דָּמָה (da.mah)
da.mah
to resemble
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 19 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb damah means to be like or resemble something else. In its basic form, it describes a similarity between two things. For example, in the Psalms, it is used to compare a person’s life to a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:3). This usage highlights how closely one’s circumstances align with another image.
The word also appears in the Piel stem, which adds an active sense of likening or comparing. In Isaiah, this form is used when God asks who He can be compared to (Isaiah 40:18). Here, it serves to emphasize that no human concept fully captures His nature. The verb can also mean to imagine or think, showing how the mind forms ideas by drawing parallels.
This word helps readers understand how biblical writers used comparison to convey meaning. Whether describing natural imagery or theological truths, damah invites reflection on what things share in common. Its presence across different books shows how central this idea of resemblance is to Hebrew thought.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word damah invites us to look closely at how we understand God and ourselves. It describes a resemblance, but it also challenges us to see where comparisons fail. In Psalms, we are reminded that human life is fleeting, like a shadow or a breath. This truth humbles us, reminding us that our strength is temporary and our need for God is constant.
At the same time, this word highlights the unique nature of the Divine. Isaiah asks who can be likened to God, pointing out that no human image fully captures His glory. We do not need to force God into a small box. Instead, we can appreciate the beauty of the comparisons Scripture gives us, while trusting in His infinite nature.
When we feel uncertain about our place in the world, this word offers comfort. It reminds us that even when life feels fragile, we are known by a Creator who does not change. We can rest in the fact that our worth does not depend on how well we fit into human categories, but on His faithful love.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 19 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- will you liken/ me2×
- you imagined1×
- you imagine1×
- will you liken/ !1×
- will I liken1×
- we were like1×
- they intended1×
- he planned1×
- he is like1×
- he intended1×
- be like1×
- and/ we may be alike1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּדַמִּ֣י1×
- תְּדַמְּי֣וּ/ן1×
- תְדַמְּי֖וּ/נִי1×
- תְדַמְי֖וּ/נִי1×
- יְדַמֶּ֔ה1×
- וּֽ/דְמֵה\־1×
- וְ/נִדְמֶֽה\׃1×
- דּוֹמֶ֤ה1×
- דָּמָ֑ה1×
- דָּמִֽינוּ\׃\ \ס1×
- דָּמִ֖יתִי1×
- דִּמָּה\־1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 144:4
Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away.
This verse uses damah to describe the fleeting nature of human life, contrasting our brief existence with God's enduring presence.
-
Isaiah 40:18
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?
Here the Piel stem emphasizes that no created thing can truly resemble or equal the Holy One, highlighting divine transcendence.
-
Song of Solomon 2:9
My beloved is like a roe or a young deer. Behold, he stands behind our wall! He looks in at the windows. He glances through the lattice.
The word creates an intimate image of belovedness, comparing the lover to a deer to convey agility and beauty in relationship.
-
Lamentations 2:13
What shall I testify to you? What shall I liken to you, daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to you, that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion? For your breach is as big as the sea. Who can heal you?
The prophet uses this term to express the impossibility of finding any adequate comparison for the depth of Jerusalem's suffering.