H1869 H1869
To tread, march, trample; to bend the bow; in Hifil, to lead or guide along a path, or to cause to trample.
Darakh is one of those Hebrew verbs where the physical body tells the theological story. At its most literal, it means to set one's foot upon something — to tread grapes in a winepress (Isa 63:3), to walk upon conquered high places (Deut 33:29), to step on a threshing floor. From this earthy treading comes the vivid image of bending the bow: ancient archers literally trod upon the lower end of their bow to string and bend it (Ps 7:12; Jer 51:3), and this technical sense accounts for nearly a third of all uses. The Hifil stem elevates the verb beautifully — God 'causes to walk,' that is, he guides his people along the right path (Ps 25:5, 9), a metaphor so natural that Spanish guiar and German führen ('to lead') replace the treading imagery entirely. The Ethiopic cognate daraka ('to be rough, severe') preserves the forceful, physical origin that underlies even the gentlest guidance sense.
Senses
1. tread, trample — The basic Qal sense: to tread upon, step on, trample — 30 occurrences covering the full range of physical foot-placement. This includes treading grapes in the winepress (Isaiah 63:3's dramatic 'I have trodden the winepress alone'), walking upon conquered territory (Deut 1:36; 11:24; Josh 1:3 — 'every place the sole of your foot shall tread'), and trampling enemies or thresholds (1 Sam 5:5). Spanish pisadores/el que pisa ('treaders/the one who treads') and French fouler ('to trample') both preserve the forceful physicality. Korean 밟다 ('to step on') maps directly to this concrete sense. 30×
AR["ادوسي","الدَّائِسُ","تَدُوسُ","تَدُوسُونَ-","دَارِسٍ","دَاسُوا","دُسْتُ","سَلَكَهَا","كَ-الدَّائِسِينَ","وَ-أَدُوسُهُمْ","وَ-دَاعِسُ","وَ-يَدُوسُ","وَالدّائِسُ","يَدُوسُ","يَدُوسُونَ"]·ben["-এবং-আমি-মাড়িয়েছি-তাদের","-মাড়নেওয়ালা","-যে-হাঁটে","আমি-মাড়িয়েছি","এবং-তিনি-মাড়াবেন","ও-যিনি-পা-দেন","ও-যে-মাড়ায়","চলেছে","তারা-মাড়াই","তুমি-মাড়াবে","তোমরা-মাড়াবে-","দলবে","দ্রাক্ষা-মাড়াইকারীদের-মত","মাড়াই-করতে-","মাড়াবে","মাড়িয়ে-যাও"]·DE["Weg","der-Weg","du-wird-tread","du-wird-tread-","march-auf","sein-Weg","treten","tritt","und-Weg","und-treten","und-tritt","wird-tread"]·EN["I-have-trodden","and-I-trod-them","and-the-treader-of-","and-tread","and-treading","it-treads","like-treaders","march-on","the-treader","they-tread","treading","treads","walked","who-treads","will-tread","you-will-tread","you-will-tread-"]·FR["[דרכים]","chemin","et-fouler","et-marcher","fera-tread","fouler","le-chemin","march-sur","marcher","tu-fera-tread-"]·heb["דורך","דרכו","דרכים","דרכתי","ה-דורך","ו-אדרכם","ו-דוֹרך","ו-דורך","ו-דרך","ידרוך","כ-דורכים","תדרוך","תדרכו","תדרכי"]·HI["और-चलने-वाला","और-चलेगा","और-रौंदने-वाला","और-रौंदा-मैंने-उन-को","कुचल","चलनेवाला","चले","चलेगा।","चलेगी","चलोगे-तुम","तू-चलेगा","दाखरस-कूटनेवालों-जैसा","रौंदते-हुए","रौंदने-वाला","रौंदा-है-मैंने","रौंदेगा","वे-रौंदते-हैं"]·ID["-yang-memijak","Aku-menginjak","akan-menginjak","berjalanlah","dan-Aku-menginjak-mereka","dan-berjalan","diinjak","engkau-akan