Word Study for H1854 (דָּקַק)

dâqaq /daw-kak'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root (compare הָדַךְlemma הָדךְ missing vowel, corrected to class="strongs-hebrew-text">הָדַךְ)

Meaningto crush (or intransitively) crumble

KJV usagebeat in pieces (small), bruise, make dust, (be, very) small, stamp (small).

Idioms & phrases(into) idiom powder

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dâqaq — 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 dâqaq, represented by H1854, is a primitive root meaning to crush or crumble. It appears 13 times across 12 unique verses in the Bible, typically translated as to beat in pieces, make dust, or stamp something into powder until it is very small.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1854 is most often used to describe the complete destruction of idols and objects of false worship. Moses took the golden calf, burnt it, and ground it to powder Exodus 32:20. Later, righteous kings like Asa and Josiah are shown to stamp down idols 2 Chronicles 15:16 and make dust of pagan altars and images 2 Chronicles 34:4. The word is also used metaphorically for the defeat of enemies, as when God promises that Israel will thresh mountains and beat them small Isaiah 41:15, or when David describes how he did stamp his foes as the mire of the street 2 Samuel 22:43. In a different context, it describes the preparation of holy incense, which was to be beaten "very small" Exodus 30:36.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand on the concept of crushing and pulverizing:

H3807 kâthath (to bruise or violently strike; beat (down, to pieces), break in pieces, crushed, destroy, discomfit, smite, stamp): This term emphasizes a violent breaking action, often used in conjunction with grinding. It is used to describe how graven images were beaten to pieces Micah 1:7.
H2912 ṭâchan (to grind meal; hence, to be aconcubine (that being their employment); grind(-er)): This word specifically refers to the act of grinding, as when Moses "ground" the golden calf after burning it Deuteronomy 9:21.
H7833 shâchaq (to comminate (by trituration or attrition); beat, wear): This word describes the process of wearing something down into fine particles, used for both beating enemies small as dust Psalms 18:42 and preparing holy incense Exodus 30:36.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1854 is significant, highlighting several key themes:

Total Eradication of Idolatry: The use of dâqaq demonstrates that false idols must not just be broken but completely pulverized and scattered. This action represents an irreversible and total purification from false worship, as seen in the reforms of Josiah (2 Kings 23:6, 2 Kings 23:15).
Divine Judgment: The word powerfully illustrates God's judgment over his enemies. He empowers His people to "beat in pieces" opposing nations Micah 4:13 and reduces mountains—symbols of powerful kingdoms—to chaff Isaiah 41:15.
Consecration through Preparation: In contrast to its destructive uses, the word also appears in a sacred context. The holy incense for the tabernacle had to be beaten "very small," indicating that a process of refinement and meticulous preparation was necessary for something to be holy enough to be brought before God Exodus 30:36.

Summary

In summary, H1854 is a dynamic word that signifies more than simple breaking. It conveys the idea of complete and utter pulverization. This action is used to illustrate the definitive eradication of idolatry, the total dominion of God over His enemies, and the meticulous preparation required for sacred offerings. Through dâqaq, scripture demonstrates how the same physical process can symbolize either ultimate destruction or holy consecration.

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 13 occurrences, inflected in 9 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.

יָּדֶק
הָדֵק
הֵדַק
דָּק
הֲדִקּוֹת
אֲדִקֵּ
יוּדָק
תָדֹק
יְדֻקֶּ

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 12 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Chronicles (3 verses); never once in the other 32.

Exodus

Deuteronomy

2 Samuel

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Isaiah

Micah

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.