Hebrew word · H1733
דֹּדָה
dodato
aunt
The feminine form of dōd, which means (1) a father's brother, an uncle, and (2) in poetry a "beloved" (Song of Songs). Dōdāh is used only three times in the Hebrew Bible. In other words, the word refers to a woman on the father's side of the family; it does not specify blood or marriage.
Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
aunt
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
The feminine form of dōd, which means (1) a father's brother, an uncle, and (2) in poetry a "beloved" (Song of Songs). Dōdāh is used only three times in the Hebrew Bible. In Lev 18:14 and 20:20 it clearly means the wife of one's father's brother: "she is your dōdāh." Here it is usually taken to mean the father's sister, because Num 26:59 calls Jochebed "the daughter of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt." That makes her the sister of Amram's father Kohath. In other words, the word refers to a woman on the father's side of the family; it does not specify blood or marriage.
- Against the English
KJV, WEB, BSB and most modern versions say "his father's sister." YLT says "his aunt," which keeps the Hebrew's single, less specific word. The Greek and Latin versions make her his cousin instead (see textual notes).
- Used elsewhere in the period
In the Hebrew Bible: Exod 6:20; Lev 18:14; 20:20. Lev 18:12 and 20:19 forbid a man to marry his father's sister, but they use the phrase "your father's sister," not dōdāh. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Aramaic Visions of Amram (4Q543–549) retells Amram's marriage to Jochebed. In the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation) Exod 6:20 has "daughter of his father's brother."
Where it appears
Exodus · 1
-
Exodus 6:20 דֹּֽדָתוֹ֙ father's sister his
And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
Here: "His aunt." The word is the feminine of dōd, "uncle" (also "beloved"). Here it means his father's sister, so Jochebed is Kohath's sister and a daughter of Levi (compare Num 26:59). The same word can also mean an uncle's wife (Lev 18:14).
Leviticus · 2
-
Leviticus 18:14 דֹּדָֽתְךָ֖ [is] aunt your
You must not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations with her; she is your aunt.
-
Leviticus 20:20 דֹּ֣דָת֔וֹ aunt his
If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.