H1681 H1681
Slander, evil report, defamation; malicious whispering that damages reputation or spreads a false account.
This Hebrew noun captures the insidious power of destructive speech -- from quiet whispering behind someone's back to a full-blown defamatory report. In Genesis 37:2, young Joseph brings back a 'bad report' about his brothers, setting in motion the drama of jealousy and exile. The spies who discouraged Israel from entering Canaan spread a dibbah of the land (Num 13:32; 14:36-37), and Jeremiah heard the dibbah of many whispering against him (Jer 20:10). The word conveys speech that glides stealthily, undermining trust and inciting harm.
Senses
1. slander, evil report, defamation — Whispering, slander, defamation, or an evil report -- malicious speech designed to damage someone's standing or discourage action. Spanish translations use 'calumnia' and 'difamacion,' capturing the defamatory force, while French employs 'calomnie.' The semantic range spans from private malicious gossip (Ps 31:13; Jer 20:10) to the public spreading of a damaging report (Gen 37:2; Num 13:32). Proverbs warns against both uttering slander (10:18) and carelessly revealing another's secret, lest your own reputation suffer (25:10). The root suggests something that creeps or glides, evoking the stealthy and insidious nature of destructive talk. 9×
AR["خَبَرَ","مَذَمَّةً","مَذَمَّةَ","مَذَمَّةِ","نمِيمَتِ-هِمْ","نَمِيمَةً","وَ-عارُكَ","وَنمِيمَةِ-","وِشَايَةَ"]·ben["অপবাদ","আর-নিন্দা-","এবং-তোমার-দুর্নাম","কুৎসা","খারাপ-প্রতিবেদন","তাদের-কুখ্যাতি","প্রতিবেদন-"]·DE["[דבה]","[דבת]","[ודבת]","[ודבתך]","ihr-übles-Gerede","slander","slander-von"]·EN["and-slander-of-","and-your-bad-reputation","report-their","slander","slander-of","whispering-of"]·FR["[דבת]","calomnie","et-calomnie","et-ton-ודבתך-toi","report-leur","slander","slander-de","דבה"]·heb["דבה","דבת","דבתם-ם","דיבה","דיבת","ו-דיבת-","ו-דיבתך"]·HI["उनकी-बुरी-रिपोर्ट","और-बदनामी-तेरी","निन्दा","बदनामी","बदनामी-को","बुरी-खबर","बुरी-खबर-","लोग"]·ID["bisikan","dan-berita-jelekmu","dan-fitnah-","fitnah","kabar-buruk","kabar-buruk-mereka"]·IT["[דבת]","[ודבת]","e-e-tuo-bad-reputation-tuo","report-loro","slander","slander-di"]·jav["goroh","kabar-awon","kabar-awon-","kabar-awonipun","lan-cacacadanipun","lan-pocapan-awon-ing","pitenah"]·KO["그들의-나쁜-소문을","그리고-악평은-너-의","그리고-중상의","비방-을","비방을","악한-보고-를","악한-보고-의","악한-보고를","중상을"]·PT["a-calnia-de","calúnia","difamação-de","e-difamação-de-","e-difamação-tua","mal-falácia-deles","má-fama","má-fama-de"]·RU["и-клевету-","и-слава-твоя","клевету","молву","молву-","плохую-молву","худую-молву-о-них"]·ES["calumnia-de","difamación","infame-de","infamia","infamia-de-","informe-de-ellos","murmurar-de","y-murmullo-de","y-tu-difamación"]·SW["habari-mbaya","habari-mbaya-","habari-yao-mbaya","masingizio","masingizio-ya","na-kashfa-ya","na-shutuma-yako"]·TR["dedikodusunu","iftira","iftirasını","kötü-haber","kötü-haberini","kötü-haberini-","ve-iftirasına-","ve-kötü-şöhretin"]·urd["اور-بدنامی-","اور-بدنامی-تیری","بدنامی","بدنامی-کی","خبر-ان-کی","چغلی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† דִּבָּה n.f. whispering, defamation, evil report (? as that which glides stealthily)—abs. ד׳ Nu 14:36; Pr 10:18; cstr. דִּבַּת Je 20:10 + 4 times; sf. דִּבָּֽתְךָ Pr 25:10 דִּבָּתָם Gn 37:2;— 1. whispering ψ 31:14; Je 20:10 (Hi Hup De Gf VB; yet cf. Che ψ) 2. defamation Pr 10:18 (c. הוציא). 3. evil report, specif. a (true) report of evil doing Gn 37:2 (P) וַיָּבֵא אֶת־דִּבָּתָם רָעָה; cf. also…