The Hebrew dal (דַּל) describes someone who is poor, weak, thin, or of low social standing. It is distinct from other poverty words: ani (H6041, oppressed/afflicted poor) and ebyon (H34, destitute/needy). Dal emphasizes physical thinness or social lowliness.
Dal appears prominently in the wisdom literature and the law as a category requiring special protection. The Torah prohibits showing partiality toward the dal in court (Exodus 23:3) — even poverty does not excuse injustice. Proverbs repeatedly calls the people of God to advocate for the poor: 'Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD' (Proverbs 19:17). Ruth and Boaz's story enacts this ethic. God's special concern for the weak and poor (dal) is one of Scripture's most consistent themes, from Exodus to the Magnificat to the Sermon on the Mount.