-menginjak","kamu-menginjak-","memijak","menginjak","mereka-injak","seperti-orang-yang-memijak","yang-memeras-","yang-menginjak"]·IT["[דרכים]","calco'","calpestare","e-calpestare","e-e-treading","e-via","essi-tread","fara-tread","la-via","marciare-su","tu-fara-tread-","via","walked"]·jav["Kawula-midak","Lan-Kawula-midak-piyambakipun","dipunlampahi","idhaka","ingkang-mlampah","ingkang-ngidak","kados-tiyang-ingkang-ngidak-anggur","kang-panèn","lan-midak","midak","ngidak","ngidak-","panjenengan-badhé-midak","panjenengan-ngidak","piyambakipun-ngidhak"]·KO["그리고-내가-그들을-밟았다","그리고-밟는-자가","그리고-밟으시는-분-은","그리고-밟으신다","내가-밟았다","너-는-밟으리라","밟나니","밟는-자가","밟는-자는","밟는-자들이-","밟아라","밟았던","밟으리라","밟으리라-너희가-","밟으면","밟을-것이다-그가","에-같이-포도를-밟는-자들"]·PT["Pisa","como-pisadores","e-os-pisei","e-pisador-de","e-pisando","e-pisará","o-pisador","pisam","pisando","pisar","pisaram","pisardes-","pisará","pisarás","pisei","que-anda"]·RU["будет-топтать","будешь-ступать","давит","давящих-","и-ступающий","и-ступит","и-топтал-Я-их","и-топчущий","как-топчущие","наступишь","ступай","ступающий","ступит","ступите","топтал-Я","топчут","топчущий","шли"]·ES["como-pisadores","el-pisador","el-que-pisa","pisa","pisadores-de-","pisan","pisaron","pisará","pisarás","pise","pisotearás","pisé","piséis","y-camina","y-el-que-pisa","y-los-pisé","y-pisará"]·SW["anayekanyaga","anayetembea","atakanyaga","endelea","hatakamuawala-kusagwa","itakanyaga","kama-wakanyagaji","kanyaga","mtakanyaga","na-akanyagaye","na-anayekanyaga","na-atakanyaga","na-niliwakanyaga","nimekanyaga","utakanyaga","wakikanyaga","walikanyaga","wanakanyaga"]·TR["basacak","basacaksın","basacaksınız-","basan","basan-","basar","bastığında","cigndedim","ezecek","ezenler-","eziyorlar","ve-basacak","ve-basan","ve-cignedim-onlari","ve-üzüm-ezen","yürüdü","yürüyeceksin","çiğne","üçüzüm-ezenler-gibi"]·urd["اور-روندنے-والا","اور-میں-نے-روندا-اُنہیں","اور-چلنے-والا","اور-چلے-گا","بڑھ-میری","تُو-روندے-گا","روندتے ہیں","روندنے-والا","روندنے-والوں-کو-","رکھے-گا","مانند-روندنے-والوں","میں-نے-روندا","پیر-رکھو","چلنے-والا","چلے","چلے-گا","کوئی-روندے-گا","کچلے-گا"]
Deut 1:36, Deut 11:24, Deut 11:25, Deut 33:29, Josh 1:3, Josh 14:9, Judg 5:21, Judg 9:27, 1 Sam 5:5, Neh 13:15, Job 9:8, Job 22:15 (+18 more)
2. bend the bow — To bend or draw the bow — 20 occurrences reflecting a distinctive technical-military usage derived from the physical action of treading on the bow's lower limb to bend it for stringing. This is a real lexicalized sense, not a metaphor: 1 Chronicles 5:18 and 8:40 describe warriors 'bending the bow' as a military skill, and Psalm 11:2 warns that the wicked 'bend their bow.' The specialized vocabulary is confirmed cross-linguistically: Spanish tensaron ('they tensed'), German spannen ('to draw/bend'), and the Arabic cognate's iv-form reaching/overtaking sense all point to a discrete martial action. Zechariah 9:13 ('I have bent Judah as my bow') builds theological metaphor on this military base. 20×
