דָּבָר
𐤃𐤁𐤓
Davar
H1697 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A discrete unit of speech (word), message, or utterance; more broadly, an event, matter, issue, or thing under consideration. 'Davar' serves as a flexible term in Biblical Hebrew, used to denote both spoken and written words, as well as abstract or concrete matters or affairs. Its semantic range includes specific utterances, divine messages or commandments, matters of legal or administrative concern, and, in extended use, events, situations, or objects.
Semantic Range
word, utterance, message, command, law, matter, affair, event, case, issue, thing, object, business, report, event, situation, promise, statement, counsel, reason, cause
Root / Etymology
From the root דבר (d-b-r), meaning primarily 'to speak' or 'declare'. The noun form 'davar' originally denotes 'something spoken' but develops to encompass any matter, subject, or affair, whether linguistic or situational.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Throughout the Hebrew Bible, 'davar' frequently denotes not only spoken words but also divine pronouncements, commands, or messages, and it is a common designation for YHWH's revelation or instruction. In legal and administrative contexts, it refers to a case, issue, or business at hand. The transition from speech to more abstract meanings (event, matter) illustrates the Hebrew language's tendency to conceptualize events or realities as articulated or established by words. The Greek Septuagint often renders 'davar' as λόγος (logos) or ῥῆμα (rhēma), emphasizing its double sense as both 'word' and 'matter'. English translations usually select words like 'word,' 'thing,' 'matter,' or 'affair' depending on context, but may under-represent the full elasticity of the term. In later Hebrew, 'davar' remains a general term for both 'word' and 'thing.' The relation to the verb דבר ('to speak, declare') underlies all uses, although concrete sense as 'object' or 'affair' becomes prominent, especially in administrative or narrative settings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work.
Bantu Hebrew
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ndebele | indaba | matter, business, affair, word, news | |
| Shona | nyaya | matter, issue, story, news, case, conversation topic | |
| Sukuma | ndaba | message, affair | |
| Swati | indaba | matter, affair, news, issue, word | |
| Xhosa | indaba | matter, issue, affair, news, story, subject of speech |
Root Family
דבר (Deborah) — to speak, arrange, organize
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1682 | דְּבוֹרָה | bees |
| H1683 | דְּבּוֹרָה | Bee-woman |
| H1687 | דְּבִיר | in the innermost sanctuary |
| H1688 | דְּבִיר | Devir |
| H1696 | דָבַר | I will speak |
Word Forms
82 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1697-13 |
דְּבַ֥ר | devar | HNcmsc |
the word | word of | word of | 273 |
H1697-24 |
דִּבְרֵֽי | diverey | HNcmpc |
words of | words of | words of | 242 |
H1697-33 |
הַ/דָּבָ֖ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the word | the spoken-matter | the matter | 220 |
H1697-12 |
דָּבָ֥ר | davar | HNcmsa |
word | spoken matter | matter | 170 |
H1697-34 |
הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the words | the spoken matters | the words | 133 |
H1697-43 |
כִּ/דְבַ֥ר | kidevar | HR/Ncmsc |
according to the word | according to the word of | according to the word of | 42 |
H1697-14 |
דְבָרַ֜/י | devaray | HNcmpc/Sp1cs |
my words | my utterances | my words | 36 |
H1697-22 |
דְּבָרִ֣ים | devarim | HNcmpa |
words | spoken matters | words | 26 |
H1697-23 |
דְּבָר֗/וֹ | devaro | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his word | his spoken-matter | his word | 24 |
H1697-16 |
דְבָרָ֔י/ו | devarayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his words | his spoken matters | his words | 21 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1455 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1697-65 |
Genesis 11:1 | וּ/דְבָרִ֖ים | udevarim | HC/Ncmpa |
and of words | and spoken matters | and words |
H1697-13 |
Genesis 12:17 | דְּבַ֥ר | devar | HNcmsc |
the matter of | word of | the matter of |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 15:1 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
these things | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-13 |
Genesis 15:1 | דְבַר | devar | HNcmsc |
the word | word of | word of |
H1697-13 |
Genesis 15:4 | דְבַר | devar | HNcmsc |
the word | word of | word of |
H1697-12 |
Genesis 18:14 | דָּבָ֑ר | davar | HNcmsa |
anything | spoken matter | matter |
H1697-35 |
Genesis 18:25 | כַּ/דָּבָ֣ר | kadavar | HRd/Ncmsa |
like the thing | as a spoken matter | like the thing |
H1697-12 |
Genesis 19:8 | דָבָ֔ר | davar | HNcmsa |
anything | spoken matter | anything |
H1697-46 |
Genesis 19:21 | לַ/דָּבָ֣ר | ladavar | HRd/Ncmsa |
concerning the matter | to the spoken matter | to the matter |
H1697-12 |
Genesis 19:22 | דָּבָ֔ר | davar | HNcmsa |
anything | spoken matter | a thing |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 20:8 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֥ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
these things | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 20:10 | הַ/דָּבָ֥ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
