דָבַר
𐤃𐤁𐤓
dâbar
H1696 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To speak, communicate, or express something verbally; to relate, report, or declare. The verb דָּבַר (dābar) primarily indicates the act of speaking or communicating, emphasizing the content and purpose of what is said, often in formal, deliberate, or consequential contexts. It can also, in less common usages, bear the sense of 'to lead,' 'to arrange,' or 'to deal with' and, very rarely, 'to destroy' or 'to subdue,' likely as an extended or specialized sense.
Semantic Range
to speak, to declare, to communicate, to talk, to report, to announce, to command, to instruct, to relate, to promise, to converse, to arrange (words or matters), to deal with, to subdue (rare), to destroy (rare)
Root / Etymology
From the root דבר, which primarily means 'to speak, arrange, or set in order.' The root also forms the noun דָּבָר (dābār, 'word,' 'matter,' 'thing'). The connection between the verbal and nominal forms highlights the close association in Hebrew thought between saying something and the event, matter, or thing spoken of. Some scholars posit an original sense of arranging or ordering (as in arranging words, discourse), reflected in both the verbal and nominal forms. In much later or poetic texts, it may exceptionally convey the sense of 'subdue' or 'destroy,' but most occurrences are connected to speech and communication.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, דָּבַר is the most common verb for intentional speech acts, especially when content, intention, or authority is emphasized (e.g., divine speech, prophetic declarations, covenantal statements). Distinguished from אָמַר (H559), which often denotes simple saying or direct quotations, דָּבַר tends to be used for more formal, purposeful, or consequential speaking. In legal, prophetic, and priestly texts, it marks authoritative pronouncements or instructions. The verb rarely has non-speech connotations (such as 'to lead' or 'to subdue'); these are concentrated in poetic or late biblical passages and are contextually determined. English translations often generalize both דָּבַר and אָמַר as 'say' or 'speak,' sometimes obscuring the formal or communicative nuance of דָּבַר. Over time, the root developed into the post-biblical Hebrew standard term for 'to speak.'
Translation Consistency
דָּבַר primarily denotes the act of speaking or communicating (declare, report, announce, instruct). “Speak” is a natural, neutral English verb that covers the typical formal and deliberate uses of dabar better than alternatives like “say,” and it matches the dominant English renderings (spoke/speak) across the corpus. It also allows straightforward inflection for all forms while keeping consistent meaning; rarer extended senses (arrange, subdue, destroy) can be handled per-instance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue; answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
דבר (Deborah) — to speak, arrange, organize
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1682 | דְּבוֹרָה | bees |
| H1683 | דְּבּוֹרָה | Bee-woman |
| H1687 | דְּבִיר | in the innermost sanctuary |
| H1688 | דְּבִיר | Devir |
| H1697 | דָּבָר | in the matter |
Word Forms
86 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1696-21 |
דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
spoke | he declared | he spoke | 241 |
H1696-67 |
וַ/יְדַבֵּ֤ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
And spoke | he declared | and he spoke | 192 |
H1696-09 |
דַּבֵּֽר | daber | HVpv2ms |
Speak | Declare! | Speak! | 77 |
H1696-20 |
דִּבַּ֗רְתִּי | dibareti | HVpp1cs |
I have spoken | I spoke | I spoke | 73 |
H1696-38 |
לְ/דַבֶּר | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
to speak | to declare | to speak | 56 |
H1696-85 |
יְדַבֵּ֖ר | yedaber | HVpi3ms |
speaks | he declares | he will speak | 44 |
H1696-17 |
דִּבַּ֤רְתָּ | dibareta | HVpp2ms |
you have spoken | you spoke | you spoke | 40 |
H1696-01 |
אֲדַבֵּ֥ר | adaber | HVpi1cs |
I speak | I will speak | I will speak | 36 |
H1696-69 |
וַֽ/יְדַבְּר֔וּ | vayedaberu | HC/Vpw3mp |
and they spoke | they spoke forth | and they spoke forth | 32 |
H1696-50 |
תְּדַבֵּ֣ר | tedaber | HVpi2ms |
you shall speak | you will speak | you will speak | 27 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1144 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1696-67 |
Genesis 8:15 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֥ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
And God spoke | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 12:4 | דִּבֶּ֤ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
had spoken | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-30 |
Genesis 16:13 | הַ/דֹּבֵ֣ר | hadover | HTd/Vqrmsa |
who spoke | the speaking-one | the speaking-one |
H1696-67 |
Genesis 17:3 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֥ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
and spoke | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-38 |
Genesis 17:22 | לְ/דַבֵּ֣ר | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
talking | to declare | to speak |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 17:23 | דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
had spoken | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-17 |
Genesis 18:5 | דִּבַּֽרְתָּ | dibareta | HVpp2ms |
you have spoken | you spoke | you spoke |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 18:19 | דִּבֶּ֖ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
he has spoken | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-38 |