AR["النَّازِعُ","الَّذِينَ-يَنْزِعُونَ","شَادِّي","شَدَدْتُ","شَدَّ","مَدَّ","مَشدُودَةٌ","مَشْدُودَةٍ","مُوتِرُو","وَ-مادّي","وَجَّهوا","وَشادّو","وَمَدَّوا","وَيَمُدُّونَ","يَرمي","يَمُدُّونَ","يَنْزِعْ"]·ben["[যে-টানে]","আকৃষ্ট","আর-ধনুক-খিঁচনকারী","ও-টানেছে","ও-তারা-বাঁকায়","ও-মোড়কারী","টানলেন","টানা","টানুক","তারা-প্রস্তুত-করে","তারা-বাঁকিয়েছে","তিনি-প্রস্তুত-করেছেন","ধনুকধারীরা","বাঁকানো-","বাঁকিয়েছি","যারা-টানে","যে-টানে","সে-মুড়বে"]·DE["Weg","Wege-von","bend","der-Weg","er-hat-gebeugt","lass-ihn-bend","sie-aim","treten","tritt","und-Wege-von","und-gebeugt","und-treten"]·EN["And-they-bend","He-bent","I-have-bent","[ketiv:the-one-drawing]","and-bent","and-drawing","and-treading","bend","benders-of","bent","draw","he-has-bent","let-him-bend","the-one-drawing","they-aim","treaders-of","who-bend"]·FR["[דרכי]","[ודרכי]","chemin","chemins-de","et-fouler","et-son-chemin","fouler","le-chemin","marcher","son-chemin"]·heb["[ידרך]","דורכי","דרוכה","דרוכות","דרך","דרכו","דרכי","דרכתי","ה-דורך","ו-דרכו","ו-דרכי","ו-ידרכו","ידרוך","ידרכון"]·HI["उसने-चढ़ाया","और-उन्होंने-तानी-है","और-खींचनेवाले-के","और-चढ़ानेवाले","और-चढ़ाया-है","खींचने-वालो","खींचनेवाले","खींची-हुई","चढ़ाए","चढ़ाते-हैं","चढ़ानेवाला","चलाए-जब","ताननेवाले","तानी","मैंने-झुकाया","वे-तानते-हैं"]·ID["Aku-membentangkan","Ia-melenturkan","Ia-membentangkan","[merentang]","dan-mereka-membengkokkan","dan-penarik","dan-yang-merentangkan","direntangkan","membengkokkan","mereka-memasang","merentangkan","orang-yang-merentang","yang-dilenturkan","yang-membengkokkan","yang-membentangkan","yang-merentang"]·IT["[דרכי]","[ודרכי]","calco'","calpestare","e-calpestare","e-la-sua-via","la-sua-via","la-via","via","vie-di"]·jav["Lan-piyambakipun-sami-menthang","Panjenengan-ngencengaken","[ketib]","dipun-panah","ingkang-kakentheng","ingkang-menthang","ingkang-ngantas","ingkang-ngencengaken","lan-ingkang-mbentangi","lan-ingkang-ngantas","lan-sampun-mbengkuk","melenthangaken-Kawula","ngentang","piyambakipun","sampun-dipunkentrekaken","sampun-narik","sampun-ngencengaken"]·KO["[당기는-자가]","겨누라","겨누었도다","그-가-당겼네","그-와-당기는-자들-의","그리고-그들이-굿혔다","그리고-당겼도다","그리고-당기는-자들","내가-당겼음이라","당겨졌도다","당겨진","당기나이다","당기는-자가","당기는-자들-의","당기는-자들이","당기리라","당기시고","밟는-자들아"]·PT["Armou","E-retesaram","[que-arma]","armado","armadores-de","armados","armam","armaram","arme","armou","e-armadores-de","e-armaram","e-empunhando","ele-prepara","encurvei","o-que-arma","que-pisam"]·RU["[пусть-натягивает]","Натянул","да-направит","и-натягивают","и-натягивающих","и-натянули","направили","натягивают","натягивающие","натягивающий","натягивающих","натянул","натянул-Я","натянутого","натянуты","пусть-натягивает"]·ES["Ha-tensado","Y-tensaron","[kethiv]","el-que-tensa","han-tensado","he-tensado","los-que-tensan","tensado","tensados","tensan","tense","tensores-de","tensó","y-tensadores-de","y-tensaron"]·SW["Amepinda","[asipige-mshale]","akiwinda","ameupinda","asipige-mshale","na-wamepinda","na-wanapinda","na-wapiga","na-wavutaji-wa","nimeunyoosha","uliofungwa","wamewinda","wanaopinda","wanapinda","wapiga","yule-anayepiga-mshale","zimevutwa"]·TR["Gerdi","[geren]","gerdi","gerdim","gerdiğinde-","geren","gerenler","gerenleri","gerilmis","germesin","kurarlar","ve-gerdiler","ve-çekenler","ve-çekenlerı-"]·urd["-چڑھانے-والا","[چڑھانے-والا]","اور-تانی","اور-کمان-کھینچنے-والے","اور-کھینچتے-ہیں","اور-کھینچنے-والے","اُس-نے-کھینچی","تانا","تانے","میں-نے-تانا","چڑھائے","چڑھی-ہوئی","کھینچتے-ہیں","کھینچنے-والو","کھینچنے-والے","کھینچی-ہوئی"]
