Original Word: דָּלַג
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: dalag
Pronunciation: dah-LAG
Phonetic Spelling: (daw-lag')
KJV: leap
NASB: leap, climbing
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to spring

leap

A primitive root; to spring -- leap.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to leap
NASB Translation
climbing (1), leap (4).

[דָּלַג] verb leap ( Late Hebrew spring over, skip (a verse), omit) —

Qal Participle דּוֺלֵג Zephaniah 1:9 leap, with article one leaping עלהַֿמִּפְתָּן; ᵐ5 1 Samuel 5:5 ὑπερβαίνοντες ὑπερβαίνουσιν = דָּלֹג יִדְלֹ֑גוּ compare Dr.

Pi`el Imperfect יְדַלֵּג Isaiah 35:6; אֲדַלֶּגֿ Psalm 18:30 = 2 Samuel 22:30; Participle מְדַלֵּג Songs 2:8; — leap, leap over with accusative שׁוּר Psalm 18:30 = 2 Samuel 22:30; absolute leap as the stag, כָּאַיָּל מִּסֵּחַ ׳יְד Isaiah 35:6; followed by על of locality Songs 2:8 ("" מְקַמֵּץ).

Meaning and Imagery

The verb דָּלַג evokes swift, energetic movement—leaping, springing, vaulting, or skipping. In Scripture the motion is never aimless; it conveys confident advance, joyful exuberance, or presumptuous irreverence. Whether employed in praise, prophecy, poetry, or warning, the word paints a picture of decisive action that overcomes obstacles or expresses unrestrained vitality.

Occurrences and Contexts

• 2 Samuel 22:30 – David’s victory song equates leaping over a wall with the enablement of God: “By my God I can leap over a wall.” The verb stands parallel to “run through a troop,” portraying supernatural empowerment in warfare.
• Psalm 18:29 – The psalmist echoes the same confession, underscoring that sovereign strength, not human prowess, propels the warrior beyond normal limits.
• Song of Solomon 2:8 – The beloved’s approach is described as “leaping across the mountains,” conveying eagerness and agility. The term heightens the romantic anticipation and depicts love overcoming geographical barriers.
• Isaiah 35:6 – In the eschatological vision of restoration, “the lame will leap like a deer.” The verb embodies healed mobility and exuberant praise, signaling the reversal of human infirmity when God’s salvation dawns.
• Zephaniah 1:9 – The word turns negative, describing those “who leap over the threshold” in violent trespass and idolatrous practice. What was a sign of strength or joy elsewhere becomes a marker of insolent violation, inviting divine judgment.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Enablement. In both royal psalms, leaping is explicitly attributed to God’s power, emphasizing the truth that human accomplishment in battle or difficulty depends on divine grace.
2. Joyful Restoration. Isaiah 35 places דָּלַג within a larger picture of cosmic renewal where physical limitations give way to jubilant freedom; leaping signals the arrival of messianic blessings.
3. Love’s Pursuit. In Song of Solomon, the leaping beloved reflects the initiative of covenant love—swift, determined, and unhindered.
4. Judgment for Irreverence. Zephaniah warns that the same active movement becomes culpable when animated by violence and false worship, underscoring moral accountability.

Christological and Messianic Overtones

The restorative leap of the lame (Isaiah 35:6) anticipates Jesus Christ’s healing ministry (for example, Acts 3:8, where the healed man “went jumping”), linking the verb to messianic fulfillment. Likewise, David’s victorious leaps hint at the ultimate Son of David who triumphs over every barrier, including sin and death.

Historical Reception

Early Jewish interpreters associated the leaping in Isaiah with the coming age, while Christian expositors from the Patristic era onward saw in it a prophecy of the Gospel’s healing power. Medieval commentators often drew parallels between David’s wall-leaping and the believer’s ascent over spiritual obstacles through faith.

Application for Ministry and Devotion

• Encouragement in spiritual warfare: believers, like David, confront formidable walls yet “by my God” overcome them.
• Hope for the afflicted: the lame leaping promise motivates ministries of compassion, anticipating complete restoration.
• Guarding reverence: Zephaniah’s warning calls for purity in worship spaces and homes, resisting any irreverent “threshold-leaping.”
• Celebrating love’s initiative: marriages and congregations are reminded that genuine love moves decisively toward the other, mirroring the Song’s imagery.

Related Biblical Themes

Empowerment (Philippians 4:13), Healing (Matthew 11:5), Joy (Psalm 30:11), Judgment (1 Peter 4:17), Covenant Love (John 15:9).

דָּלַג thus threads through Scripture as a vivid emblem of God-given strength, exuberant life, and the contrast between faithful boldness and profane presumption.

אֲדַלֶּג־ אדלג־ הַדּוֹלֵ֛ג הדולג יְדַלֵּ֤ג ידלג מְדַלֵּג֙ מדלג ’ă·ḏal·leḡ- ’ăḏalleḡ- adalleg had·dō·w·lêḡ haddoLeg haddōwlêḡ mə·ḏal·lêḡ medalLeg məḏallêḡ yə·ḏal·lêḡ yedalLeg yəḏallêḡInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts