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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1697-13 |
Genesis 43:18 | דְּבַ֤ר | devar | HNcmsc |
word/matter | word of | the matter of |
H1697-43 |
Genesis 44:2 | כִּ/דְבַ֥ר | kidevar | HR/Ncmsc |
according to the word | according to the word of | according to the word of |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 44:6 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the words | the spoken matters | the words |
H1697-36 |
Genesis 44:7 | כַּ/דְּבָרִ֖ים | kadevarim | HRd/Ncmpa |
such words as | like spoken-matters | like these words |
H1697-35 |
Genesis 44:7 | כַּ/דָּבָ֥ר | kadavar | HRd/Ncmsa |
such a thing | as a spoken matter | such a thing |
H1697-40 |
Genesis 44:10 | כְ/דִבְרֵי/כֶ֖ם | khedivereykhem | HR/Ncmpc/Sp2mp |
according to your words | as your words | according to your words |
H1697-12 |
Genesis 44:18 | דָבָר֙ | davar | HNcmsa |
a word | spoken matter | a word |
H1697-24 |
Genesis 44:24 | דִּבְרֵ֥י | diverey | HNcmpc |
the words | words of | words of |
H1697-24 |
Genesis 45:27 | דִּבְרֵ֤י | diverey | HNcmpc |
words | words of | words of |
H1697-41 |
Genesis 47:30 | כִ/דְבָרֶֽ/ךָ | khidevarekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
as you have said | according to your word | according to your word |
H1697-34 |
Genesis 48:1 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the things | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 1:18 | הַ/דָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
this thing | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 2:14 | הַ/דָּבָֽר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the matter | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 2:15 | הַ/דָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
this thing, | the spoken-matter | the spoken-matter |
H1697-22 |
Exodus 4:10 | דְּבָרִ֜ים | devarim | HNcmpa |
words | spoken matters | of words |
H1697-34 |
Exodus 4:15 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the words | the spoken matters | the words |
H1697-24 |
Exodus 4:28 | דִּבְרֵ֥י | diverey | HNcmpc |
the words of | words of | words of |
H1697-34 |
Exodus 4:30 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֔ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the words | the spoken matters | the words |
H1697-04 |
Exodus 5:9 | בְּ/דִבְרֵי | bediverey | HR/Ncmpc |
to words of | in matters of | in words of |
H1697-12 |
Exodus 5:11 | דָּבָֽר | davar | HNcmsa |
at all | spoken matter | at all |
H1697-13 |
Exodus 5:13 | דְּבַר | devar | HNcmsc |
the matter of | word of | the matter of |
H1697-13 |
Exodus 5:19 | דְּבַר | devar | HNcmsc |
the matter of | word of | word of |
H1697-44 |
Exodus 8:6 | כִּ/דְבָ֣רְ/ךָ֔ | kidevarekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
According to your word | as your word | as your word |
H1697-13 |
Exodus 8:8 | דְּבַ֥ר | devar | HNcmsc |
the matter of | word of | the matter of |
H1697-43 |
Exodus 8:9 | כִּ/דְבַ֣ר | kidevar | HR/Ncmsc |
according to the word of | according to the word of | according to the word of |
H1697-43 |
Exodus 8:27 | כִּ/דְבַ֣ר | kidevar | HR/Ncmsc |
according to the word of | according to the word of | according to the word of |
H1697-12 |
Exodus 9:4 | דָּבָֽר | davar | HNcmsa |
a thing | spoken matter | thing |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 9:5 | הַ/דָּבָ֥ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thing | the spoken-matter | the thing |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 9:6 | הַ/דָּבָ֤ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thing | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-13 |
Exodus 9:20 | דְּבַ֣ר | devar | HNcmsc |
the word of | word of | word of |
H1697-13 |
Exodus 9:21 | דְּבַ֣ר | devar | HNcmsc |
the word of | word of | the word of |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 12:24 | הַ/דָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thing | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-43 |
Exodus 12:35 | כִּ/דְבַ֣ר | kidevar | HR/Ncmsc |
according to the word | according to the word of | according to the word of |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 14:12 | הַ/דָּבָ֗ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the word | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-13 |
Exodus 16:4 | דְּבַר | devar | HNcmsc |
matter | word of | matter of |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 16:16 | הַ/דָּבָר֙ | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
is the thing | the spoken-matter | the thing |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 16:32 | הַ/דָּבָר֙ | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
is the thing | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-71 |
Exodus 18:11 | בַ/דָּבָ֔ר | vadavar | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the matter | in the spoken matter | in the matter |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 18:14 | הַ/דָּבָ֤ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the matter | the spoken-matter | the spoken-matter |
H1697-12 |
Exodus 18:16 | דָּבָר֙ | davar | HNcmsa |
a matter | spoken matter | a matter |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 18:17 | הַ/דָּבָ֔ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thing | the spoken-matter | the thing |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 18:18 | הַ/דָּבָ֔ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the matter | the spoken-matter | the spoken-matter |
H1697-34 |
Exodus 18:19 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
cases | the spoken matters | the matters |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 18:22 | הַ/דָּבָ֤ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
matter | the spoken-matter | the spoken-matter |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 18:22 | הַ/דָּבָ֥ר | hadavar-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
matter | the spoken-matter | the spoken-matter |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 18:23 | הַ/דָּבָ֤ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
thing | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 18:26 | הַ/דָּבָ֤ר | hadavar | HTd/Ncmsa |
matter | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-33 |
Exodus 18:26 | הַ/דָּבָ֥ר | hadavar-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
matter | the spoken-matter | the matter |
H1697-34 |
Exodus 19:6 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֔ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the words | the spoken matters | the words |
H1697-34 |
Exodus 19:7 | הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the words | the spoken matters | the words |