The Hebrew davah (H1738) means to be ill, faint, or languishing — often describing a state of debilitating distress that leaves one unable to function. It conveys both physical exhaustion and emotional collapse.
Davah paints a picture of the soul at its lowest point — drained and collapsed under suffering. Isaiah uses davah to describe Israel's entire body as sick from rebellion. This complete human weakness is where God's strength is most clearly demonstrated — strength perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Davah is the condition from which God raises up and restores.