דַּוָּי (dav.va)
dav.va
faint
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective davva describes a state of faintness, specifically referring to the heart or inner person losing strength. It appears in only three verses across the Old Testament, primarily within the prophetic books of Jeremiah and Isaiah, as well as Lamentations. The word captures the physical and emotional exhaustion that accompanies deep distress or fear.
Its usage highlights how spiritual or emotional turmoil manifests physically. When the heart is described as faint, it suggests a collapse of courage or vitality under pressure. This term provides a vivid picture of human vulnerability, showing that despair can drain one’s strength just as surely as physical labor does.
By focusing on the internal experience of weakness, davva helps readers understand the depth of anguish in these biblical texts. It reminds us that faith often operates not in spite of weakness, but within it, acknowledging the real toll that suffering takes on the human spirit.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When the weight of life becomes too heavy, it is natural to feel your strength giving way. The Hebrew word davva describes this specific moment when the heart grows faint, losing its vitality under pressure. It acknowledges that spiritual or emotional turmoil often manifests as physical exhaustion. You are not failing in your faith by feeling weary; you are experiencing a very human reality that the biblical writers did not shy away from.
In Isaiah 1:5, the prophet notes that when people turn away, their whole heart becomes faint. This is not just tiredness from work, but a deep collapse of courage. Jeremiah and Lamentations echo this sentiment, showing leaders and communities in despair. These texts validate your feelings, reminding you that honesty before God is a form of worship. He sees the depth of your anguish and does not dismiss it as weakness.
Instead of hiding your fatigue, you can bring it directly to Him. The Bible shows us that acknowledging our faintness is the first step toward receiving true comfort. You do not have to pretend to be strong when you are breaking. God’s grace meets us in these moments of vulnerability, offering rest for the soul that we cannot find on our own.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [is] faint3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- דַּוָּֽי\׃1×
- דַוָּֽי\׃\ \פ1×
- דַוָּֽי\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 1:5
Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
This verse links the faintness of the heart directly to spiritual revolt, showing how turning away from God drains inner vitality.
-
Jeremiah 8:18
Oh that I could comfort myself against sorrow! My heart is faint within me.
Here Jeremiah expresses a personal desire for comfort because his own heart is faint within him, highlighting the prophet's human vulnerability.
-
Lamentations 1:22
“Let all their wickedness come before you. Do to them as you have done to me for all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.
The author connects his many sighs and faint heart to his transgressions, using this state to cry out for God's justice.