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מְדוֹר

𐤌𐤃𐤅𐤓

mᵉdôwr

H4070 noun

SILEX Entry

Root דּוּר to dwell, reside, encircle, settle

Definition

A habitation or dwelling-place; a physical location where individuals or groups reside. The term refers to a fixed abode, often in contrast to temporary shelters. In Aramaic usage within biblical texts, it can denote household, habitation, or the abode of animals as well as humans.

Semantic Range

dwelling, habitation, abode, place of residence, household, animal lair

Root / Etymology

The noun מְדוֹר derives from the root דּוּר (to dwell, encircle, reside). This root communicates the concept of living in a fixed place, encamping, or encircling for settlement. The formation מְדוֹר as a noun denotes the result or place of dwelling, i.e., a residence or habitation. The spelling and forms in Aramaic (מְדֹר, מְדָר) are consistent with common Aramaic nominal patterns, reflecting a Semitic cognate development.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, the word מְדוֹר appears only in Aramaic sections, such as Daniel 4:12, where it refers to the dwelling-place of animals (literally, "the abode of the beasts of the field"). Its usage is distinct from more common Hebrew terms for dwelling (e.g., בַּיִת for house, מוֹשָׁב for settlement, יָשַׁב as a verb 'to dwell'). In biblical Aramaic, מְדוֹר is a general term for residence or abode, with a possible nuance of a fixed or stable habitat, as opposed to temporary encampments. English translations typically use 'dwelling,' 'abode,' or 'habitation,' which captures the basic sense, though the term may connote both natural and constructed abodes. The infrequency of its occurrence prevents detailed tracing of diachronic shifts in meaning, but its consistent usage in the relevant contexts is in keeping with related Semitic terms.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) or מְדֹר; (Aramaic), or מְדָר; (Aramaic), from דּוּר; a dwelling; dwelling.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דור (d-w-r) — dwell, reside, encircle, settle

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1752 דּוּר from dwelling
H1753 דּוּר dwellers of
H1754 דּוּר Encircle!
H1755 דּוֹר in the generation-cycle
H1756 דּוֹר generation-cycle

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4070-02 מְדֹרָ֜/ךְ medorakhe ANcmsc/Sp2ms dwelling-your your dwelling-place 2
H4070-03 מְדוֹרֵ֔/הּ medoreh ANcmsc/Sp3ms his dwelling his dwelling-place 1
H4070-01 מְדָ֣רְ/ה֔וֹן medarehon ANcmsc/Sp3mp dwelling-their their dwelling-place 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4070-01 Daniel 2:11 מְדָ֣רְ/ה֔וֹן medarehon ANcmsc/Sp3mp dwelling-their their dwelling-place
H4070-02 Daniel 4:22 מְדֹרָ֜/ךְ medorakhe ANcmsc/Sp2ms dwelling-your your dwelling-place
H4070-02 Daniel 4:29 מְדֹרָ֗/ךְ medorakhe ANcmsc/Sp2ms dwelling-your your dwelling-place
H4070-03 Daniel 5:21 מְדוֹרֵ֔/הּ medoreh ANcmsc/Sp3ms his dwelling his dwelling-place
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