דַּלָּה (dal.lah)
dal.lah
hair; poor
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun dallah carries a dual meaning that bridges the physical and the social: it denotes both hair or loose threads from a loom, and by extension, the poor or destitute. In the Hebrew Bible, this word often appears as a collective term for those who are helpless or at the lowest end of the social hierarchy. The connection likely stems from the image of tattered clothing or exposed skin, symbolizing vulnerability and lack.
Its usage is concentrated in prophetic and historical books like Jeremiah, Isaiah, and 2 Kings, where it highlights the plight of the marginalized. Translators typically render it as "the poor," capturing the sense of economic deprivation and social powerlessness. This lexical choice underscores a recurring biblical theme: the special concern for those who lack material security and social standing.
The word’s root imagery suggests something left over or hanging loose, much like the thrums of a weaver’s loom. This concrete detail grounds its abstract meaning in everyday life, reminding readers that poverty is not just a statistic but a condition of exposed fragility. The text uses this term to call attention to the needs of the most vulnerable members of society.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word dallah captures a poignant image: it literally refers to loose threads or hair, but in Scripture, it describes those left behind—the poor, the destitute, and the socially invisible. This connection suggests that poverty is not merely an economic statistic but a state of vulnerability, like fabric unraveling at the edges. When the Bible uses this term, it draws attention to people who have lost their standing, their security, and often their community.
In times of national crisis, such as the fall of Jerusalem, dallah identifies those who remained to tend the vineyards while others were taken captive. It reminds us that God’s heart is particularly drawn to those on the margins. The text does not ignore their suffering; instead, it names them with dignity, calling the community to recognize their worth and need.
For your faith life, this word invites a posture of gentle awareness. You do not need to solve every systemic issue alone, but you are invited to see the dallah in your midst—not as burdens, but as neighbors whom God cares for deeply. Let this perspective shape how you treat those who seem overlooked by the world.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ some of/ [the] poor people of4×
- weak1×
- from/ [the] loom1×
- [the] poor people of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/מִ/דַּלַּ֣ת2×
- מִ/דַּלָּ֣ה1×
- וּ/מִ/דַּלּ֨וֹת1×
- וּ/מִ/דַּלּ֣וֹת1×
- דַּלַּ֥ת1×
- דַּלּ֨וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
II Kings 24:14
He carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. No one remained except the poorest people of the land.
This verse uses dallah to describe the remnant left in Jerusalem, highlighting how social collapse strips away status and leaves only the most vulnerable.
-
Jeremiah 52:16
But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vineyard keepers and farmers.
Here, the captain of the guard specifically leaves the dallah to work the land, showing that even in judgment, God preserves a means of sustenance for the poor.
-
Jeremiah 40:7
Now when all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, women, children, and of the poorest of the land, of those who were not carried away captive to Babylon,
The text notes that Gedaliah was given authority over those who were not carried away, including the dallah, indicating their continued presence and importance in the land's restoration.