H1800 H1800
Poor, needy; weak, feeble; humble, lowly; thin, gaunt
An adjective describing those who are diminished, whether in wealth, strength, status, or physical condition. Most frequently it denotes the socioeconomically poor, appearing alongside ebyon ('destitute') and in contrast with ashir ('rich') throughout the Wisdom literature and prophets. The Mosaic law commands impartial justice for the dal (Exod 23:3; Lev 19:15), while the psalms celebrate God as the one who lifts the poor from the dust (Ps 113:7). German 'arm' and 'Geringe,' Spanish 'pobre,' and French 'faible/pauvre' show how translators navigate the overlapping senses of poverty, weakness, and lowliness.
1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) — A person of low socioeconomic status, lacking material resources. This is the predominant sense, used both as adjective and substantive for the poor as a social class. The Torah insists on justice for the dal (Exod 23:3; Lev 19:15), and the offering regulations provide alternatives for those too poor to afford the standard sacrifice (Lev 14:21). Proverbs contrasts the dal with the ashir (rich) repeatedly (Prov 10:15; 22:16; 28:11), and Ruth 3:10 praises Ruth for not pursuing young men 'whether poor or rich.' Spanish 'pobres' and French 'pauvre' consistently render this sense. 38×
AR["الضُّعَفَاءَ","الضُّعَفَاءِ","الفَقيرِ","المَساكينَ","المَساكينِ","الْفُقَرَاءَ","الْفُقَرَاءِ","الْمَساكِينَ","الْمَساكِينِ","فَقِيرًا","فَقِيرٍ","لِـ-الضُّعَفَاءِ"]·ben["ইচ্ছা","গরিবদের","গরীব","দরিদ্র","দরিদ্রকে","দরিদ্রদের","দরিদ্রদের-প্রতি","দরিদ্রের"]·DE["Geringe","arm"]·EN["poor","the-poor","to-the-poor"]·FR["faibles","pauvre"]·heb["דל","דלים"]·HI["गरीब","गरीब-के","गरीबों-का","गरीबों-के","गरीबों-को","दरिद्रों-की","दीन-का","दीनों-का","दीनों-की","दीनों-के","दीनों-को","दीनों-पर"]·ID["miskin","orang-lemah","orang-miskin","orang-orang lemah","orang-orang-lemah","orang-orang-miskin","yang miskin"]·IT["i-poveri","misero","povero"]·jav["ingkang-mlarat","kang-mlarat","kang-ringkih","mlarat","tiyang-miskin","tiyang-mlarat"]·KO["가난하다면","가난하든지","가난한-자","가난한-자-들-의","가난한-자들에게","가난한-자들을","가난한-자들의","가난한-자의","가난한자","약한-자들을"]·PT["de-pobres","pobre","pobres"]·RU["бедного","бедный","бедным","бедных","слабых"]·ES["a-débiles","a-los-pobres","a-los-pobres;","al-pobre","débiles","el-pobre","los-pobres","pobre","pobres"]·SW["maskini","ya-maskini"]·TR["fakir","fakirlere","fakirleri","fakirlerin","yoksulları","yoksulların","yoksulu","yoksulun","zayıfları"]·urd["غریب","غریب کی","غریب کے","غریب-کا","غریبوں کی","غریبوں-پر","غریبوں-کا","غریبوں-کو","غریبوں-کی","غریبوں-کے","مسکین-کو","مسکینوں-پر","مسکینوں-کا","مسکینوں-کے"]
Exod 23:3, Exod 30:15, Lev 14:21, Lev 19:15, Ruth 3:10, 1 Sam 2:8, Job 5:16, Job 20:10, Job 20:19, Job 31:16, Job 34:19, Job 34:28 (+26 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. weak, feeble, powerless — Weak, feeble, or lacking in power or influence, rather than specifically impoverished. Gideon protests that his clan is the weakest (dal) in Manasseh (Judg 6:15), the house of Saul grows ever weaker (2 Sam 3:1), and the psalmist commends care for the weak and needy (Ps 41:1; 72:13; 82:3-4). German 'schwach' and Spanish 'debil' capture this nuance of frailty and powerlessness distinct from mere economic lack. 7×
