880-04 |
הַ/דָּֽשֶׁן | hadashen | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the ashes | the fatness | 1 |
H1880-08 |
וְ/הַ/דֶּ֡שֶׁן | vehadeshen | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the ashes | and the fatness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
15 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1880-04 |
Leviticus 1:16 | הַ/דָּֽשֶׁן | hadashen | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the ashes | the fatness |
H1880-05 |
Leviticus 4:12 | הַ/דֶּ֔שֶׁן | hadeshen | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ashes | the fatness |
H1880-05 |
Leviticus 4:12 | הַ/דֶּ֖שֶׁן | hadeshen-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ashes | the fatness |
H1880-05 |
Leviticus 6:3 | הַ/דֶּ֗שֶׁן | hadeshen | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ashes | the fatness |
H1880-05 |
Leviticus 6:4 | הַ/דֶּ֨שֶׁן֙ | hadeshen | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ashes | the fatness |
H1880-03 |
Judges 9:9 | דִּשְׁנִ֔/י | disheni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my fatness | my fatness |
H1880-05 |
1 Kings 13:3 | הַ/דֶּ֥שֶׁן | hadeshen | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-ashes | the fatness |
H1880-05 |
1 Kings 13:5 | הַ/דֶּ֖שֶׁן | hadeshen | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ashes | the fatness |
H1880-01 |
Isaiah 55:2 | בַּ/דֶּ֖שֶׁן | badeshen | HRd/Ncmsa |
in-fatness | in the fatness |
H1880-02 |
Jeremiah 31:14 | דָּ֑שֶׁן | dashen | HNcmsa |
with fatness | fat-rich |