H1687 H1687
The inner sanctuary or Holy of Holies — the innermost chamber of Solomon's Temple housing the ark
A technical architectural term for the innermost room of Solomon's Temple, synonymous with the Holy of Holies (qodesh ha-qodashim). Etymologically connected to the Arabic dubur ('back, hindmost part'), it designates the chamber behind the main hall where the Ark of the Covenant and the cherubim resided — the very throne-room of YHWH. Nearly all sixteen occurrences cluster in the detailed construction account of 1 Kings 6-7, describing its cubic dimensions, its gold overlay, and the great doors of olivewood (1 Kgs 6:5, 16, 19-23, 31). The English 'oracle' in the KJV/RV reflects an ancient but incorrect derivation from dibber ('to speak'); modern translations uniformly render it 'inner sanctuary.' Korean '지성소' and Spanish 'santuario interior' both convey its sacred inaccessibility.
Senses
1. inner sanctuary — The innermost room of Solomon's Temple (דְּבִיר), the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant rested beneath the wings of the cherubim. Derived from a root suggesting 'back' or 'hindmost part,' it refers to the rear chamber shielded by olivewood doors and overlaid entirely with gold (1 Kgs 6:16, 19-23, 31). The term appears almost exclusively in the Temple construction narrative (1 Kgs 6-8; 2 Chr 3-5), with Psalm 28:2 offering its sole use outside architectural description. Spanish 'santuario interior' and Arabic 'mihrab' both capture the sense of a consecrated innermost space. 16×
AR["الـ-مِحْرَابِ", "الْمِحْرَابِ", "فِي-الـ-مِحْرَابِ", "فِي-الْمِحْرَابِ", "لِ-الـ-مِحْرَابِ", "لِ-مِحْرَابٍ", "مِحْرَابِ", "وَ-لِ-الـ-مِحْرَابِ", "وَ-مِحْرَابٌ"]·ben["-অন্তর্গৃহের", "-এর-অভ্যন্তরীণ-পবিত্রস্থান", "-গর্ভগৃহে", "-গর্ভগৃহের", "-মহাপবিত্র-স্থানে", "অন্তর্গৃহ", "এবং-গর্ভগৃহ", "এবং-গর্ভগৃহের-জন্য", "গর্ভগৃহ", "গর্ভগৃহের-জন্য", "মহাপবিত্র-স্থানের"]·DE["[בדביר]", "[דביר]", "[הדביר]", "der-inner-sanctuary", "der-inner-sanctuary-von", "fuer-der-inner-sanctuary", "fuer-inner-sanctuary", "in-der-inner-sanctuary", "inner-sanctuary-von", "und-inner-sanctuary", "und-zu-der-inner-sanctuary"]·EN["and-inner-sanctuary", "and-to-the-inner-sanctuary", "for-inner-sanctuary", "for-the-inner-sanctuary", "in-the-inner-sanctuary", "inner-sanctuary-of", "the-inner-sanctuary", "the-inner-sanctuary-of"]·FR["[בדביר]", "[דביר]", "[הדביר]", "dans-le-intérieur-sanctuaire", "et-intérieur-sanctuaire", "et-à-le-intérieur-sanctuaire", "intérieur-sanctuaire-de", "le-intérieur-sanctuaire", "pour-intérieur-sanctuaire", "pour-le-intérieur-sanctuaire", "sanctuaire"]·heb["ב-ה-דביר", "דביר", "ה-דביר", "ו-דביר", "ו-ל-ה-דביר", "ל-דביר", "ל-ה-דביר"]·HI["और-भीतरी-कक्ष", "और-भीतरी-कक्ष-के-लिए", "परदे", "पवित्रस्थान", "भीतरी-कक्ष", "भीतरी-कक्ष-की", "भीतरी-कक्ष-के", "भीतरी-कक्ष-के-लिए", "भीतरी-कक्ष-में", "में-परदे"]·ID["dan-bagi-ruang-belakang", "dan-ruang-belakang", "di-dalam-ruang-belakang", "di-ruang-dalam", "milik-ruang-belakang", "ruang-belakang", "ruang-dalam", "sebagai-ruang-belakang"]·IT["[בדביר]", "[דביר]", "[הדביר]", "e-a-il-interno-santuario", "e-interno-santuario", "il-interno-santuario", "in-il-interno-santuario", "interno-santuario-di", "per-il-interno-santuario", "per-interno-santuario"]·jav["dados-ruang-pungkasan", "ing-ruang-pungkasan", "kagem-ruang-pungkasan", "lan-kagem-ruang-pungkasan", "lan-ruang-pungkasan", "papan-ingkang-suci", "papan-suci-njero", "ruang-pungkasan", "sasana-suci", "wonten-ing-papan-suci-njero"]·KO["그-지성소", "그-지성소를", "그리고-내실에-대하여", "그리고-내실을", "내실에-속한", "내실에서", "내실을-위하여", "내실의", "에서-그-지성소", "지성소-을", "지성소에", "지성소의"]·PT["E-o-santuário", "do-santuário", "e-ao-santuário", "no-santuário", "no-santuário-interior", "o-santuário", "o-santuário-interior", "para-santuário", "santuário-de", "santuário-interior-de"]·RU["в-давире", "в-девир", "в-девире", "давир", "давира", "давиром", "девир", "девира", "девиром", "для-девира", "и-девир", "и-для-девира", "святилищу"]·ES["del-santuario-interior", "el-santuario-interior", "en-el-santuario-interior", "interior-de", "para-santuario-interior", "santuario-interior", "santuario-interior-de", "y-del-santuario-interior", "y-santuario-interior"]·SW["Na-patakatifu-pa-ndani", "akafanya", "chumba-cha-ndani", "dhahabu", "hadi-chini-ya", "katika-patakatifu-pa-ndani", "kuwa-chumba-cha-ndani", "kwa-chumba-cha-ndani", "na-hazikuonekana", "patakatifu-pa-ndani", "vyumba-vya-pembeni"]·TR["iç-oda-için", "iç-odada", "iç-odana", "iç-odanın", "iç-odası", "iç-odaya", "ve-iç-oda", "ve-iç-odaya"]·urd["-محراب", "-محراب-کے", "اور-پچھلا کمرہ", "اور-کے-پچھلے کمرے", "محراب", "محراب-میں", "محراب-کے", "میں-پچھلے کمرے", "پچھلے کمرے کے-", "کے-پچھلے کمرے"]
1 Kgs 6:5, 1 Kgs 6:16, 1 Kgs 6:19, 1 Kgs 6:20, 1 Kgs 6:21, 1 Kgs 6:22, 1 Kgs 6:23, 1 Kgs 6:31, 1 Kgs 7:49, 1 Kgs 8:6, 1 Kgs 8:8, 2 Chr 3:16 (+4 more)
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. דְּבִיר n.m. (cf. Arabic دُبُرٌ back, دَبْرٌ part behind) hindmost chamber, innermost room of the temple of Solomon = קדשׁ הקדשׁים holy of holies, most holy place, the place of the ark and the cherubic images, the throne-room of Yahweh 1 K 6:5, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 31; 7:49 (= 2 Ch 4:20) 8:6, 8 (= 2 Ch 5:7, 9) 2 Ch 3:16 ψ 28:2. Prob. read דְּבִיר 2 K 10:25 also, for MT עִיר; so Klo after…