דִּנְהָבָה

𐤃𐤍𐤄𐤁𐤄

Dinehavah

H1838 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain; possibly relates to 'judge, contend' (דן) or 'give' (נתן), but not confirmed

Definition

Dinhabah is a toponym referring to a town mentioned in Edomite territory. The precise meaning of the name is uncertain due to unclear etymology, but as a proper noun it designates a specific settlement, most notably the seat of King Bela ben Beor (Genesis 36:32; 1 Chronicles 1:43).

Semantic Range

proper name of a place, Edomite town, seat of an early Edomite king

Root / Etymology

etymology uncertain. The Hebrew form דִּנְהָבָה (Dinhâbâh) does not transparently derive from an attested verb or noun root in biblical Hebrew. Several proposals have been made, such as connections with roots meaning 'give' (נתן) or 'judge, contend' (דן), but these are speculative and phonetically problematic. The name may be of non-Hebrew, possibly Edomite or other local origin.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Dinhabah is mentioned in genealogical lists among the Edomite kings, specifically as the home of Bela, son of Beor. The location is not certainly identified archaeologically, but it is situated within the general region associated with ancient Edom, south of the Dead Sea. The appearance of a clearly non-Hebrew place name in the Edomite king lists reflects the polyethnic character of the region during the monarchic period. English translations often transliterate rather than translate the term, as its meaning is unknown. The later tradition (e.g. Targum, LXX) retains the transliteration, indicating that even ancient translators did not attempt to interpret it. There is no reliable evidence connecting the name with the similarly named Dinhabah in post-biblical or non-biblical texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; Dinhabah, an Edomitish town; Dinhaban.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; etymology not transparently linked to an attested Hebrew root

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1838-01 דִּנְהָֽבָה dinehavah HNp Dinhabah Dinhabah 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1838-01 Genesis 36:32 דִּנְהָֽבָה dinehavah HNp Dinhabah Dinhabah
H1838-01 1 Chronicles 1:43 דִּנְהָֽבָה dinehavah HNp Dinhabah Dinhabah