Bible Lexicons

דָּלַל pret. pl. דָּֽלְלוּ Isaiah 19:6 דַּלּוּ Job 28:4, and דַּלְיוּ Proverbs 26:7 (see No. 1), 1 pers. דַּלּוֹתִי Psalms 116:6.

(1) to hang down, to be pendulous, to swing, to wave, fchlaff herabhängen, hinabwallen und fchwanken, as a bucket hanging in a well, as slender branches, such as those of palms, willows, which are pendulous and wave to and fro. (Kindred roots are דָּלָה also זָלַל, زلزل, תָּלַל, and תַּלְתַּל, which see. Compare in the Indo-Germanic languages, Sanscr. til, to be moved; Gr. σαλεύω, σαλάσσω, σάλος, to wave, waving. To the same family are to be referred הָדַל, جطل, عطل in all of which the primary idea is that of pendulosity, laxity, languor.) Job 28:4, used of miners letting themselves down into the shafts, מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ דַּלּוּ “they hang down from men and swing.” Here I would also refer Proverbs 26:7, דַּלְיוּ שֹׁקַיִם מִפִּסֵּחַ וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִים “the legs hang down (as a useless weight) from the lame, and (equally useless) is a sententious saying in the mouth of fools.” I do not doubt that the opinion of some of the rabbins is the true one, who explain דַּלְיוּ by דָּלְלוּ, which it will be well to explain and vindicate in a few words. A doubled semi-vowel sometimes seems to be so softened and prolonged that the second is sounded like i or y; as is the case in Italian, Spanish, and French, in which latter language this manner of pronunciation is expressed by the peculiar verb mouiller. Comp. with each other Lat. filia, fille, figliuola; familia, famiglia, famille; Hispan. hallar, lluvia, niño. A similar instance is Arab. دَبْيُوبُ [So Castell; دَيْبُوبُ Freytag] i.q. دَبَّوبُ a calumniator; Heb. דַּרְיוֹשׁ Ezra 10:16, for דַּרוֹשׁ; also it seems as if Nun were sometimes put instead of doubling the semi-vowel, as Arab. حرذوب for حَرُّوبُ a pod, מָעֻזְנֶיהָ Isaiah 23:11, for מָעֻזֶּיהָ, and perhaps תַּמְנוּ Lamentations 2:12, for תַּמּוּ. [In Amer. edit. these philological comparisons are mostly omitted, and the word is only explained thus:-“In this passage, if we read דַּלְּיוּ (with Pathach) it may be for דַּלּוּ; so several rabbins, and comp. Ezra 10:16, דַּרְיוֹשׁ for דַּרּוֹשׁ, φυλλόν folium, ἄλλος alius, and vice versâ filio, fille. But it is better with R. Jonah, R. Judah, and several MSS. to read דָּלְיוּ=דָּלוּ.”] To return to the passage in the Proverbs, the sense is given well by Symm. ἐξέλιπον κνῆμαι ἀπὸ χωλοῦ; see also L. De Dieu, who ascribes a like sense to the form דליו, deriving it from דָּלָה. This was what I formerly thought. I then regarded דַּלְיוּ for דַּלְּיוּ to be for imp. Piel, from דָּלָה, and I thus interpreted the passage with Chr. B. Michaëlis, “take away (as if, draw off) the legs from the lame, and a sententious saying,” etc., both being useless; but the former explanation is preferable.

(2) to be languid, feeble, weak

(a) used of slow and shallow water. Isaiah 19:6, דָּֽלְלוּ וְחָֽרְבוּ יְאֹרֵי מָצוֹר “the rivers of Egypt languish and are dried up” (comp. “flumen languidum,” Hor. Od. ii. 14, 17; “aqua languida,” Liv. i. 4).

(b) used of men, as being in a feeble condition, Psalms 79:8, 116:6 142:7.

(c) of the eyes, as languishing with desire, Isaiah 38:14, דַּלּוּ עֵינַי לַמָּרוֹם.

Niphal pass. of No. 2, to be enfeebled, used of a people, Judges 6:6; Isaiah 17:4.

Derivative nouns דַּל No. II., דַּלָּה, and pr.n. דְּלילָה.

דַּ֖לּוּ דַּ֝לּוֹתִ֗י דַּלְי֣וּ דַּלּ֤וּ דַלּ֣וֹנוּ דַלּ֪וֹתִ֫י דָּלֲל֥וּ דלו דלונו דלותי דליו דללו וַיִּדַּ֧ל וידל יִדַּ֖ל ידל dā·lă·lū ḏal·lō·w·nū dal·lō·w·ṯî ḏal·lō·w·ṯî dal·lū dal·yū dalaLu dālălū dalLonu dalloTi ḏallōwnū dallōwṯî ḏallōwṯî Dallu dallū dalYu dalyū vaiyidDal way·yid·dal wayyiddal yid·dal yiddal