Word Study for H1772 (דַּיָּה)

dayâh /dah-yaw'/ Ask about this word

Rootintensive from דָּאָה

Meaninga falcon (from its rapid flight)

KJV usagevulture.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dayâh — 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 dayâh, represented by H1772, identifies a falcon or vulture. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. The term is derived from a word suggesting rapid flight, emphasizing its identity as a swift bird of prey.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical contexts, H1772 is used to specify a particular type of bird within legal and prophetic writings. In the laws of Moses, the vulture is explicitly named among the birds considered unclean and forbidden for consumption Deuteronomy 14:13. In the book of Isaiah, a prophecy of judgment includes the detail that vultures will be gathered in a desolate land, with each one accompanied by its mate, signifying a scene of complete ruin Isaiah 34:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the role and context of the dayâh:

H344 ʼayâh (the screamer, i.e. a hawk; kite, vulture): This term for a bird of prey is listed alongside the dayâh in the list of unclean animals, reinforcing the legal classification of these creatures Deuteronomy 14:13.
H4327 mîyn (a sort, i.e. species; kind): This word is used to categorize the vulture in the phrase "the vulture after his kind," highlighting its use in the systematic classification of creatures under biblical law Deuteronomy 14:13.
H6908 qâbats (a primitive root; to grasp, i.e. collect; assemble, gather): This verb describes the action of the vultures in the prophecy of Isaiah, where they are "gathered" together as a sign of divine judgment taking effect Isaiah 34:15.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1772 is connected to its symbolic role in law and prophecy.

Ritual Uncleanness: By being included in the list of forbidden animals, the dayâh serves as a marker of what is ritually impure, helping to establish the distinct dietary and purity laws for Israel Deuteronomy 14:13.
Sign of Divine Judgment: The presence of vultures gathering in a land is a powerful prophetic image of desolation and death. Their arrival signifies the aftermath of God's judgment upon a place Isaiah 34:15.
Prophetic Certainty: The prophecy that vultures will be gathered, with none lacking a mate, underscores the certainty and completeness of God's decreed word. It shows that nature itself will be ordered to fulfill the divine command Isaiah 34:15.

Summary

In summary, H1772 is more than a simple zoological term. It functions as a specific and potent symbol within the Old Testament. As a vulture or falcon, it serves first as a legal example of an unclean animal and second as a prophetic sign of desolation and fulfilled judgment. Its two concise appearances effectively illustrate how a creature can represent concepts of both religious law and divine retribution.

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.

דַיּוֹת
דַּיָּה

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 Deuteronomy and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Deuteronomy

Isaiah

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.