בֶּן־דֶּקֶר
𐤁𐤍־𐤃𐤒𐤓
Ben-Deqer
H1128 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Ben-Deqer is a personal name meaning 'son of Deqer,' a patronymic construction indicating descent from a father named Deqer. The name does not appear to express a descriptive quality of the son himself but rather identifies lineage. The underlying sense derives from combining the noun for 'son' (ben) and the personal or titular name Deqer, whose origin connects with the root for 'to pierce.'
Semantic Range
Ben-Deqer (proper name), son of Deqer (patronymic formed from 'son of' plus the name Deqer, which is connected to the idea of piercing or a weapon); only as the name of one individual in the Hebrew Bible
Root / Etymology
Compound of בֵּן (ben, 'son') and דֶּקֶר (Deqer, a personal name). דֶּקֶר itself is likely derived from the root דקר ('to pierce, stick, thrust through') and, as a name, may reference a weapon or the action of piercing, although the precise motivation for the name is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ben-Deqer appears as one of Solomon's district officials in 1 Kings 4:9, indicating an Israelite administrative function during the united monarchy. The name reflects standard Israelite onomastic practice of forming patronymics; it does not serve as a general term but as a specific proper noun. The personal name Deqer is rare and may reflect symbolic associations with strength or weaponry, characteristic of some ancient Near Eastern names. English translations often simply transliterate the name, but the underlying components are transparent in Hebrew. There is no evidence the term carried later religious or ethnic connotations beyond its proper noun function.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בֵּן and a derivative of דָּקַר; son of piercing (or of a lance); Ben-Deker, an Israelite; the son of Dekar.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בנה (b-n-h) — to build, construct, establish family
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1004 | בַּיִת | in the houses |
| H1005 | בַּיִת | the built-house |
| H1006 | בַּיִת | the house |
| H1007 | בֵּית אָוֶן | house-of |
| H1008 | בֵּית־אֵל | in house of |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1128-02 |
דֶּ֛קֶר | deqer | HNp |
Deker | Son of Deqer | 1 |
H1128-01 |
בֶּן | ben | HNcmsc |
son of | son | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1128-01 |
1 Kings 4:9 | בֶּן | ben | HNcmsc |
son of | son |
H1128-02 |
1 Kings 4:9 | דֶּ֛קֶר | deqer | HNp |
Deker | Son of Deqer |