Original Word: דָּלַק
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: dalaq
Pronunciation: dah-lak'
Phonetic Spelling: (daw-lak')
KJV: burning, chase, inflame, kindle, persecute(-or), pursue hotly
NASB: burning, chased, chasing, fiery shafts, hotly pursue, hotly pursued, inflame
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to flame (literally or figuratively)

burning, chase, inflame, kindle, persecutor, pursue hotly

A primitive root; to flame (literally or figuratively) -- burning, chase, inflame, kindle, persecute(-or), pursue hotly.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to burn, hotly pursue
NASB Translation
burning (1), chased (1), chasing (1), fiery shafts (1), hotly pursue (1), hotly pursued (1), inflame (1), kindle (1), set them on fire (1).

דָּלַק verb burn (intransitive), hotly pursue (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic דְּלַק, all intransitive burn, kindle; Hiph`il, Aph`el transitive) —

Qal Perfect2masculine singular דָּלַקְתָּ Genesis 31:36; 3masculine plural וְדָֽלְקוּ consecutive Obadiah 18; suffix דְּלָקֻנִי Lamentations 4:19; Imperfect יִדְלַק Psalm 10:2; Infinitive construct דְּלֹק 1 Samuel 17:53; Participle active plural דֹּלְקִים Psalm 7:14; Proverbs 26:23; —

1 burn, וְדָֽלְקוּ בָהֶם Obadiah 18 (figurative of Israel ravaging among Edomites, "" וַאֲכָלוּם; on construction with בְּ compare 2 Kings 17:25); also in חִצָּיו לְדֹלְקִים יִפְעָ֑ל Psalm 7:14 his arrows he maketh burning ones (subject God) RV De Che and others; & שְׂפָתַיִם דֹּלְקִים Proverbs 26:23 burning (fervent) lips (opposed to לֵב רָ֑ע).

2 hotly pursue Genesis 31:36 (E; followed by אַחֲרֵי) 1 Samuel 17:53 (followed by id.); Psalm 10:2; Lamentations 4:19 (both followed by accusative)

Hiph`il Imperfect suffix יַדְלִיקֵם Isaiah 5:11; Imperative הַדְלֵק Ezekiel 24:10; — inflame, with accusative, subject wine Isaiah 5:11; kindle object הָאֵשׁ Ezekiel 24:10.

[דְּלַק] verb burn (Biblical Hebrew); —

Pe`al Participle active דָּלִ֑ק (K^{§ 29, 1}) Daniel 7:9 burning fire.

Overview

דָּלַק appears nine times in the Old Testament, painting two vivid pictures: something set ablaze and someone pursued with relentless heat. Whether describing literal fire, the burning of passion, or the hot pursuit of enemies, the verb consistently conveys intensity that consumes what it touches.

Occurrences and Narrative Contexts

• Genesis 31:36 – Jacob’s outrage “burns” against Laban, exposing the combustible nature of unrighteous accusation.
• 1 Samuel 17:53 – Israel returns from “pursuing the Philistines,” an action marked by unflagging zeal after the victory granted through David.
• Psalm 7:13 – The Lord “ordains His arrows with fire,” portraying judgment blazing toward the impenitent.
• Psalm 10:2 – Pride-filled oppressors “pursue the needy,” illustrating how sinful fervor preys on the vulnerable.
• Proverbs 26:23 – “Burning lips and a wicked heart” warn that fervent words can mask deadly intent.
• Isaiah 5:11 – Drinkers “inflamed by wine” reveal misplaced passion that dulls the heart to righteousness.
• Lamentations 4:19 – Chastened Judah laments pursuers faster “than the eagles of the sky,” the heat of divine discipline.
• Ezekiel 24:10 – The prophet commands the cauldron to “let the bones burn,” symbolizing cleansing judgment on Jerusalem.
• Obadiah 1:18 – The house of Jacob will “set them on fire and consume them,” a promise that God’s people will be His agent of final reckoning.

Themes of Divine Judgment

The verb repeatedly underscores God’s holy wrath. Flaming arrows (Psalm 7:13), a prophetic boiling pot (Ezekiel 24:10), and Edom reduced to stubble (Obadiah 1:18) display judgment that is certain, thorough, and inescapable. The burning is never capricious; it vindicates covenant faithfulness and purges evil.

Human Passion—Rightly and Wrongly Directed

Jacob’s righteous indignation (Genesis 31:36) contrasts with Isaiah’s revelers “inflamed by wine” (Isaiah 5:11). Scripture acknowledges that zeal itself is not condemned; what matters is its object. The Proverbs warning about “burning lips” cautions ministry leaders that fervor without integrity destroys credibility.

Relentless Pursuit in Warfare and Discipline

דָּלַק pictures armies pressed in battle (1 Samuel 17:53), predators of the poor (Psalm 10:2), and Babylonian horsemen chasing Judah (Lamentations 4:19). In each case the verb highlights urgency—whether righteous or unrighteous—that drives the pursuit until its goal is reached.

Historical Insight

Ancient Near-Eastern warfare prized speed and persistence; the verb’s martial uses (1 Samuel 17:53; Lamentations 4:19) reflect that culture. Likewise, sacrificial and culinary fires (Ezekiel 24:10) were ordinary sights in Israel, providing ready metaphors for judgment and purification.

Ministry Significance

1. Preaching on Judgment: דָּלַק fortifies the biblical portrait of God as “a consuming fire,” sharpening calls to repentance.
2. Shepherding Hearts: The same zeal that once pursued sin can, by grace, be redirected to pursue holiness (cf. Romans 12:11).
3. Social Justice: Psalm 10:2 exposes oppression as a hot pursuit; the church must defend the needy from such flames.
4. Pastoral Caution: Proverbs 26:23 warns against rhetoric that burns brightly but conceals corruption; authenticity must match intensity.

Christological Reflection

At the cross divine wrath burned against sin, yet the Savior “endured the cross” to absorb that fury. Believers, now indwelt by the Spirit, are exhorted to “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” with a holy fervor that outshines the destructive heat depicted by דָּלַק.

Conclusion

Whether describing searing judgment or ardent pursuit, דָּלַק challenges God’s people to examine what fuels their passions and to rest in the One who alone can rescue from the flames while kindling zeal for His glory.

דְּלָקֻ֔נוּ דָלַ֖קְתָּ דֹּלְקִ֣ים דלקים דלקנו דלקת הַדְלֵ֣ק הדלק וְדָלְק֥וּ ודלקו יִדְלַ֣ק יַדְלִיקֵֽם׃ ידליקם׃ ידלק לְֽדֹלְקִ֥ים לדלקים מִדְּלֹ֖ק מדלק ḏā·laq·tā daLakta ḏālaqtā də·lā·qu·nū delaKunu dəlāqunū dō·lə·qîm doleKim dōləqîm haḏ·lêq hadLek haḏlêq lə·ḏō·lə·qîm ledoleKim ləḏōləqîm mid·də·lōq middeLok middəlōq vedalKu wə·ḏā·lə·qū wəḏāləqū yaḏ·lî·qêm yadliKem yaḏlîqêm yiḏ·laq yidLak yiḏlaqInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts