### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **dôq**, represented by `{{H1852}}`, refers to "something crumbling, i.e. fine (as a thin cloth); curtain." Based on its root, it conveys a sense of fineness or thinness. It is a very rare term, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire biblical text.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single appearance of `{{H1852}}` is in [[Isaiah 40:22]], a passage describing God's immense power and majesty. The verse depicts God as the one who "stretcheth out the heavens as a **curtain**." This usage creates a powerful simile, comparing the vast expanse of the heavens to a simple, fine cloth that God can effortlessly handle. It serves to contrast the grand scale of creation with the even greater power of the Creator.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in the immediate context of [[Isaiah 40:22]] help to build upon this theme of divine action:
* `{{H5186}}` **nâṭâh**: This verb, meaning "to stretch or spread out," is the action God performs upon the heavens. It is used in [[Isaiah 40:22]] to describe how God "stretcheth out" the heavens. The term is also used elsewhere to describe God's creative power through His "stretched out arm" ([[Jeremiah 32:17]], [[Deuteronomy 4:34]]) and His sovereign control, as when He "turneth" a king's heart [[Proverbs 21:1]].
* `{{H4969}}` **mâthach**: This root word, meaning "to stretch out; spread out," appears in parallel with `{{H5186}}` in [[Isaiah 40:22]]. After stretching the heavens as a curtain, God "spreadeth them out" as a tent to live in, reinforcing the imagery of God easily manipulating the cosmos.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H1852}}`, while based on a single verse, is significant in its portrayal of God's character.
* **Creative Omnipotence:** By describing the heavens as a thin **curtain**, the text emphasizes the effortless nature of God's creative act. What is immeasurably vast to humanity is delicate and light in the hands of God.
* **Divine Perspective:** The imagery in [[Isaiah 40:22]] contrasts God, who sits above the circle of the earth, with its inhabitants who are like grasshoppers. The heavens as a mere `{{H1852}}` **curtain** reinforces this divine perspective, where the cosmos itself is but a small part of His domain.
* **Creation as Habitation:** The verse extends the metaphor from a curtain to a tent "to dwell in," suggesting that God's creative work is not chaotic but is a purposeful act of making a place for life.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1852}}` **dôq** provides a concise and powerful image within scripture. Though used only once, its appearance in [[Isaiah 40:22]] defines the biblical understanding of God's relationship to His creation. It illustrates that the heavens, in all their grandeur, are to God as a fine cloth or a simple curtain, effortlessly stretched out and established by His limitless power.
TRV