דּוּשׁ (dush)
dush
to tread
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb dush means to tread or crush, specifically in the context of processing grain. It describes the physical act of walking on harvested stalks to separate the edible kernels from the inedible chaff. This agricultural image appears frequently in the Old Testament, with significant occurrences in prophetic books like Isaiah and Micah, as well as in historical narratives such as Judges.
While the basic sense is mechanical threshing, the word often carries a metaphorical weight of judgment or oppression. When God is described as treading, it signifies His sovereign power to sift and judge nations, much like a farmer separates wheat from winnowing fan. Conversely, when people are said to be trodden down, it conveys the crushing reality of defeat or injustice. The sources highlight this dual usage, where the same action represents both divine purification and human suffering.
Translators typically render dush as "tread," "thresh," or "trample" depending on whether the subject is a person, God, or an army. In Micah 4:13, for example, the imagery of treading threshing floors becomes a promise of victory and resourcefulness for God’s people. The word grounds abstract concepts of power and justice in the tangible, everyday labor of ancient farming.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word dush describes the ancient practice of treading on harvested grain to separate the useful kernels from the useless chaff. This was hard, physical labor that required patience and strength. In Scripture, this image helps us understand how God works in our lives. Sometimes He allows difficult seasons to remove what is unnecessary, leaving only what is pure and valuable.
When we feel crushed by circumstances, it can be easy to see only the pain. Yet this word reminds us that there is a purpose behind the pressure. Just as the threshing floor separates wheat from straw, God’s work in our lives aims to refine our character. He does not destroy us but prepares us for what lies ahead.
Even when the process feels heavy, we can trust the One who holds the harvest. His goal is never harm but restoration. We are invited to rest in the knowledge that He sees the value in us, even when we feel broken or worn down by life’s demands.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you will thresh1×
- you trample down1×
- when/ threshes/ it1×
- to/ trample1×
- to/ thresh1×
- threshing1×
- threshed/ they1×
- it will trample/ it1×
- it is threshed1×
- he threshed1×
- certainly <to thresh>1×
- as/ is trampled down1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תָּד֥וּשׁ1×
- תָּד֤וּשׁ1×
- תְּדוּשֶֽׁ/הָ\׃1×
- לָ/דֻֽשׁ\׃1×
- לָ/ד֔וּשׁ1×
- כְּ/הִדּ֥וּשׁ1×
- יְדוּשֶׁ֑/נּוּ1×
- י֣וּדַשׁ1×
- וָ/ד֣וֹשִׁי1×
- וְ/נָ֤דוֹשׁ1×
- וְ/דַשְׁתִּי֙1×
- דּוּשָׁ֛/ם1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 25:4
You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain.
This verse establishes the principle of fairness and provision, showing that those who labor in God's work deserve to share in its benefits.
-
Isaiah 41:15
Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff.
Here God transforms His people into a sharp threshing instrument, promising them the power to overcome overwhelming obstacles through His strength.
-
Micah 4:13
Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze. You will beat in pieces many peoples. I will devote their gain to Yahweh, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.
This promise turns the image of suffering into one of victory, assuring God's people that He will equip them to defeat their enemies and claim their inheritance.
-
Habakkuk 3:12
You marched through the land in wrath. You threshed the nations in anger.
The prophet recalls God’s past judgment on nations, using the threshing imagery to show His sovereign control over history and justice.