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

See all 6 languages →

Root Family

דבר (Deborah) — to speak, arrange, organize

Root דבר to speak, to declare
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