1 Chr 5:18, 1 Chr 8:40, 2 Chr 14:8, Ps 7:12, Ps 11:2, Ps 37:14, Ps 58:7, Ps 64:3, Isa 5:28, Isa 21:15, Jer 9:3, Jer 46:9 (+8 more)
3. lead, guide — Hifil causative: to lead, guide, or cause to walk along a path — 9 occurrences, almost exclusively with God as subject. Psalm 25:5 ('lead me in your truth') and 25:9 ('he guides the humble in justice') are foundational, as is Proverbs 4:11 ('I have led you in paths of uprightness'). The metaphorical leap from physical treading to divine guidance is so complete that target languages abandon treading vocabulary entirely: Spanish guiar, German führen, French conduire, and Korean 인도하다 all select dedicated 'lead/guide' words. This confirms a fully lexicalized sense, not a contextual inference. Psalm 119:35 ('make me walk in the path of your commandments') links this guidance to Torah observance. 9×
AR["أَرْشَدْتُكَ","أَرْشِدْنِي","أُرْشِدُكَ","أُرْشِدُهُمْ","اهْدِنِي","وَ-هَداهُم","وَ-يُسَيِّرُ","يَهْدِي","يُسَيِّرُنِي"]·ben["আমাকে-চালিত-করুন","এবং-তিনি-তাদের-নেতৃত্ব-দিলেন","ও-তিনি-চলাবেন","চালিয়েছি-তোমাকে","তিনি-আমাকে-চালান","তিনি-চালিত-করেন","পথ-দেখাব-তাদের","পরিচালনা-কর","যিনি-তোমাকে-চালিত-করেন"]·DE["er-führt","führen-mich","machen-mich-wandeln","treten","tritt","und-er-führte-ihnen","und-treten"]·EN["I-have-led-you","I-will-guide-them","and-He-led-them","and-he-will-make-walk","he-leads","he-makes-me-walk","lead-me","make-me-walk","who-leads-you"]·FR["et-fouler","et-marcher","fouler","le-marcher","marcher","marcher-toi"]·heb["אדריכם","הדריכני","הדרכתיך","ו-הדריך","ו-ידריכם","ידריך","ידריכני","מדריכך"]·HI["और-उसने-चलाया-उन्हें","और-चलवाएगा","चला-मुझे","चलाउंगा-उन्हें-मैं","चलाता-है-वह","चलाया-तुझे","तुझे-चलाने-वाला","वह-चलाएगा-मुझे"]·ID["Aku-akan-menuntun-mereka","Ia-membuatku-berjalan.","aku-memimpinmu","dan-Ia-memimpin-mereka","dan-membuat-orang-berjalan","pimpinlah-aku","yang-memimpin-engkau"]·IT["Io-have-led-voi-tuo","calco'","calpestare","e-calco'","e-calpestare"]·jav["Ingsun-badhé-nuntun","Lan-dipuntuntun","Panjenengan-ipun-nuntun","Panjenenganipun-ngidak","Tuntuna-kula","Tuntunna-kula","ingkang-nuntun-panjenengan","kula-nuntun-panjenengan","lan-Panjenenganipun-badhé-ndadosaken-mlampah"]·KO["건너게-하시리라","그리고-인도하셨으니-그들-을","나-가-너-를-인도했다","나-로-걷게-하시느니라","너를-인도하는-자이니라","인도하리라-그들을","인도하소서","인도하소서-나-를","인도하시도다"]·PT["E-os-guiou","Guia","Guia-me","e-fará-passar","faz-me-andar","guiando-te","os-guiarei","te-guiei"]·RU["Веди-меня","И-повёл-их","ведет","веди-меня","ведущий-тебя","даёт-ходить-мне","и-проведёт","направил-я-тебя","поведу-их"]·ES["Guíame","Y-los-guió","el-que-te-guía","guiará","guíame","los-guiaré","me-hace-andar","te-he-guiado","y-hará-andar"]·SW["Anaongoza","Uniongoze","ananipandisha","mkuongozaye","na-akawaongoza","na-atawawezesha-kupita","ni-me-ku-ongoza","niongoza","nitawaongoza"]·TR["ve-yurutturerek","ve-yöneltti-onları","yonlendiirecegim-onlari","yonlendiririm-seni","yönlendir-beni","yönlendirdim-seni","yönlendirir","yürüt-beni","yürütecek-beni"]·urd["اور-پیدل-چلائے-گا","اور-چلایا-اُنہیں","تجھے-چلانے-والا","مجھے-چلا","میں-اُنہیں-چلاؤں-گا","وہ-چلاتا-ہے","چلا-مجھے","چلاتا-ہے-مجھے","چلایا-ہے-تجھے-میں-نے"]
