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לֹא דְבַר

𐤋𐤀 𐤃𐤁𐤓

Lo Devar

H3810 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לא + דבר not, no, lack; pasture, word, thing

Definition

Loḏebar is a toponym denoting a settlement east of the Jordan, best known as the place of residence of Makir son of Ammiel in the time of King David. The name is typically understood to mean 'no pasture' or 'without communication/word.' However, the meaning is debated, with some proposing 'no pasture' (from לֹא 'no, not' and דָּבָר or דֹּבֶר, 'pasture, word'), while others suggest a play on words relating to 'lack of order' or 'no thing.' As a geographical designation, it refers to a location in the Transjordan, not far from Mahanaim, sometimes associated with the later Gileadite region. It is not to be confused with Debir, a city in Judah.

Semantic Range

a place name denoting 'no pasture' or 'nothing, no word'; figuratively, a barren, desolate, or insignificant place; in proper noun use, the settlement east of the Jordan known as the residence of Makir in the time of David.

Root / Etymology

From the negative particle לֹא ('not') and the noun דָּבָר ('pasture'—in this rare sense—or more commonly 'word, thing, matter'). Some manuscripts use irregular vocalizations (לוֹ דְבַר / לִדְבִר), probably due to textual corruption or scribal confusion. The root ד-ב-ר in its verbal form generally means 'to speak,' but in rare nominal usage in geographical names, it can refer to 'pasture' (compare Akkadian 'dabaru'). The exact nuance here is debated; the formation is transparent as a compound toponym meaning 'no pasture' or 'no word.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Loḏebar appears primarily in the narratives of 2 Samuel (9:4-5, 17:27) as the home of Makir, who shelters Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, following the collapse of the Saulide dynasty. The place is situated east of the Jordan, probably in the Gilead region. The name has been interpreted as reflecting the region's bleakness or isolation (i.e., 'pastureless, barren'), though it could also convey a sense of insignificance or remoteness. This makes it an appropriate setting for narratives involving exiled or marginalized figures. The English rendering 'Lo-debar' does not capture any inherent sense, and translation traditions often simply transliterate the term. At various points, scribes appear to have struggled with its vocalization, leading to several variant forms in the MT. Contrary to Strong's, Loḏebar is not to be equated with Debir, a Judahite town; they are distinct places in the biblical accounts. The term was not used with ethnic or religious overtones and should be treated as a neutral geographic designation in the Iron Age context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or לוֹ דבַר; (Samuel 9:4,5), or לִדְבִר; (Joshua 13:26), (probably rather לֹדְבַר ); from לֹא and דֹּבֶר; pastureless; Lo-Debar, a place in Palestine; Debir, Lodebar.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לא (l-ʾ) — negation, denial, refusal

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1093 בְּלוֹ and not
H3789 כָּתַב not
H3808 לֹא without
H3809 לָא is it not?
H3818 לֹא עַמִּי not

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3810-02 דְבָֽר devar HNp Debar word-of 3
H3810-03 מִ/לּ֥וֹ milo HR/Np from Lo No-Pasture 2
H3810-01 בְּ/ל֥וֹ belo HR/Np in Lo not 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3810-01 2 Samuel 9:4 בְּ/ל֥וֹ belo HR/Np in Lo not
H3810-02 2 Samuel 9:4 דְבָֽר devar HNp Debar word-of
H3810-03 2 Samuel 9:5 מִ/לּ֥וֹ milo HR/Np from Lo No-Pasture
H3810-02 2 Samuel 9:5 דְבָֽר devar HNp Debar word-of
H3810-03 2 Samuel 17:27 מִ/לֹּ֣א milo HR/Np from Lo- No-Pasture
H3810-02 2 Samuel 17:27 דְבָ֔ר devar HNp Debar word-of
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