Original Word: דָּאַב
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: da'ab
Pronunciation: dah-ehv
Phonetic Spelling: (daw-ab')
KJV: mourn, sorrow(-ful)
NASB: languish, languishes, wasted away
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to pine

mourn, sorrowful

A primitive root; to pine -- mourn, sorrow(-ful).

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to become faint, languish
NASB Translation
languish (1), languishes (1), wasted away (1).

[דָּאֵב] verb become faint, languish (Late Hebrew id. Hiph`il; compare Arabic toil, weary oneself; see also דְּאָבָה, דְּאָבוֺן & compare דוב) —

Qal Perfect3feminine singular דָּֽאֲבָה Psalm 88:10 (subject עַיִן); Infinitive לְדַאֲבָה Jeremiah 31:12 ׳לֹא יוֺסִיפוּ לְד (subject ransomed Israel); — Jeremiah 31:25 has נֶפֶשׁ דָּֽאֲבָה, of hunger ("" נֶפֶשׁ עֲיֵפָ֑ה), where adjective or participle seems needed; Hi Gf דְּאֵבָה or דֹּאֲבָה (the punctuators had, according to them, the Aramaic participle in mind); Thes. makes relative clause.

Overview

דָּאַב (Strong’s 1669) conveys the inner weakening that follows prolonged distress, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Scripture employs the verb to dramatize human frailty and God’s answer to it, moving from desolation to divine restoration.

Canonical Occurrences

1. Psalm 88:9—The psalmist confesses, “My eyes are dim from affliction.” The verb paints a portrait of sight fading under sorrow, capturing one of the darkest laments in the Psalter.
2. Jeremiah 31:12—In prophetic contrast, the future remnant “will never languish again,” signaling national re-creation after exile.
3. Jeremiah 31:25—The Lord promises, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Here דָּאַב stands at the turning point from exhaustion to renewal, anchoring the chapter’s new-covenant hope.

Literary and Theological Significance

• Lament and Hope: Psalm 88 positions דָּאַב within a lament that ends without resolution, underscoring the authenticity of unrelieved suffering in the life of faith. Jeremiah, however, uses the same verb to promise its end, demonstrating Scripture’s narrative arc from travail to triumph.
• Covenant Faithfulness: Jeremiah 31 frames the verb inside God’s new-covenant declaration (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The termination of languishing is not mere emotional relief but covenantal fulfillment, illustrating divine fidelity despite Judah’s failures.
• Divine Compassion: Both prophetic occurrences attribute relief directly to God. The verb thus highlights the contrast between human incapacity and divine sufficiency.

Historical Context

Psalm 88 likely reflects individual affliction during the monarchic period, while Jeremiah 31 speaks to the Babylonian exile. Exile magnified collective weariness; the promise that Israel “will never languish again” assured returning exiles that their historical cycle of depletion would be interrupted by God’s irreversible grace.

Emotional and Spiritual Dimensions

דָּאַב touches on the psychosomatic unity of the Hebrew conception of personhood. Eyes grow dim (Psalm 88:9), the soul tires (Jeremiah 31:25), and the community fears economic ruin (Jeremiah 31:12). The verb therefore invites believers to present every layer of depletion to the Lord, trusting His holistic restoration.

Ministry Implications

• Pastoral Care: The word legitimizes expressions of despair within corporate worship and counseling settings, guiding sufferers from honesty to hope.
• Preaching: Expositors can trace the movement from Psalm 88’s unresolved darkness to Jeremiah 31’s promise, showing how Christ ultimately answers human languishing (Matthew 11:28).
• Intercession: Prayer leaders may plead Jeremiah 31:25 over the weary—“satisfy the faint”—as a Spirit-inspired petition.

New Testament Resonance

Though דָּאַב itself is confined to the Old Testament, its theme echoes in:
• Luke 18:1—Jesus’ parable encourages believers “always to pray and not lose heart.”
• 2 Corinthians 4:16—“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.” Paul’s wording mirrors the Hebrew imagery of wasting and renewal, fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection power.

Application in Worship

Hymnody and liturgy can incorporate Psalm 88:9 to voice unmitigated grief, then pivot to Jeremiah 31:25 for assurance. Such juxtaposition models the full gospel trajectory, preventing shallow triumphalism while avoiding hopeless despair.

Summary

דָּאַב portrays the draining effect of suffering and the Lord’s pledge to reverse it. From the darkest lament to the brightest promise, Scripture weds human frailty to divine restoration, urging believers to bring their faintness to the God who refreshes and satisfies.

דָּאֲבָ֖ה דָאֲבָ֗ה דאבה לְדַאֲבָ֖ה לדאבה dā’ăḇāh ḏā’ăḇāh dā·’ă·ḇāh ḏā·’ă·ḇāh daaVah lə·ḏa·’ă·ḇāh ləḏa’ăḇāh ledaaVahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts