מִדְבַּ֣ר
𐤌𐤃𐤁𐤓
midebar
wilderness
from דָבַר in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs); desert, south, speech, wilderness.
Joel 2:3 · Word #12
Lexicon H4057
| Lemma | מִדְבָּר |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤌𐤃𐤁𐤓 |
| Transliteration | midbâr |
| Strong's | H4057 |
| In-context | wilderness |
Morphology HNcmsc
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | c — Construct — The noun is bound to the following word |
SIBI-P1 H4057-10
driving-wilderness of
| Root | דבר (d-b-r) |
| Core Meanings | to drive, lead, order, speak |
| Semantic Range | pastureland, open range, steppe, wilderness, desert, southern wilderness region |
| Conceptual Significance | The מִדְבָּר is the place of testing, dependence, and divine encounter in Israel’s story—a liminal space where YHWH leads, disciplines, and speaks to His people, transforming a grazing-land into a formative wilderness experience. |
| Morphological Notes | Masculine singular noun in the construct state; from the root דבר with prefixed מ indicating place (a place of driving). |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun מִדְבָּר derives from the root דבר in its sense of driving or leading (as with livestock), pointing to open land where flocks are driven. Rendering it as "driving-wilderness" preserves this pastoral-root sense rather than only the later idea of barren desert. The form is masculine singular construct (HNcmsc), so "of" reflects its bound relationship to a following noun. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root דבר (to drive, lead, order, speak)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H1696-01 |
adaber | I will declare |
H1696-02 |
adaberah | Let me speak forth |
H1697-01 |
badavar | in the word |
Word Usage (271 occurrences of H4057)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis 14:6 | הַ/מִּדְבָּֽר | hamidebar | the wilderness |
| Genesis 16:7 | בַּ/מִּדְבָּ֑ר | bamidebar | in the wilderness |
| Genesis 21:14 | בְּ/מִדְבַּ֖ר | bemidebar | in the wilderness |