Word Study for H1726 (דַּהֲהַר)

dahăhar /dah-hah-har'/ Ask about this word

Rootby reduplication from דָּהַר

Meaninga gallop

KJV usagepransing.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dahăhar — 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 dahăhar, represented by H1726, describes a gallop or pransing. The term is formed by reduplication from the root word for "gallop," emphasizing the intensity of the action. It is an extremely rare word, appearing only 2 times within a single verse in the entire Bible.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The sole context for H1726 is in Judges 5:22, which describes a scene of intense, chaotic movement. The verse states that the "horsehoofs were broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones." The repetition of H1726 portrays the violent and frantic galloping of war horses with such force that their own hoofs are shattered, highlighting a moment of calamitous defeat for a powerful force.

Related Words & Concepts

The verse where H1726 appears connects it to several other key words that define the scene:

H5483 çûwç (horse): This is the animal performing the action. The horse often represents military might in scripture, with warnings against trusting in them for victory (Isaiah 31:1, Proverbs 21:31).
H6119 ʻâqêb (heel, hoof): This is the part of the horse that is broken by the pransing. The word is also used for human heels Genesis 3:15 and footsteps Psalms 56:6.
H1986 hâlam (to strike down, break): This word describes the result of the pransing, where the hoofs are "broken." It is used elsewhere for destructive actions like breaking down carved work Psalms 74:6 or a vine Isaiah 16:8.
H47 ʼabbîyr (mighty one, valiant): This describes the riders or perhaps the horses themselves, associating the pransing with powerful, valiant figures. The term is also used for bulls Jeremiah 50:11 and mighty men in general Lamentations 1:15.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1726 is derived entirely from its powerful imagery within its single context.

The Futility of Military Might: The pransing horses of the "mighty ones" H47 are symbols of human and military power. Their self-destruction shows the ultimate futility of such strength when it opposes divine will, a theme echoed in verses like Proverbs 21:31, which states that while the horse H5483 is prepared for battle, victory comes from the Lord.
Pride Leading to a Fall: The frantic "pransings" suggest an arrogant, aggressive force. The scene in Judges 5:22 serves as a potent illustration of pride leading to ruin, where the very instruments of a warrior's power become the cause of their downfall.
Intense Judgment: The word conveys a sense of violent, uncontrolled energy. This chaotic self-destruction can be interpreted as a form of divine judgment, where an enemy's power is turned back upon itself in a moment of utter collapse.

Summary

In summary, H1726 dahăhar is a vivid and specific term for a gallop or pransing. Though used only in Judges 5:22, its presence creates an unforgettable image of military might collapsing into chaos. It powerfully illustrates the biblical theme that earthly power, no matter how "mighty," is ultimately fragile and can lead to its own destruction, reinforcing the concept of God's sovereignty over the armies and ambitions of humanity.

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 noun 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.

דַּהֲרוֹת
דַּהֲרוֹת

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

1 verse, all in Judges — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.