AR["الأَذَلُّ","الضَّعيفِ","الضَّعِيفَ","الفَقيرِ","المِسكينَ","لِلضَّعِيفِ","وَيَضْعُفُونَ"]·ben["আর-দুর্বল","দরিদ্র","দরিদ্রকে","দীনকে","দীনের","সেই-দরিদ্র"]·DE["der-arm","der-schwach","der-weakest","schwach","und-weaker"]·EN["and-weaker","the-poor","the-weak","the-weakest","weak"]·FR["et-weaker","faible","le-weakest"]·heb["דל","ה-דל","ו-דלים"]·HI["और-कमजोर-होता","कमजोर","दीन","दीन-को"]·ID["lemah","orang-lemah","orang-miskin","yang-paling-lemah"]·IT["e-weaker","il-weakest","misero"]·jav["ingkang-mlarat","lan-ringkih","tiyang-mlarat","tiyang-ringkih"]·KO["가난하다","가난한-자-를","그리고-약해졌다","약한-자","약한-자-를"]·PT["e-enfraquecendo","fraco","o-fraco","o-pobre"]·RU["бедного","бедном","и-слабеющие","самый-бедный","слабого","слабом"]·ES["al-pobre","débil","el-más-débil","el-pobre","pobre","y-debilitándose"]·SW["dhaifu","kuwa-dhaifu","maskini"]·TR["de-zayıf","düşkünün","ve-zayıflıyor","yoksul","yoksulu","zayıfı"]·urd["اور-کمزور-ہوتے-رہے۔","غریب","غریب-ترین","غریب-کو","کمزور"]
3. humble, lowly — Humble or lowly in spirit, denoting meek submission rather than material deprivation. In Zephaniah 3:12, God promises to leave in Israel's midst an 'afflicted and lowly people' (ani wadal) who take refuge in the Lord. Arabic translations use mutawadi' ('humble') and Korean najun ('lowly'), pointing to a spiritual quality rather than a social or physical condition. 1×
AR["وَمُتَوَاضِعًا"]·ben["ও-দীন"]·DE["und-Geringe"]·EN["and-poor"]·FR["et-pauvre"]·heb["ו-דל"]·HI["और-दीन।"]·ID["dan-lemah"]·IT["e-povero"]·jav["lan-ringkih"]·KO["그리고-낮은"]·PT["e-necessitado"]·RU["и-бедный"]·ES["y-pobre"]·SW["na-wanyonge"]·TR["ve-fakir"]·urd["اور-مسکین"]
4. thin, gaunt, wasting away — Thin, gaunt, or physically emaciated, describing bodily wasting. In Genesis 41:19 the word describes Pharaoh's seven thin, ugly cows that devour the fat ones, and in 2 Samuel 13:4 it describes Amnon's visible physical deterioration. Spanish 'debil' and English 'wasting away' reflect the visible leanness and physical decline rather than poverty or weakness of social standing. 1×
AR["ضَعيفٌ"]·ben["ক্ষীণ"]·DE["wasting-weg"]·EN["wasting-away"]·FR["wasting-au-loin"]·heb["דל"]·HI["दुबला"]·ID["kurus"]·IT["wasting-via"]·jav["kuru"]·KO["수척한가"]·PT["magro"]·RU["чахнешь"]·ES["débil"]·SW["mwembamba"]·TR["zayıf"]·urd["کمزور"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† דַּל adj. low, weak, poor, thin (especially common in Wisd. lit. and poet.)—דַּל Lv 14:21 + 8 times, דָּל֑ Ex 23:3 + 17 times + דָּל֥ ψ 82:3; דַּלִּים Am 2:7 + 17 times; דַּלּוֹת Gn 41:19;—weak, thin, of kine Gn 41:19 (E); of Amnon 2 S 13:4; weak, of family of Saul 2 S 3:1 (opp. חָזֵק) cf. Ju 6:15; reduced, poor (opp. rich) Lv 14:21 (P) Ru 3:10 (opp. עָשִׁיר) Je 5:4 (opp. to הגדולים, v 5) Pr…