Genesis 18:27 | לְ/דַבֵּ֣ר | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
to speak | to declare | to speak |
H1696-38 |
Genesis 18:29 | לְ/דַבֵּ֤ר | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
to speak | to declare | to speak |
H1696-63 |
Genesis 18:30 | וַ/אֲדַבֵּ֔רָה | vaadaberah | HC/Vph1cs |
and I will speak | and let me speak | and let me speak |
H1696-38 |
Genesis 18:31 | לְ/דַבֵּ֣ר | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
to speak | to declare | to speak |
H1696-63 |
Genesis 18:32 | וַ/אֲדַבְּרָ֣ה | vaadaberah | HC/Vph1cs |
and I will speak | and let me speak | and let me speak |
H1696-38 |
Genesis 18:33 | לְ/דַבֵּ֖ר | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
speaking | to declare | to speak |
H1696-67 |
Genesis 19:14 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֣ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
spoke | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-17 |
Genesis 19:21 | דִּבַּֽרְתָּ | dibareta | HVpp2ms |
you have spoken | you spoke | you spoke |
H1696-67 |
Genesis 20:8 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֛ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
told | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 21:1 | דִּבֵּֽר | diber | HVpp3ms |
he had spoken | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 21:2 | דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
he had spoken | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-67 |
Genesis 23:3 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֥ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
spoke | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-67 |
Genesis 23:8 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֥ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
and he spoke | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-67 |
Genesis 23:13 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֨ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
and he spoke | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 23:16 | דִּבֶּ֖ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
he had named | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 24:7 | דִּבֶּר | diber | HVpp3ms |
spoke | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-38 |
Genesis 24:15 | לְ/דַבֵּר֒ | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
speaking | to declare | to speak |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 24:30 | דִבֶּ֥ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
spoke | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-20 |
Genesis 24:33 | דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי | dibareti | HVpp1cs |
I have spoken | I spoke | I spoke |
H1696-09 |
Genesis 24:33 | דַּבֵּֽר | daber | HVpv2ms |
Speak | Declare! | Speak! |
H1696-38 |
Genesis 24:45 | לְ/דַבֵּ֣ר | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
speaking | to declare | to speak |
H1696-09 |
Genesis 24:50 | דַּבֵּ֥ר | daber | HVpc |
speak | Declare! | Speak! |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 24:51 | דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
has spoken | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-03 |
Genesis 27:5 | בְּ/דַבֵּ֣ר | bedaber | HR/Vpc |
while speaking | in speaking | in speaking |
H1696-39 |
Genesis 27:6 | מְדַבֵּ֛ר | medaber | HVprmsa |
speaking | the one speaking | the one speaking |
H1696-17 |
Genesis 27:19 | דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ | dibareta | HVpp2ms |
you spoke | you spoke | you spoke |
H1696-20 |
Genesis 28:15 | דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי | dibareti | HVpp1cs |
I have spoken | I spoke | I spoke |
H1696-39 |
Genesis 29:9 | מְדַבֵּ֣ר | medaber | HVprmsa |
speaking | the one speaking | the one speaking |
H1696-50 |
Genesis 31:24 | תְּדַבֵּ֥ר | tedaber | HVpi2ms |
you speak | you will speak | you will speak |
H1696-44 |
Genesis 31:29 | מִ/דַּבֵּ֥ר | midaber | HR/Vpc |
to speak | to speak forth | from speaking |
H1696-54 |
Genesis 32:20 | תְּדַבְּר֣וּ/ן | tedaberun | HVpi2mp/Sn |
you shall speak | you men will declare | you men will speak |
H1696-67 |
Genesis 34:3 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֖ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
and spoke | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-38 |
Genesis 34:6 | לְ/דַבֵּ֖ר | ledaber | HR/Vpc |
to speak | to declare | to speak |
H1696-67 |
Genesis 34:8 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֥ר | vayedaber | HC/Vpw3ms |
and he spoke | he declared | and he spoke |
H1696-69 |
Genesis 34:13 | וַ/יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ | vayedaberu | HC/Vpw3mp |
and spoke | they spoke forth | and they spoke forth |
H1696-69 |
Genesis 34:20 | וַֽ/יְדַבְּר֛וּ | vayedaberu | HC/Vpw3mp |
and spoke | they spoke forth | and they spoke forth |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 35:13 | דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
he talked | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 35:14 | דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
he had spoken | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-21 |
Genesis 35:15 | דִּבֶּ֨ר | diber | HVpp3ms |
he had spoken | he declared | he spoke |
H1696-13 |
Genesis 37:4 | דַּבְּר֥/וֹ | dabero | HVpc/Sp3ms |
speak to him | to speak to him | to speak to him |
H1696-36 |
Genesis 39:10 | כְּ/דַבְּרָ֥/הּ | kedaberah | HR/Vpc/Sp3fs |
as she spoke | according to her speaking | as she spoke |
H1696-64 |
Genesis 39:17 | וַ/תְּדַבֵּ֣ר | vatedaber | HC/Vpw3fs |
and she spoke | and she spoke | and she spoke |