Original Word: דּוּךְ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: duwk
Pronunciation: dook
Phonetic Spelling: (dook)
KJV: beat
NASB: beat
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to bruise in a mortar

beat

A primitive root; to bruise in a mortar -- beat.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
to pound, beat
NASB Translation
beat (1).

[דּוּךְ] verb pound, beat (in mortar) (Late Hebrew & Aramaic id., Arabic ; compare also Assyrian dâku, kill COT^Gloss). —

Qal. Perfect3plural דָּכ֨וּ בַּמְּדֹכָה (milra`) Numbers 11:8 ("" טָֽחֲנוּ בָרֵחַיִם).

Biblical occurrence

The verb דּוּךְ appears only once in Scripture, in Numbers 11:8, where it describes how the Israelites “crushed it in mortars” when preparing the manna provided by the Lord in the wilderness. Though singular in usage, the word illuminates an essential aspect of Israel’s daily dependence on divine provision.

Historical and cultural background

In the Ancient Near East, a mortar (Hebrew מִכְתֶּשׁ) and pestle were common household tools used to break down grains, herbs, and spices. The action expressed by דּוּךְ indicates a vigorous pounding that reduces food to a usable form. By specifying that Israel crushed manna rather than simply eating it raw, Moses records a practice consistent with the preparation of cereal for cakes or flatbread. Archaeological samples of basalt mortars found in the Sinai and Negev regions testify to the practicality of this daily routine.

Preparation of manna

Numbers 11:8 gives a fourfold process: gathering, grinding (hand mills), crushing (mortars), cooking (pots), and baking into cakes. Crushing served two purposes:

1. Texture—turning the flakes into a meal fine enough to knead.
2. Flavor—allowing the “pastry baked with the finest oil” (Numbers 11:8) quality to develop evenly.

Where grinding produced a coarse flour, דּוּךְ emphasized thoroughness, ensuring nothing remained unworked.

Symbolic and theological insights

1. Daily dependence: Crushing the manna illustrates labor joined to grace. God supplied the bread, yet the people still worked it, echoing the synergy between divine provision and human responsibility.
2. Transformation: As the manna was altered to sustain life, so believers are “transformed by the renewing of [the] mind” (Romans 12:2). The physical crushing prefigures spiritual shaping.
3. Type of Christ: Jesus identified Himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:35). Just as manna was bruised to feed Israel, the Messiah was “pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5) that many might live.
4. Remembrance: Manna’s preparation foreshadows the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. The broken bread proclaims the Savior’s broken body, calling worshippers to gratitude and obedience.

Connections with sacrificial worship

Crushing is also integral to the grain offering where flour had to be “fine” (Leviticus 2:1). Though a different Hebrew root describes the milling there, the shared action aligns manna with sanctuary worship: both testify to everyday holiness. Manna became, in effect, a wilderness offering—a daily, life-sustaining reminder of covenant faithfulness.

Ministry application

• Encouragement for workers: God often supplies raw material that requires stewardship. Whether sermon preparation, discipleship, or acts of mercy, faithful service entails diligent “crushing” of the gifts God gives.
• Pattern for spiritual disciplines: Regular Scripture intake, prayer, and meditation parallel the daily processing of manna. Skipping the “crushing” of the Word leaves believers undernourished.
• Pastoral exhortation: When congregations tire of routine tasks, leaders may point to the Israelites who, day after day, crushed manna—and never lacked. Consistency yields fruit.
• Mission motivation: As manna was provided in a barren desert, so God still supplies sufficient grace in spiritually barren contexts. Ministers confront hardship confident that divine bread will meet every need.

Doctrinal consistency

The singular occurrence of דּוּךְ in Numbers 11:8 underscores both the unity and variety of Scripture. A lone word harmonizes with broader biblical themes of provision, sacrifice, and redemption, demonstrating the coherence of God’s revelation from Genesis to Revelation.

Key references for further study

Numbers 11:8; Exodus 16:4-31; Deuteronomy 8:3; John 6:31-35; Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 4:7-10.

דָכוּ֙ דכו ḏā·ḵū daChu ḏāḵūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts