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

primary "speak" 49 occurrences

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.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"speaking-one" (1x)

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

Root דבר to speak, to arrange, to communicate
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