### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **dâqar**, represented by `{{H1856}}`, is a primitive root meaning **to stab, pierce, or strike through**. It appears 11 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible. While its primary meaning refers to a violent, physical act, often with a weapon, it is also used by analogy to describe the effects of starvation and figuratively in significant prophetic contexts.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H1856}}` consistently depicts a fatal or near-fatal piercing. It is used in the context of battle and judgment, as when Phinehas **thrust** an Israelite man and a Midianite woman through with a spear to stop a plague [[Numbers 25:8]]. The word also appears in moments of personal desperation, such as when King Saul, facing defeat, begs his armourbearer to **thrust me through** with a sword [[1 Samuel 31:4]]. In prophecies of divine judgment, it describes the fate of enemies and the unrighteous, who "shall be **thrust through**" [[Isaiah 13:15]] and found as the **thrust through** in the streets [[Jeremiah 51:4]]. Figuratively, it conveys the ravages of famine, where those who die from hunger are described as "stricken **through**" [[Lamentations 4:9]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the context and meaning of **dâqar**:
* `{{H2719}}` **chereb** (sword): This is the most common instrument associated with the act of piercing. Saul commands his armourbearer to draw his **sword** and thrust him through [[1 Chronicles 10:4]], and in Isaiah's prophecy, those who are not thrust through will "fall by the **sword**" [[Isaiah 13:15]].
* `{{H8025}}` **shâlaph** (to pull out, draw): This action immediately precedes the act of piercing in several accounts. Both Saul and Abimelech command their armor-bearers to **draw** a sword to perform the fatal thrust ([[1 Samuel 31:4]], [[Judges 9:54]]).
* `{{H2491}}` **châlâl** (pierced, slain): This word is often used in parallel with `{{H1856}}` to describe the results of battle. Jeremiah speaks of the **slain** who shall fall and "they that are **thrust through** in her streets" [[Jeremiah 51:4]].
* `{{H4191}}` **mûwth** (to die, kill): This is the ultimate consequence of being thrust through. After Abimelech's young man **thrust him through**, the text explicitly states "and he **died**" [[Judges 9:54]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H1856}}` is most evident in its use in prophecy and divine judgment.
* **Messianic Prophecy:** The most profound use of the word is found in Zechariah, which states that the inhabitants of Jerusalem "shall look upon me whom they have **pierced**, and they shall mourn for him" [[Zechariah 12:10]]. This links the physical act of piercing to a future moment of profound national repentance and recognition.
* **Divine Judgment:** The word is an instrument of God's wrath against sin. In Isaiah's prophecy against Babylon, everyone found "shall be **thrust through**" [[Isaiah 13:15]]. Phinehas's act of thrusting the sinners through is portrayed as an act of righteousness that stays God's plague [[Numbers 25:8]].
* **Covenantal Zeal:** The word is used to express an ultimate, albeit shocking, loyalty to God. A father and mother are commanded to **thrust** their own son through if he prophesies falsely in the name of the Lord [[Zechariah 13:3]], demonstrating that allegiance to God must supersede even the closest family bonds.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1856}}` is a vivid and forceful term that goes beyond a simple description of stabbing. It serves as a marker of violent death in contexts of war, suicide, and righteous judgment. Its power is rooted in the finality of the act it describes, whether by a sword, a spear, or the ravages of famine. Theologically, its significance culminates in the prophetic declaration in Zechariah, transforming an act of violence into a pivotal moment in redemptive history.
TRV