דְּרוֹר
𐤃𐤓𐤅𐤓
dᵉrôwr
H1865 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or condition of liberty, chiefly referring to the emancipation or release from servitude, debt, or constraint. In biblical usage, it designates the proclamation or institution of social and economic release—especially the freeing of Israelite bondservants and the remission of debts during the Jubilee year. Associated at times with a broader sense of release or unrestrained movement or action, but used primarily to mark a legally sanctioned restoration of status or property.
Semantic Range
release from servitude, liberty, emancipation, manumission, proclamation of freedom, free movement, spontaneous action, (by imagery) swift bird (swallow)
Root / Etymology
The term דְּרוֹר (dᵉrôwr) is traditionally connected to an unused root (dr-r), possibly meaning 'to flow rapidly' or 'to move swiftly', although this etymology remains uncertain. The proposed root meaning may evoke a notion of free movement, which may underlie the semantic development toward 'freedom' or 'liberty'. Some have also suggested links to a Semitic root found in cognate languages meaning 'to release' or 'freedom'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical texts, דְּרוֹר is notably used in Leviticus 25:10 to describe the 'proclamation of liberty throughout the land' as part of the Jubilee, involving social and economic reversal—release of Israelite debt-slaves and return of ancestral land. Also appears in Isaiah 61:1 (proclaiming liberty to captives) and Jeremiah 34:8, 15, 17 in similar contexts of manumission or societal release. The term is not limited to physical emancipation but encompasses the broader communal restoration envisioned by covenantal law. Later use in post-exilic and rabbinic periods influenced the concept of religious liberty but retained the core of social freedom. English renderings such as 'liberty' or 'freedom' capture the general sense but may obscure the specific legal and social mechanisms of release intended. דְּרוֹר is distinct from חָפְשִׁי (ḥofshi, 'free') which refers more generally to individual freedom as opposed to the legal or covenantal emancipation expressed by דְּרוֹר. In some contexts, the word also has been associated with 'spontaneity' or 'unrestrained movement', and once (Song 5:12) denotes a 'swift bird' (swallow), likely figurative from its root image of free movement.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root (meaning to move rapidly); freedom; hence, spontaneity of outflow, and so clear; liberty, pure.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דרר (d-r-r) — to flow rapidly, to move swiftly, to act freely
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1865-01 |
דְּרוֹר֙ | deror | HNcmsa |
liberty | emancipation | 7 |
H1865-02 |
הַ/דְּר֔וֹר | haderor | HTd/Ncmsa |
of liberty | the liberty-release | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1865-01 |
Exodus 30:23 | דְּרוֹר֙ | deror | HNcmsa |
flowing | emancipation |
H1865-01 |
Leviticus 25:10 | דְּר֛וֹר | deror | HNcmsa |
liberty | emancipation |
H1865-01 |
Isaiah 61:1 | דְּר֔וֹר | deror | HNcmsa |
liberty | emancipation |
H1865-01 |
Jeremiah 34:8 | דְּרֽוֹר | deror | HNcmsa |
liberty | emancipation |
H1865-01 |
Jeremiah 34:15 | דְר֖וֹר | deror | HNcmsa |
liberty | emancipation |
H1865-01 |
Jeremiah 34:17 | דְר֔וֹר | deror | HNcmsa |
liberty | emancipation |
H1865-01 |
Jeremiah 34:17 | דְּר֜וֹר | deror-2 | HNcmsa |
liberty | emancipation |
H1865-02 |
Ezekiel 46:17 | הַ/דְּר֔וֹר | haderor | HTd/Ncmsa |
of liberty | the liberty-release |