Original Word: דֶּמַע
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: dema`
Pronunciation: deh'-mah
Phonetic Spelling: (dah'-mah)
KJV: liquor
NASB: vintage
Word Origin: [from H1830 (דָּמַע - bitterly weep)]

1. a tear
2. (figuratively) juice

liquor

From dama'; a tear; figuratively, juice -- liquor.

see HEBREW dama'

Word Origin
from dama
Definition
juice
NASB Translation
vintage (1).

[דֶּ֫מַע] noun [masculine] (weeping, trickling) juice, i.e. wine or (&) oil (compare following) דִּמְעֲךָ Exodus 22:28 ("" מְלֵאָֽתְךָ), compare Di; Arabic = wine.

Overview

דֶּמַע designates a liquid “outflow,” picturing drops that form by natural pressure—whether from the eye in sorrow or from the produce of field and vine pressed for the Lord. Although the term occurs only once in the Hebrew canon, its imagery resonates with the wider biblical witness that everything which flows from life belongs first to the Lord.

Canonical Occurrence and Context (Exodus 22:29)

“You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Within a section that regulates justice, worship, and stewardship, the verse pairs the fullness of the threshing floor (“granaries”) with the dripping of the winepress (“vats,” דֶּמַע). Israel is warned against delaying either gift. The outflow of grain and wine, like the firstborn of man and beast (Exodus 22:30), testifies that covenant life is sustained by God and therefore must be returned to Him promptly and gratefully.

Symbolism of Liquid Yield

1. Precious Drops: Just as a tear carries the emotion of the heart, each drop from the vat reflects the life of the harvest. The word’s liquid nuance underscores the value the Lord places on every portion of His provision.
2. Continuity: Grain appears in heaps; wine comes forth in drops. The command therefore covers both abundance and process, teaching Israel not to separate “large gifts” from the daily trickle of obedience (compare Deuteronomy 26:1–11).
3. Joy and Sorrow Intertwined: Wine gladdens (Psalm 104:15), yet its making requires crushing. The same picture fits human tears—sorrow that anticipates God’s comfort (Psalm 56:8; Revelation 21:4). The dual sense encourages worshipers to dedicate both rejoicing and lament to God.

The Firstfruits Principle

Dedicating the earliest produce acknowledged God as Owner and Sustainer. When Exodus 22:29 binds the dripping vat to the firstborn, it widens firstfruits from “what ripens first” to “whatever issues first.” This anticipates later statutes:
• Numbers 18:12 treats the “first portion” of oil, grain, and wine as priestly support.
• Proverbs 3:9–10 links honoring the Lord with barns filled and vats bursting.

Prophetic and Messianic Resonance

The prophets frequently speak of tears (a cognate term) as prayers God collects (Psalm 56:8) and will one day remove (Isaiah 25:8). By giving His Son as the true Firstborn (Romans 8:29) and “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20), the Lord fulfills the pattern of Exodus 22:29. The blood of Jesus—poured out like wine—secures the promised day when “those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy” (Psalm 126:5).

Historical Reception

Second Temple writings and rabbinic halakhah preserved דֶּמַע as a technical term for produce mixed with tithes, reinforcing the concern that what is holy must be offered without delay or dilution. Early Christian writers adopted the imagery of sacrificial drops when describing martyrdom and the Eucharist.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

• Prompt Obedience: Delaying generosity signals distrust. Believers today are urged to honor God first in income, time, and gifting.
• Whole-Life Worship: Whether abundance flows in torrents or in drops, every provision is occasion for thanksgiving.
• Redemptive Tears: Ministries to the grieving can draw on the promise that God both receives and transforms tears. Sorrow, like wine, can become an offering of praise when surrendered to Him.
• Christ-Centred Stewardship: The greater “outflow” is the life of Christ poured out for many (Matthew 26:28). Christian giving therefore reflects the gospel, not mere obligation.

Summary

דֶּמַע bridges agricultural produce and human emotion, instructing God’s people to yield each precious drop—of harvest, of life, of sorrow—back to the One from whom all blessings flow.

וְדִמְעֲךָ֖ ודמעך vedimaCha wə·ḏim·‘ă·ḵā wəḏim‘ăḵāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts