דָּבַר1142 H1696
speak, say, declare; (Qal ptc.) speaker; (Hifil) subdue; (Pual) be spoken; (Hifil) destroy
One of the most common verbs in the Hebrew Bible, דָּבַר in its dominant Piel stem means to speak, say, tell, or declare, accounting for over a thousand occurrences. The formulaic 'and the LORD spoke to Moses' (וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה) echoes throughout the Torah. A separate homonymous root דבר II appears in the Hifil with the surprising meaning 'to subdue' (Ps 18:47; 47:3), likely related to the Arabic دَبَرَ 'drive behind.' The Pual passive ('be spoken,' Ps 87:3) and a rare destructive sense (2 Chr 22:10) round out this word's range.
Senses
1. speak, say, tell (Piel) — The overwhelmingly dominant sense (1,105x), covering all Piel forms: perfect, imperfect, imperative, infinitive, and participle. Every major target language renders this as active verbal communication — Spanish habló, French parla, German sprach. The phrase וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה introduces divine speech hundreds of times from Genesis 8:15 onward. 1105×
AR["فَتَكَلَّمَ", "وَ-تَكَلَّمَ", "وَتَكَلَّمَ"]·ben["আর-বলল", "আর-বললেন", "এবং-কথা-বললেন", "এবং-বলল", "এবং-বললেন", "ও-কথা-বললেন", "ও-বলল", "ও-বললেন"]·DE["und-er-sprach", "und-redete", "und-sprach"]·EN["and-he-spoke", "and-spoke"]·FR["et-il-parla", "et-parla"]·heb["ו-דבר", "ו-דיבר", "ו-ידבר"]·HI["और-कहा", "और-बोल", "और-बोला"]·ID["Dan-berbicara", "Dan-berfirmanlah", "Dan-berkatalah", "dan-berbicara", "dan-ia-berbicara", "dan-ia-berkata"]·IT["e-egli-parlò", "e-parlo", "e-parlò"]·jav["Lan-Yéhuwah-dhawuh", "Lan-ngandika", "Lan-ngendika", "lan-ngandika"]·KO["그리고-말씀하셨다", "그리고-말했다"]·PT["E-falou", "e-falou"]·RU["И-говорил", "и-говорил", "и-сказал"]·ES["Y-habló", "y-habló"]·SW["Na-akanena", "Na-akasema", "kila", "na-akamwambia", "na-akaongea", "na-akasema", "yeye"]·TR["Ve-konuştu", "ve-konuştu", "ve-söyledi"]·urd["اور-بات-کی", "اور-بولا", "اور-فرمایا", "اور-کہا"]
2. speaker, one who speaks (Qal participle) — The Qal active participle used substantively to denote 'one who speaks, the speaker' (28x). Multilingual glosses confirm the agentive function — English 'one-who-speaks,' Spanish 'el-que-habla.' Notable at Genesis 16:13 where Hagar identifies God as 'the one speaking to me,' and at Exodus 6:29 where Moses is 'the one speaking before Pharaoh.' 28×
AR["أَتَكَلَّمُ", "أُخَاطِبُ", "أُخَاطِبُكُمْ", "أُكَلِّمُكَ", "المُتَكَلِّمُ", "الْمُتَكَلِّمُ", "الْمُتَكَلِّمِ", "تَتَكَلَّمُ", "مُتَكَلِّم", "مُتَكَلِّمٌ", "مُتَكَلِّمٍ"]·ben["-কথা-বলা", "কেউ-বলছে", "বলছ", "বলছি", "যিনি-কথা-বলছেন", "যিনি-বলেন", "যে-বলে"]·DE["Wort", "Wueste", "bin-speaking", "das-Wort", "der-redete", "redete", "speaking"]·EN["am-speaking", "are-speaking", "one-who-speaks", "speaking", "the-One-speaking", "the-one-speaking"]·FR["am-parlant", "de-il-a-parlé", "il-a-parlé", "la-parole", "le-Un-parlant", "parlant", "parler", "parole", "peste"]·heb["דובר", "ה-דבר", "ה-דובר", "מדבר"]·HI["कह-रहा-हूं", "जो-बोलता-था", "बोल-रहा-हूँ", "बोल-रहा-है", "बोलता", "बोलता-हूँ", "बोलता-हूं", "बोलने-वाला", "बोलने-वाले", "बोलनेवले", "बोलनेवाला"]·ID["berbicara", "berjanji", "firmankan", "mengatakan", "mengucapkan", "ucapkan", "yang-berbicara"]·IT["deserto", "il-One-speaking", "la-parola", "parlare", "parola", "pestilenza", "sono-speaking", "speaking"]·jav["ingkang-ngandika", "ingkang-wicanten", "ngandika", "ngandikakaken", "ngendika", "ngendikakaken", "tiyang-ingkang-ngendikakaken"]·KO["말하고-있다", "말하는", "말하는-자-가", "말하는-자가"]·PT["falando", "falante", "falas", "falo", "o-que-fala", "o-que-falou"]·RU["-говорящему", "-говорящий", "говоришь", "говорю", "говорящего", "говорящий", "обещаю"]·ES["el-que-habla", "hablador-de", "hablando", "hablas", "hablo"]·SW["aliyesema", "anayesema", "msemaji-wa", "ninakuambia", "ninalisema", "ninasema", "ninazisema", "unasema"]·TR["-konuşanın", "konuşan", "konuşan-", "konuşuyorum", "soyleyen", "söyleyen", "söylüyorsun", "söylüyorum"]·urd["بول-رہا-ہوں", "بول-رہا-ہے", "بولتا-ہوں", "بولنے-والا", "جو-بات-کر-رہا-تھا", "کہہ-رہا-ہوں"]
