Original Word: דָּעַךְ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: da`ak
Pronunciation: dah-ak
Phonetic Spelling: (daw-ak')
KJV: be extinct, consumed, put out, quenched
NASB: goes, put, extinguished, go, vanish
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be extinguished
2. (figuratively) to expire or be dried up

be extinct, consumed, put out, quenched

A primitive root; to be extinguished; figuratively, to expire or be dried up -- be extinct, consumed, put out, quenched.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to go out, be extinguished
NASB Translation
extinguished (1), go (1), goes (3), put (2), vanish (1).

[דָּעַךְ] verb go out, be extinguished (in poetry & especially Wisdom literature) (Aramaic דְּעִיךְ, ) —

Qal Perfect3masculine plural דָּֽעֲכוּ Isaiah 43:17; Imperfect יִדְעַךְ Proverbs 20:20, יִדְעָ֑ךְ Job 18:5 4t.; — go out, be extinguished, of lamp, always figurative, lamp of wicked (i.e. prosperity) אוֺר רְשָׁעִים Job 18:5, ׳נֵר ר Job 18:6; Job 21:17; Proverbs 13:9; Proverbs 20:20; Proverbs 24:20; of hostile armies Isaiah 43:17 ("" כָּב֫וּ).

Niph`al Perfect3plural נִדְעֲכוּ be made extinct, dried up, Job 6:17 (of brooks).

Pu`al Perfect3plural דֹּעֲכוּ of assailants, be extinguished, quenched, כְּאֵשׁ קוֺצִים Psalm 118:12; but read perhaps בערו with ᵐ5 Bae & Che, see Che^{critical note}.

דַּעַת see below ידע.

דפה (√ of following, meaning unknown; Late Hebrew דּוֺפִי is blemish, fault).

Biblical imagery of extinguishing

The verb דָּעַךְ repeatedly pictures a light, flame, or life-source that is suddenly snuffed out. In the Ancient Near-Eastern world a lamp signified vitality, guidance, prosperity and lineage; its going out was a sign of calamity. Scripture uses the word to dramatize the decisive end of self-reliance, wickedness and opposition to God.

Representative passages

Job 18:5-6 sets the tone: “Indeed, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished, and the flame of his fire does not shine. The light in his tent grows dark, and the lamp above him is extinguished.” Bildad means that every apparent advantage of the ungodly can be quenched in an instant.

Psalm 118:12 transfers the image to Israel’s corporate enemies: “They surrounded me like bees, but they were extinguished like burning thorns.” Thorns flare up quickly and then die just as quickly—an apt metaphor for transient hostility.

Isaiah 43:17 reminds Israel that Egypt’s chariots were “extinguished, quenched like a wick.” God Himself does the quenching, proving that human might can be blown out as easily as a candle.

Themes of judgment and retribution

1. Divine intervention. Whether the Red Sea army (Isaiah 43:17) or hostile nations (Psalm 118:12), the Lord actively puts out threats to His covenant people.
2. Moral consequences. Proverbs 13:9; 20:20; 24:20 teach that disrespect for parents, refusal of wisdom, and habitual evil inevitably darken a person’s “lamp.” The loss of light is not merely circumstantial but judicial.
3. Unreliability of human support. Job 6:17 likens unreliable friends to seasonal streams that “vanish” (are extinguished) when most needed.

Contrast with the enduring light of the righteous

“The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.” (Proverbs 13:9) The righteous possess a light that cannot be extinguished because it is derived from the character of God, the “Father of lights” (James 1:17). The wicked depend on self-made fire; when the fuel runs out, the flame dies.

Redemptive-historical significance

By the time Isaiah applies דָּעַךְ to Egypt’s defeat, the word carries covenantal overtones: the same God who blew out Pharaoh’s armies promises, “I am doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19). Thus the quenching of enemies foreshadows the ultimate triumph of the Servant and, in New Testament fulfillment, the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death (Colossians 2:15).

Ministry and discipleship applications

• Warning: Do not trust in borrowed or counterfeit light. Earthly security, family inheritance or temporary success can be extinguished overnight (Job 21:17; Proverbs 20:20).
• Comfort: The Lord can quench any flame raised against His people. Opposition is real but temporary—burning thorns at best.
• Evangelism: Hold out the unfading light of the Gospel (John 8:12). Only Christ can guarantee that a person’s lamp will not be extinguished.
• Self-examination: Are we nourishing our lamps with the oil of the Spirit (Matthew 25:1-13) or allowing hidden sin to sap the flame?

Summary

דָּעַךְ serves as a vivid reminder that God alone sustains true light. Every other flame—whether the lamp of the wicked, the rage of nations or the confidence of the self-righteous—will eventually be quenched. Faithful believers therefore walk in the light that “shines brighter and brighter until full day” (Proverbs 4:18), assured that this lamp can never be extinguished.

דָּעֲכ֖וּ דֹּ֭עֲכוּ דעכו יִֽדְעַ֥ךְ יִדְעָ֑ךְ יִדְעָ֗ךְ יִדְעָֽךְ׃ ידעך ידעך׃ נִדְעֲכ֥וּ נדעכו dā‘ăḵū dā·‘ă·ḵū daaChu dō‘ăḵū dō·‘ă·ḵū Doachu niḏ‘ăḵū niḏ·‘ă·ḵū nidaChu yiḏ‘aḵ yiḏ‘āḵ yiḏ·‘aḵ yiḏ·‘āḵ yidAchInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts