נִדְבָּךְ
𐤍𐤃𐤁𐤊
nidbâk
H5073 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A single horizontal course, tier, or row in a structure, particularly as used in stone or brick masonry. Primarily denotes one layer within a wall or building, emphasizing an ordered or unified layer of construction elements, especially in contexts describing large or important structures.
Semantic Range
course (of stones), layer, tier, row (in construction); particularly of masonry or building materials; rarely, a section or stratum within a built structure
Root / Etymology
From the root נדבך, likely based on the verbal root דָּבַךְ (Aramaic), meaning 'to join together, to adhere, to stick.' The word is a noun formation referring to something that has been laid together or bonded, hence a 'course' or 'layer.' The root itself does not appear in standard Hebrew, being documented in Aramaic.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נִדְבָּךְ occurs exclusively in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, specifically in Ezra 4:10 and 5:8, in the context of describing the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. Its usage reflects the specialized vocabulary of construction adopted in late biblical Aramaic, particularly under Persian imperial influence, when official correspondence and building records were kept in Aramaic. The term focuses on the physical structure of walls, contrasting with broader terms for 'wall' (חוֹמָה) or 'building' (בִּנְיָן), instead emphasizing the construction process by referring to the individual strata composed of stone or timber. Standard English translations as 'row' or 'course' accurately capture the sense, although they may underplay the technical or architectural context implicit in the original term. In biblical usage, נִדְבָּךְ is almost always paired with another material (e.g., 'layer of stone and layer of timber') indicating a composite or alternating method of ancient construction. The word did not continue into later Hebrew outside of technical contexts, and it lacks the metaphorical or extended senses that sometimes develop from similar architectural vocabulary.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from a root meaning to stick; a layer (of building materials); row.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נדבך (n-d-b-k) — unite, join together, adhere
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5073-01 |
נִדְבָּכִ֞ין | nidebakhin | ANcmpa |
rows | bonded masonry courses | 1 |
H5073-02 |
וְ/נִדְבָּ֖ךְ | venidebakhe | AC/Ncmsa |
and-row | and a masonry course | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences