Biblical Lexicon

H1846 H1846

V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | 9× in 2 senses

To go out or be extinguished; of flames, lamps, and figuratively of the prosperity or life-force of the wicked being snuffed out.

A poetic verb found almost exclusively in Wisdom and prophetic literature, describing the dying out of a flame or lamp. In its figurative usage, which dominates the biblical evidence, the extinguishing of the wicked's lamp serves as a powerful image for the collapse of their prosperity (Job 18:5-6; Prov 13:9; 20:20; 24:20). Isaiah 43:17 extends the metaphor to hostile armies snuffed out like a wick. The Aramaic cognate d'ik and Syriac d'ek confirm the core meaning, while the multilingual glosses consistently render it with reflexive or passive extinction verbs (Spanish se-apaga, French s'eteindre).

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Senses

1. Qal: to go out, be extinguished — The Qal imperfect describes the ongoing process of going out or being extinguished -- a flame guttering toward darkness. Nearly every occurrence is figurative: the 'lamp of the wicked' (ner resha'im) will go out, symbolizing the end of their fortune and legacy (Job 18:5-6; 21:17; Prov 13:9; 20:20; 24:20). Spanish se-apaga and French s'eteindre both capture the middle-voice nuance of a light that dies of its own accord rather than being actively quenched. 6×

NATURAL_WORLD › Physical Events and States › Extinguishing Fire

AR["يَنْطَفِئُ"]·ben["নিভে-যাবে", "নিভে-যায়"]·DE["[ידעך]"]·EN["extinguished", "is-extinguished", "is-put-out", "will-be-put-out"]·FR["s'éteindre"]·heb["ידעך"]·HI["बुझ-जाएगा", "बुझ-जाएगी", "बुझाया-जाता-है", "बुझेगा"]·ID["akan-padam", "padam"]·IT["extinguished", "will-essere-put-fuori", "è-extinguished", "è-put-fuori"]·jav["badhe-pejah", "badhé-pejah", "badé-pejah", "dipunpejahaken", "pejah"]·KO["꺼지는가", "꺼지리라", "꺼진다"]·PT["apagar-se-á", "se-apaga", "se-apagará", "será-apagada"]·RU["гаснет", "погаснет"]·ES["se-apaga", "se-apagará", "será-apagada"]·SW["inazimika", "itazimika", "itazimwa", "taa-yake-itazimwa"]·TR["sönecek", "söner"]·urd["بجھ-جائے-گا", "بجھے-گا", "بُجھ جائے", "بُجھ جائے گی", "بُجھتا ہے"]

Job 18:5, Job 18:6, Job 21:17, Prov 13:9, Prov 20:20, Prov 24:20

2. Nifal/Pual: to be extinguished, snuffed out (perfective) — The Niphal and Pual perfective stems denote the completed state of having been extinguished or wiped out. In Job 6:17 dried-up wadis are 'made extinct' (nid'akhu), while Psalm 118:12 compares assailants to thorns already quenched. Isaiah 43:17 uses the Qal perfect of enemy forces who 'went out' like a snuffed wick. The shift from process (sense 1) to accomplished fact is marked by stem and aspect: what was flickering has now gone dark. 3×

NATURAL_WORLD › Physical Events and States › Extinguishing Fire

AR["انطَفَأوا", "اِنْطَفَأُوا", "تَنْطَفِئُ"]·ben["-মৌমাছির-মত", "তারা-নিভে-যায়", "নিভে-গেছে"]·DE["[דעכו]", "[נדעכו]", "sie-waren-extinguished"]·EN["they-are-extinguished", "they-were-extinguished"]·FR["[דעכו]", "s'éteindre"]·heb["דועכו", "דעכו", "נדעכו"]·HI["बुझ-गईं", "बुझ-गए", "बुझ-जाते-हैं"]·ID["mereka-padam", "padam"]·IT["[דעכו]", "they-are-extinguished"]·jav["Sampun-pejah", "dipunpejahi", "sami-sirna"]·KO["꺼졌도다", "껴졌으며", "사라진다"]·PT["extinguiram-se", "foram-extintas", "são-extintos"]·RU["погасли", "угасают", "угасли"]·ES["se-apagan", "se-apagaron"]·SW["vinatoweka", "walizimwa", "wamezimwa"]·TR["sonduler", "söndüler", "sönerler"]·urd["بجھ-جاتے-ہیں", "بجھ-گئے"]

Job 6:17, Ps 118:12, Isa 43:17

BDB / Lexicon Reference

† [דָּעַךְ] vb. go out, be extinguished (poet. & especially Wisd. lit. (Aramaic דְּעִיךְ, ܕܥܶܟ )— Qal Pf. 3 mpl. דָּֽעֲכוּ Is 43:17; Impf. יִדְעַךְ Pr 20:20, יִדְעָ֑ךְ Jb 18:5 + 4 times;—go out, be extinguished, of lamp, always fig., lamp of wicked (i.e. prosperity) אוֹר רְשָׁעִים Jb 18:5, נֵר ר׳ Jb 18:6; 21:17 Pr 13:9; 20:20; 24:20; of hostile armies Is 43:17 (‖ כָּב֫וּ). Niph. Pf. 3 pl.…