Word Study for H1878 (דָּשֵׁן)

dâshên /daw-shane'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningalso denominatively (from דֶּשֶׁן); to be fat; transitively, to fatten (or regard as fat); specifically to anoint; figuratively, to satisfy; to remove (fat) ashes (of sacrifices)

KJV usageaccept, anoint, take away the (receive) ashes (from), make (wax) fat.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dâshên — 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 dâshên, represented by H1878, carries a diverse range of meanings related to fatness, satisfaction, and ritual action. It appears 12 times across 11 unique verses in the Bible. Its applications extend from the literal act of anointing and the figurative state of prosperity to the specific priestly duty of removing ashes from the altar.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1878 is used in several key contexts. Figuratively, it describes the prosperity that comes from righteous character, such as when the soul of the diligent is "made fat" Proverbs 13:4 or when a person who trusts in the LORD "shall be made fat" Proverbs 28:25. Conversely, it can serve as a warning, as in Deuteronomy when the people "waxen fat" from abundance and are tempted to turn from God Deuteronomy 31:20. The word also signifies divine favor, as when David proclaims, "thou anointest my head with oil" Psalms 23:5. In a ritual sense, it refers to the priestly duty to "take away the ashes" from the altar Numbers 4:13 and to God's favorable reception of a "burnt sacrifice" Psalms 20:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of abundance, ritual, and moral character:

H2459 cheleb (fat, fatness): This word is a direct noun counterpart, often appearing alongside H1878 to describe the results of judgment, where a sword is "made fat H1878 with fatness H2459" Isaiah 34:6. It represents the richest or choice part.
H1293 Bᵉrâkâh (blessing, liberal): This term highlights the moral quality that leads to the prosperity signified by H1878. The "liberal H1293 soul shall be made fat H1878" Proverbs 11:25.
H2742 chărûwts (diligent): This contrasts with the sluggard, showing that the state of being "made fat" H1878 is a reward for effort and character. The soul of the diligent H2742 shall be made fat Proverbs 13:4.
H4196 mizbêach (altar): This word provides the context for the priestly duty associated with H1878, as the priests were commanded to "take away the ashes H1878 from the altar H4196" Numbers 4:13.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1878 is significant and multifaceted:

Prosperity and Character: The word frequently links material and spiritual well-being (being made fat) to moral virtues such as generosity, diligence, and trust in God (Proverbs 11:25, Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 28:25). It is presented as a result of right living.
The Danger of Abundance: Scripture uses the image of "waxen fat" H1878 as a warning. The prosperity God gives can become a spiritual snare, leading people to forget Him and break His covenant Deuteronomy 31:20.
Divine Favor and Anointing: To be anointed H1878 with oil is a sign of God's special favor, provision, and blessing, demonstrating immense hospitality and care Psalms 23:5.
Sacrificial System: The word plays a dual role in worship. It describes the cleansing of the altar ("take away the ashes," Numbers 4:13) and God's favorable reception of an offering ("accept thy burnt sacrifice," Psalms 20:3), connecting a physical act with divine approval.

Summary

In summary, H1878 is far more than a simple descriptor of fatness. It is a complex term that encompasses the results of virtue, the dangers of pride, the process of worship, and the intimacy of God's favor. It illustrates how a single term can describe the physical representation of God's blessing, the spiritual state of a person, and the holy responsibilities of worship.

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 11 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.

תְדֻשָּׁן
יְדֻשָּׁן
הֻדַּשְׁנָה
דִשְּׁנוּ
תְּדַשֶּׁן
יְדַשְּׁנֶ
דַשְּׁנ
דִּשַּׁנְתָּ
דָשֵׁן

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 11 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Proverbs (4 verses); never once in the other 33.

Exodus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Psalms

Proverbs

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.