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My beloved is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies.
Song of Solomon 2:16
(1)
INTRODUCTION
There are many Hebrew words connected to love. From chav, racham to ahava. They all describe different kinds of love. One of the words Dod, in the opinion of a handful, means love, and in the opinion of the majority means either uncle or lover.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD DOD
There are different types of love one can feel towards their loved ones. There is platonic love, romantic love, agape love, and so forth. Each of them has a specific word that describes them and it is no different in Hebrew.
Today we will talk about another Hebrew word that is connected to love - the word Dod. Some claim it means love outright, but most claim it means uncle or lover. (2)
In Modern Hebrew, it usually means uncle, or “buddy” in slang. In the Bible though it was just as equally used in the romantic context, usually translated as beloved. (3) It suggests a sexual love and is closely related to yada’ which means to know and is used for a sexual relationship in Biblical Hebrew. (4)
Different Semitic languages had different meanings for dod. In Eastern languages, such as Akkadian, the word means "beloved, darling" and denotes a (personal) object of love. In the Western Semitic languages such as Arabic, it means "(paternal) uncle". (2)
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD DOD
Little can be said with certainty about the etymology of Heb. dodh, pl. dodhim. It may be an onomatopoeic word (dad[u]) that arose out of repetition of the sound da, as is often the case with words that denote kinship or the sound da-da that babies make. (2)
In the Old Testament, two different meanings of dodh came together. One is from Aramaic and Old South Arabic and means paternal uncle. The other coincides with the old, sedentary, and civilized meaning of Mesopotamia and Syria meaning “darling, beloved”. (2)
FROM LOVER, DARLING TO UNCLE?
Some scholars, among them Klein, claim the meaning of uncle preceded that of a lover. Horowitz and others claim the meaning lover preceded the meaning uncle. Either way, it is rather odd that these two very different meanings could be connected to the same word. (2)
Horowitz theorizes that a lover came to mean “uncle” because next to the mother and father, the uncle was the lover and guardian. Also in ancient times marriages between uncles and nieces were encouraged. (2)
MY BELOVED IS MINE
The word Dod in the romantic context is mostly used in the Song of Songs. Prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah also used the word to speak of God’s love for Jerusalem despite her unfaithfulness.
“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord God. (Ezekiel 16:8)
God’s love is unconditional. It is passionate and it is deeper than the deepest waters on Earth. He is our husband after all. He cares and provides.
CONCLUSION
Several words in the Bible are used in the context of love, among them is the Hebrew word Dod. In Modern Hebrew, it usually means uncle, or “buddy” in slang. In the Bible though it was just as equally used in the romantic context, usually translated as beloved. The word Dod in the romantic context is mostly used in the Song of Songs. Prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah also used the word to speak of God’s love for Jerusalem despite her unfaithfulness.
Application
Abba, reveal to us how much you love us during this upcoming week. Show to us how beloved we are to you.
SOURCES
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DLC. Balashon Hebrew language detective: Dod. Friday, September 12, 2008. Available at https://www.balashon.com/2008/09/dod.html
Estera Wieja. Hebrew Word for Love: 4 Biblical & Modern Words to Know. December 27th 2023. Available at https://firmisrael.org/learn/hebrew-word-for-love-4-biblical-and-modern-hebrew-words-to-know/
Chaim BenTorah. HEBREW WORD STUDY – BELOVED. May 25, 2020. Available at https://www.chaimbentorah.com/2020/05/hebrew-word-study-beloved/
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