this thing | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-13 |
Genesis 20:11 | דְּבַ֥ר | devar | HNcmsc |
the matter of | word of | the matter of |
H1697-13 |
Genesis 20:18 | דְּבַ֥ר | devar | HNcmsc |
the matter | word of | matter of |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 21:11 | הַ/דָּבָ֛ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the matter | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 21:26 | הַ/דָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
this thing | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 22:1 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the things | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 22:16 | הַ/דָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
this thing | the spoken-matter | the thing |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 22:20 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
these things | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 24:9 | הַ/דָּבָ֖ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the matter | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-36 |
Genesis 24:28 | כַּ/דְּבָרִ֖ים | kadevarim | HRd/Ncmpa |
about these things | like spoken-matters | as the words |
H1697-24 |
Genesis 24:30 | דִּבְרֵ֞י | diverey | HNcmpc |
the words | words of | words of |
H1697-14 |
Genesis 24:33 | דְּבָרָ֑/י | devaray | HNcmpc/Sp1cs |
my words | my utterances | my words |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 24:50 | הַ/דָּבָ֑ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the matter | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-25 |
Genesis 24:52 | דִּבְרֵי/הֶ֑ם | divereyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their words | their words | their words |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 24:66 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the things | the spoken matters | the spoken matters |
H1697-24 |
Genesis 27:34 | דִּבְרֵ֣י | diverey | HNcmpc |
words | words of | words of |
H1697-24 |
Genesis 27:42 | דִּבְרֵ֥י | diverey | HNcmpc |
words of | words of | words of |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 29:13 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the things | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 30:31 | הַ/דָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thing | the spoken-matter | the thing |
H1697-41 |
Genesis 30:34 | כִ/דְבָרֶֽ/ךָ | khidevarekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
as you have said | according to your word | according to your word |
H1697-24 |
Genesis 31:1 | דִּבְרֵ֤י | diverey | HNcmpc |
words | words of | words of |
H1697-35 |
Genesis 32:20 | כַּ/דָּבָ֤ר | kadavar | HRd/Ncmsa |
like the word | as a spoken matter | as a spoken matter |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 34:14 | הַ/דָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
this thing | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-25 |
Genesis 34:18 | דִבְרֵי/הֶ֖ם | divereyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their words | their words | their words |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 34:19 | הַ/דָּבָ֔ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thing | the spoken-matter | the thing |
H1697-16 |
Genesis 37:8 | דְּבָרָֽי/ו | devarayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his words | his spoken matters | his words |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 37:11 | הַ/דָּבָֽר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the matter | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-12 |
Genesis 37:14 | דָּבָ֑ר | davar | HNcmsa |
word | spoken matter | spoken matter |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 39:7 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
these things | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-36 |
Genesis 39:17 | כַּ/דְּבָרִ֥ים | kadevarim | HRd/Ncmpa |
according to these words | like spoken-matters | according to the words |
H1697-24 |
Genesis 39:19 | דִּבְרֵ֣י | diverey | HNcmpc |
the words | words of | words of |
H1697-36 |
Genesis 39:19 | כַּ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | kadevarim | HRd/Ncmpa |
After this manner | like spoken-matters | according to these words |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 40:1 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
these things | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 41:28 | הַ/דָּבָ֔ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thing | the spoken-matter | the thing |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 41:32 | הַ/דָּבָר֙ | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the matter | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-33 |
Genesis 41:37 | הַ/דָּבָ֖ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the proposal | the spoken-matter | the proposal |
H1697-26 |
Genesis 42:16 | דִּבְרֵי/כֶ֔ם | divereykhem | HNcmpc/Sp2mp |
your words | your spoken matters | your words |
H1697-26 |
Genesis 42:20 | דִבְרֵי/כֶ֖ם | divereykhem | HNcmpc/Sp2mp |
your words | your spoken matters | your words |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 43:7 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
these words | the spoken matters | the spoken matters |