Original Word: דָּקַק
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: dqaq
Pronunciation: deh-kak'
Phonetic Spelling: (dek-ak')
KJV: break to pieces
NASB: crushed, crush, crushes
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H1854 (דָּקַק - crushed)]

1. to crumble or (trans.) crush

break to pieces

(Aramaic) corresponding to daqaq; to crumble or (trans.) Crush -- break to pieces.

see HEBREW daqaq

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to daqaq
Definition
to be shattered, fall to pieces
NASB Translation
crush (3), crushed (6), crushes (1).

The Action Portrayed

The root embodies the decisive act of pulverizing an object until resistance is gone. In Scripture the term is always figurative as well as literal, depicting political powers, human bones, and entire civilizations being reduced to powder. The word therefore carries a vivid sense of irresistible force that leaves nothing substantial behind and is frequently paired with verbs for devouring or trampling.

Occurrences in Daniel

1. The Statue and the Stone (Daniel 2:34–45)

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream juxtaposes fragile human kingdoms with the “stone … cut out, but not by human hands.” Repeated uses of the verb emphasize how completely the stone breaks the statue. The climax states, “It will shatter and consume all these kingdoms, but will itself stand forever” (Daniel 2:44). The crushing here is total, leaving the metals “like chaff on the summer threshing floors” (Daniel 2:35).

2. The Lions’ Den (Daniel 6:24)

The same action describes the lions’ instantaneous destruction of the conspirators: “before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones”. The punishment parallels the earlier decree that any who violate divine authority will themselves be pulverized.

3. The Fourth Beast (Daniel 7:7, 7:19, 7:23)

Daniel’s night vision repeats the term three times to underline the ferocity of the final empire: “It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet” (Daniel 7:7). The empire’s method of rule is summarized in one word—complete pulverization of resistance.

Historical Setting

All ten occurrences belong to the Aramaic section of Daniel (chapters 2–7), a portion concerned with Gentile dominion over Israel. The Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman spheres each appear in symbolic form. The verb becomes a refrain that links every Gentile empire: each rises by crushing, and each is destined to be crushed.

Theological Emphases

1. Divine Sovereignty over Earthly Power

Human kingdoms rely on overwhelming force, yet the very word that describes their violence is the one Scripture uses for their downfall. The prediction that a divinely formed stone will crush the statue highlights that God alone wields ultimate authority.

2. Judgment That Fits the Crime

In Daniel 6 the plotters who sought Daniel’s destruction are themselves destroyed. The root therefore illustrates lex talionis—just recompense—showing that God’s judgments mirror human sin.

3. Eschatological Hope

The repeated crushing of world powers culminates in an unshakable kingdom. The verb thus frames eschatology around two realities: all earthly dominion is temporal, and God’s kingdom alone is permanent. The picture anticipates Revelation 11:15, where “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.”

Christological Connections

Jesus applied the stone imagery to Himself: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone… he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces” (Matthew 21:42-44). Though the Greek text employs different vocabulary, the conceptual link is unmistakable. The Messiah is the agent by whom every opposing rule is finally crushed, a truth echoed in 1 Corinthians 15:24-25.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Proclamation of God’s Kingdom

The certainty that all rival powers will be pulverized emboldens preaching. Believers announce a kingdom that cannot be shaken, calling hearers to transfer allegiance before judgment falls.

• Pastoral Encouragement

Congregations facing oppression find solace in knowing that violence and tyranny are temporary. The same force that once guarded Daniel in Babylon will ultimately dismantle every persecuting system.

• Personal Sanctification

The verb’s totality warns against half-measures in spiritual warfare. Just as the stone shatters the statue, so believers are to “put to death” the deeds of the flesh, not merely restrain them (Colossians 3:5).

Summary

Every use of the root in Daniel underscores an identical lesson: God alone can pulverize the proud, and He will do so utterly. The word therefore serves as a lexical cornerstone for the book’s message—humility before heaven and hope in an everlasting kingdom that no power can resist or diminish.

דָּ֣קוּ דקו הַדִּֽקוּ׃ הדקו׃ וְ֠הַדֶּקֶת וְהַדֵּ֖קֶת וְתַדְּקִנַּֽהּ׃ וּמַדֱּקָ֔ה והדקת ומדקה ותדקנה׃ מְהַדֵּ֤ק מַדֲּקָ֔ה מדקה מהדק תַּדִּ֤ק תַּדִּ֥ק תדק dā·qū Daku dāqū had·di·qū hadDiku haddiqū mad·dă·qāh maddaKah maddăqāh mə·had·dêq mehadDek məhaddêq tad·diq tadDik taddiq ū·mad·dĕ·qāh umaddeKah ūmaddĕqāh vehadDeket vetaddekinNah wə·had·de·qeṯ wə·had·dê·qeṯ wə·ṯad·də·qin·nah wəhaddeqeṯ wəhaddêqeṯ wəṯaddəqinnahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts