דָּקַר (da.qar)
da.qar
to pierce
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb daqar means to pierce or thrust through something with a sharp point. It appears ten times in the Old Testament, often describing violent physical acts such as stabbing or spearing. In Samuel and Jeremiah, it depicts enemies piercing soldiers or prophets, conveying the sudden, penetrating force of a weapon.
A key nuance lies in its grammatical forms. While the active voice describes the act of piercing, the passive form (Niphal) indicates being pierced through. This shift focuses attention on the victim’s experience rather than the attacker’s action, highlighting vulnerability and suffering.
The word carries significant theological weight in Zechariah 12:10. There, God promises that Israel will look upon "the one they have pierced." Here, daqar transforms from a simple description of violence into a profound symbol of divine grief and future redemption. The piercing becomes the focal point for national mourning and spiritual awakening.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word daqar describes the sharp, sudden act of piercing with a point or weapon. In the Old Testament, it often appears in accounts of battle or judgment, highlighting the physical reality of violence and the fragility of human life. These passages remind us that our bodies are vulnerable and that suffering is a real part of our fallen world.
Yet this word carries a deeper hope in Zechariah 12:10. Here, the piercing is no longer just an act of war but a moment of divine grief. God promises that Israel will look upon "the one they have pierced" and mourn deeply. This shifts the focus from the pain inflicted to the love that endures it, showing that even in our deepest wounds, God is present.
For your faith, this word invites you to bring your own moments of brokenness to God. Just as Zechariah describes a future where piercing leads to mourning and grace, your current struggles can become places where you encounter His comfort. You are not alone in your pain; He sees it and cares.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- pierced through2×
- and/ pierce through/ me2×
- they have pierced through1×
- he will be pierced through1×
- and/ they will pierce through/ me1×
- and/ they will pierce through/ him1×
- and/ pierced through1×
- and/ he pierced through/ him1×
- and/ he pierced through1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/דָקְרֵ֣/נִי2×
- מְדֻקָּרִ֔ים1×
- מְדֻקָּרִ֑ים1×
- יִדָּקֵ֑ר1×
- וּ/מְדֻקָּרִ֖ים1×
- וּ/דְקָרֻ֜/הוּ1×
- וּ/דְקָרֻ֙/נִי֙1×
- וַ/יִּדְקֹר֙1×
- וַ/יִּדְקְרֵ֥/הוּ1×
- דָּקָ֑רוּ1×
Key Verses
-
Zechariah 12:10
I will pour on David’s house and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication. They will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for his firstborn.
This verse transforms the word from a description of violence into a prophecy of national mourning and divine grace, pointing to the one who is pierced.
-
Numbers 25:8
He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.
Here the word describes Phinehas thrusting through an Israelite man and a Midianite woman, stopping a plague by halting their sin.
-
I Samuel 31:4
Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.
Saul asks his armor bearer to pierce him with a sword to avoid abuse, showing the word's use in contexts of personal despair and dignity.