Word Study for H1716 (דָּגַר)

dâgar /daw-gar'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root,

Meaningto brood over eggs or young

KJV usagegather, sit.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dâgar — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word dâgar, represented by H1716, is a primitive root meaning to brood over eggs or young, to gather, or to sit. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. Its use is highly specific, typically referring to the nesting and gathering actions of birds to illustrate a deeper truth.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, H1716 is used to draw parallels between animal behavior and human or spiritual conditions. In Jeremiah 17:11, it is used for a partridge that sitteth on eggs it does not successfully hatch, serving as a parable for one who acquires wealth unjustly. In Isaiah 34:15, it describes how the great owl will safely gather her young in a desolate land, signifying a complete and secure takeover by wilderness creatures as part of a divine judgment.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words are used in conjunction with H1716 to describe the full cycle of nesting and birth:

H1234 bâqaʻ (to cleave; hatch): This word appears alongside H1716 in Isaiah's prophecy, where the owl will "hatch." The term implies a breaking open, as when the fountains of the great deep were "broken up" at the flood Genesis 7:11.
H3205 yâlad (to bear young; hatch): This term is paired with H1716 in Jeremiah's parable of the partridge that "hatcheth" not. It broadly refers to the act of bringing forth life, from a woman who will "bring forth" children Genesis 3:16 to the mountains being "brought forth" at creation Psalms 90:2.
H4422 mâlaṭ (to bring forth young; deliver): Used in Isaiah 34:15 for the act of laying eggs, this word also means to escape or be rescued. This connects the idea of birth with preservation, as seen when God promises to "deliver" His people Isaiah 46:4.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1716 is found in its powerful metaphorical applications.

Metaphor for Illegitimate Gain: The image of brooding over eggs that do not hatch poignantly illustrates the principle in Jeremiah 17:11. Wealth gained dishonestly is ultimately barren and will be abandoned, exposing its owner as a fool.
Symbol of Prophetic Judgment: In Isaiah 34:15, the successful gathering of young by an owl is a sign of fulfilled prophecy. It confirms that a land under judgment will become so completely desolate that it serves as a secure habitat for wild animals.

Summary

In summary, H1716 is a specific verb for the acts of brooding and gathering young. Though it is used only twice, its applications are significant, employing imagery from the natural world to convey lessons about divine justice and the consequences of human action. It illustrates how a simple, literal behavior can become a powerful symbol for the futility of injustice and the certainty of prophetic judgment.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

דָגְרָה
דָגַר

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah and Jeremiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.