4. cause to trample, thresh — Hifil causative with retained physical force: to cause to trample or thresh — 3 occurrences where the causative retains the violent or agricultural physicality of the Qal. Judges 20:43 describes enemies being 'trampled down'; Job 28:8 speaks of proud beasts that have not 'trodden' the path; Jeremiah 51:33 envisions Babylon as a threshing floor about to be trampled. Spanish trillar ('to thresh') and pisar ('to trample') preserve the agricultural and violent dimensions respectively. This sense is distinct from sense 3's metaphorical guidance because the physical treading is literal and forceful. 3×
AR["دَاسُوهُ","دَرْسِهَا","سَلَكَها"]·ben["তাকে-মাড়াই-দেওয়ার","মাড়িয়েছিল","মাড়িয়েছে"]·DE["trampled-ihn","treten","tritt"]·EN["her-trampling","trampled-him","tread-it"]·FR["fouler","marcher-lui","trampled-lui"]·heb["הדריכה","הדריכוהו"]·HI["उस-पर-चली","कुचला-उसे","दाँवने-का"]·ID["ia-diinjak-injak","menginjaknya","mereka-menginjak-dia"]·IT["calpestare","trampled-lui","tread-esso-suo"]·jav["dipun-idak-idak","dipunambah","piyambakipun-sedaya-ngidak-piyambakipun"]·KO["밟는-그녀를","밟았다"]·PT["a-pisaram","pisaram-o","ser-pisada"]·RU["молотьбы-её","ступали-по-ней","топтали-его"]·ES["la-pisaron","lo-pisotearon","trillarla"]·SW["hawakuikanyaga","wa-kupura","wakamkanyaga"]·TR["bastılar-ona","çiğnediler-onu","çiğnenmesinin"]·urd["روندا-اُسے","روندنے-کا-اُس-کے"]
5. sense 5 — A single ambiguous occurrence at Numbers 24:17 where Balaam prophesies that 'a star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel' — and darakh describes the star's motion, variously rendered as 'marching,' 'stepping forth,' or 'arising.' The cross-lingual evidence (Spanish marchará, English 'marches') suggests processional, stately movement rather than violent trampling or bow-bending. This prophetic-cosmological usage may represent a distinct poetic sense of majestic advancing, though its isolation makes certainty difficult. 1×
AR["دَرَجَ"]·ben["উদিত-হবে"]·DE["marches"]·EN["marches"]·FR["marches"]·heb["דרך"]·HI["उदय-होगा"]·ID["berjalan"]·IT["marches"]·jav["Badhe-terbit"]·KO["나아가리라"]·PT["Surgirá"]·RU["взошла"]·ES["marchará"]·SW["atachomoza"]·TR["doğacak"]·urd["نکلے-گا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)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×)H???? 1. (4670×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† דָּרַךְ vb. tread, march (Aramaic דְּרַךְ, ܕܪܶܟ NH Hiph. lead, conduct; Arabic iv. ادرك reach, overtake; Ethiopic ደረከ be rough, severe (from calcavit, Di); መድረክ threshold, vestibule)— Qal Pf. 3 ms. דָּרַךְ Nu 24:17 + 6 times; 3 fs. דָּרְֽכָה Jos 14:9; 2 ms. דָּרַכְתָּ Hb 3:15; 1 s. דָּרַכְתִּי Is 63:3 Zc 9:13; pl. דָּֽרְכוּ Jb 22:15 + 3 times; Impf. 3 ms. יִדְרֹךְ Mi 5:4 + 6 times + ידרך Je…