Original Word: דּוּב
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: duwb
Pronunciation: doob
Phonetic Spelling: (doob)
KJV: sorrow
NASB: pine away
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to mope, i.e. (figuratively) pine

sorrow

A primitive root; to mope, i.e. (figuratively) pine -- sorrow.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to pine away
NASB Translation
pine away (1).

[דּוּב] verb pine away (compare דאב, דאבון) —

Hiph`il Participle feminine plural מְדִיבֹת נפשׁ Leviticus 26:16 (diseases) causing to pine away the soul (life), compare Di; in 1 Samuel 2:33 read probably Infinitive לְהָדִיב את נפשׁך (for ᵑ0 לַאֲדִיב) so Dr; transitive to cause thy (al. his) soul to pine away (compare VB).

Meaning and Imagery

דּוּב (Strong’s 1727) evokes a picture of slow but relentless decline—an inner “pining” or “languishing” that saps vitality. The single biblical occurrence places the word among a cluster of covenant curses, connecting physical deterioration with spiritual despondency. It portrays not an instantaneous blow but a drawn-out wasting that steadily erodes both body and spirit.

Covenant Context (Leviticus 26:16)

Leviticus 26 outlines blessings for obedience (verses 3-13) and escalating judgments for disobedience (verses 14-39). In the very first stage of chastening the Lord warns,

“I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting disease, and fever that will cause your eyes to fail and your soul to languish.” (Leviticus 26:16)

Here דּוּב (“languish”) follows “wasting disease” and “fever,” rounding out a triad that affects body (disease), mind (terror), and soul (dûb). The verse therefore presents comprehensive covenant discipline aimed at driving the nation back to repentance rather than mere punishment for its own sake (Leviticus 26:40-45).

Historical Resonance

Israel’s later history demonstrates the literal outworking of these warnings. During sieges described in 2 Kings 25 and Jeremiah 39 the people endured prolonged deprivation that matched the imagery of pining away. The Babylonian exile in particular fulfilled the threat that “your land will become desolate and your cities a ruin” (Leviticus 26:33). Rabbinic tradition links the phrase “eyes to fail” with those long years of waiting for deliverance that seemed endlessly deferred.

Theological Significance

1. Sin’s Corrosive Power – דּוּב underscores that rebellion against God produces not only external hardships but internal decay; life apart from Him is unsustainable (compare Psalm 32:3-4).
2. Divine Faithfulness – The same chapter that warns of languishing also guarantees that God “will remember My covenant with Jacob” (Leviticus 26:42). Chastening is therefore inseparable from ultimate mercy.
3. Typological Pointer – The slow wasting of Leviticus anticipates the broader human condition resolved in Christ, who bore “our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17) and renews those who trust Him so that “though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Pastoral and Ministry Application

• Call to Repentance – Persistent spiritual lethargy in a congregation or individual may signal unresolved sin; Leviticus 26 urges self-examination and return to covenant faithfulness (1 John 1:9).
• Comfort for the Afflicted – While physical decline can echo covenant curse, for those in Christ it is never the final word; God remains “the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).
• Holistic Discipleship – Ministry must address spiritual health alongside physical and emotional well-being, acknowledging that neglect in any realm affects the whole person.

Intercanonical Echoes

• Deuteronomy 28:65 – “an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart” parallels Leviticus’ triad, reinforcing covenant unity.
• Ezekiel 33:10 – “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them” uses a different Hebrew root but mirrors the same concept.
• Luke 21:26 – “Men will faint from fear” shows that end-time judgment also entails inner collapse apart from God’s grace.

Redemptive Conclusion

The solitary appearance of דּוּב magnifies its impact: a vivid reminder that covenant relationship governs every dimension of life. Yet even as Leviticus warns of eyes that fail and souls that languish, the broader biblical narrative promises restored sight and renewed souls through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, “who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree…by His stripes you are healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

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