H1851 H1851
Thin, fine, small; of gaunt cattle, powdery manna, a stunted person, or a gentle whisper
An adjective that spans a surprising range from Pharaoh's emaciated cows to the still, small voice on Horeb. In Genesis 41, the 'thin' (daq) cattle and grain ears signal famine — Hindi 'dubli' and German 'mager' (gaunt) capture this agricultural dread. Applied to substances like manna and incense, it shifts to 'fine-grained' or 'powdery' (Exod 16:14; Lev 16:12), where Arabic 'daqiq' (fine flour) shares the same Semitic root. Most memorably, in 1 Kings 19:12 the word describes the 'thin' or gentle quality of God's voice to Elijah — a whisper so quiet it redefines divine power.
1. thin, gaunt, lean — Of living things that are gaunt, lean, or emaciated — most prominently the thin cows and withered grain ears in Pharaoh's dream (Gen 41:3-7, 23-24). The adjective modifies flesh (basar) to convey scrawniness that signals coming famine. Hindi 'dubli' and German 'mager/dünnen' carry the same visceral sense of alarming leanness. All six occurrences cluster in the Joseph narrative, marking daq as the signature word for Egypt's prophesied scarcity. 6×
AR["الْ-دَّقِيقَاتُ","دَقِيقَاتٌ","وَ-دَقِيقَاتُ"]·ben["আর-রোগা","রোগা"]·DE["die-dünnen","dünne","und-mager","und-mager-von"]·EN["and-thin-of","the-thin","thin"]·FR["et-thin-de","le-thin","thin"]·heb["דקות","ה-דקות","ה-דקת","ו-דקות","ו-דקת"]·HI["और-दुबली","दुबली"]·ID["dan-kurus","kurus","yang-kurus"]·IT["e-thin-di","il-thin","thin"]·jav["lan-kuru","tipis"]·KO["가는","그리고-여윈"]·PT["as-finas","e-magras-de","finas"]·RU["и-тощие","и-тощих","тонкие","тонких"]·ES["delgadas","las-delgadas","y-flacas-de"]·SW["membamba","na-wembamba"]·TR["-cilız","cilız","ve-cilız"]·urd["اور-پتلی","پتلی","پتلی-والی"]
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. fine, small, powdery — Of substances and particles that are fine, small, or powdery. The manna is described as 'fine, flake-like, fine as frost' (Exod 16:14), using daq twice in one verse to emphasize its delicate texture. Applied also to crushed incense (Lev 16:12), thin hair (Lev 13:30), and dust so fine it becomes insignificant (Isa 29:5; 40:15). Arabic 'daqiq' (fine flour) shares this root, confirming the Semitic semantic core of smallness in particle size. 6×
AR["دَقِيقًا","دَقِيقٌ","دَقِيقٍ","شَيْءٌ-دَقِيقٌ","كَالدَّقِيقِ"]·ben["ক্ষুদ্রের-মতো","গুঁড়া","পাতলা","সূক্ষ্ম"]·DE["[דק]","[כדק]","duenn","fein"]·EN["fine","like-fine-dust","the-multitude","thin"]·FR["[דק]","[כדק]","fin","thin"]·heb["דק","דקה","כ-ה-דק"]·HI["और-अशुद्ध ठहराएगा","जैसे-सूक्ष्म","बारीक","महीन","सूक्ष्म"]·ID["halus","seperti-debu-halus","tipis"]·IT["[דק]","[כדק]","fior","thin"]·jav["alit","alus","kados-lebu-alit","tipis"]·KO["가는","같이-가는-것","고운","미세한","잘고"]·PT["como-a-poeira","fino","fino,"]·RU["как-пылинку","мелкая","мелких","мелкое","тонкий"]·ES["como-polvo","fino","menudo"]·SW["kama-chembe","kidogo","kitu-kidogo","laini","nyembamba","uliposagwa"]·TR["ince","ince-toz-gibi"]·urd["باریک","ذرے-کی-طرح"]
3. stunted, undersized (of a person) — A physical defect rendering a person stunted or undersized, listed among disqualifying blemishes for priestly service (Lev 21:20). Whether this denotes a dwarf or someone with a wasting condition remains debated, but the core sense of daq — insufficient size — applies to the human body here. Hindi 'bauna' (dwarf) and the priestly purity context both point to a visible physical shortcoming. 1×
AR["نَحِيفٌ"]·ben["বামন"]·DE["ein-dwarf"]·EN["a-dwarf"]·FR["un-dwarf"]·heb["דק"]·HI["बौना"]·ID["kerdil"]·IT["un-nano"]·jav["kurus"]·KO["왜소한"]·PT["anão"]·RU["чахлый"]·ES["enano"]·SW["mwenye-kudumaa"]·TR["cılız"]·urd["بونا"]
4. thin, still, quiet — Of sound that is thin, gentle, or quiet — the celebrated 'still small voice' (qol demamah daqqah) that Elijah heard at Horeb (1 Kgs 19:12). After wind, earthquake, and fire, the divine presence came in a sound so thin it was barely perceptible. This sense extends daq from the visual and tactile into the auditory, suggesting something reduced to its most delicate, almost imperceptible form. Hindi 'dheemi' (gentle/soft) and Swahili 'laini' (smooth, soft) echo this nuance. 1×
AR["خَفيفٍ"]·ben["নম্র।"]·DE["thin"]·EN["thin"]·FR["thin"]·heb["דקה"]·HI["धीमी"]·ID["halus"]·IT["magro"]·jav["alus"]·KO["잘은"]·PT["suave"]·RU["тонкой"]·ES["delgado"]·SW["laini"]·TR["ince"]·urd["دھیمی"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† דַּק adj. thin, small, fine—abs. m. דּ׳ Ex 16:14 + times; דָּ֑ק Lv 13:30; f. דַּקָּה Lv 16:12 1 K 19:12; pl. f. abs. דַּקּוֹת Gn 41:6 + 2 times; דַּקֹּת 41:24; cstr. דַּקּוֹת 41:3, דַּקֹּת v 4;— 1. thin, of kine דּ׳ בָּשָׂר Gn 41:3 cf. v 4 (Sam has in both רַקּוֹת cf. MT v 19, 20, 27); of ears of corn v 6, 7, 23, 24 (all E); thin, shrunk, withered, of man Lv 21:20 (H). 2. small, fine, of the…