3. subdue, bring into subjection (Hifil) — A distinct homonymous root דבר II in the Hifil stem meaning 'to subdue, bring into subjection' (4x). Arabic يُخْضِعُ and Spanish someterá confirm the separate semantic field. Psalm 18:47 ('He subdues peoples under me') and Psalm 47:3 ('He subdues nations') are the clearest instances. Proverbs 16:13 and Amos 5:10 show related forensic or authoritative speech contexts. 4×
AR["وَ-المُتَكَلِّمَ", "وَ-مُتَكَلِّمُ", "وَيُخْضِعُ", "يُخْضِعُ"]·ben["এবং-বশীভূত-করেন", "এবং-যে-বলে", "ও-যে-বলে", "বশীভূত-করেন"]·DE["redete", "und-redete"]·EN["He-subdues", "and-speaker-of", "and-the-one-speaking", "and-who-subdued"]·FR["et-il-a-parlé", "et-parler", "parler"]·heb["ו-דוֹבר", "ו-דובר", "ו-ידבר", "ידביר"]·HI["और-बोलने-वाले", "और-बोलनेवाला", "और-वश-में-करता", "वश-में-करेगा"]·ID["dan-menundukkan", "dan-yang-berbicara"]·IT["e-parlare", "e-parlo'", "e-pestilenza", "parlo'"]·jav["amargi", "lan-kang-ngandika", "lan-tiyang-kang-ngendika", "saha-Panjenengan-ipun-nelukaken"]·KO["그리고-말하는-자를", "그리고-복종시키시도다", "복종시키시도다"]·PT["Sujeitá-nos", "e-o-que-fala", "e-que-fala", "e-sujeita"]·RU["и-говорящего", "и-покоряющий", "покорит"]·ES["someterá", "y-al-que-habla", "y-sujeta"]·SW["Anawatiisha", "na-anawatiisha", "na-anayesema"]·TR["boyunduruk-altına-alır", "ve-boyun-eğdiren", "ve-konuşanı"]·urd["اور-بولنے-والا", "اور-بولنے-والے-سے", "اور-مخضوع-کرنے-والا", "ماتحت-کرتا-ہے"]
4. sense 4 — Two rare occurrences (Ps 119:23; Mal 3:16) that sit at the boundary between standard speech and deliberative discourse. At Psalm 119:23, princes 'sit and speak against me,' implying slander or plotting. At Malachi 3:16, those who fear the LORD 'spoke to one another,' suggesting intimate, reverent conversation. Multilingual glosses remain within the speech domain. 2×
AR["تَكَلَّمَ", "تَكَلَّمُوا"]·ben["কথা-বলল", "তারা-কথা-বলেছিল"]·DE["redete"]·EN["speaking", "spoke"]·FR["parler"]·heb["נדברו"]·HI["बोले"]·ID["berbicara"]·IT["parlare", "parlo'"]·jav["sami-ngandikakaken", "sami-wicantenan"]·KO["말하였도다", "말했다"]·PT["falaram"]·RU["говорили"]·ES["hablaron"]·SW["walinisema", "walizungumza"]·TR["konuştular"]·urd["باتیں-کیں", "بولتے-رہے"]
5. sense 5 — Two occurrences (Num 7:89; Ezek 43:6) involving reflexive or middle-voice speech — the divine voice 'speaking' from between the cherubim (Hitpael-like nuance). French parlant and Spanish hablando capture the progressive, self-emanating quality. These passages describe God's voice heard as an ongoing auditory phenomenon rather than a directed utterance. 2×
AR["مُتَكَلِّمًا"]·ben["কথা-বলতে", "বলতে"]·DE["Wueste", "speaking"]·EN["speaking"]·FR["de-il-a-parlé", "parlant"]·heb["דיבר", "מדבר"]·HI["बोलती-हुई", "बोलते-हुए"]·ID["yang-berbicara"]·IT["deserto", "speaking"]·jav["kang-ngandika", "ngandika"]·KO["말하는", "말하는-것을"]·PT["falando"]·RU["говорящего", "говорящий"]·ES["hablando"]·SW["akisema", "ikisema"]·TR["konuşan", "konuşanı"]·urd["بولتا-ہوا", "بولتی-ہوئی"]
6. be spoken (Pual) — The Pual passive stem (2x): 'glorious things are spoken of you' (Ps 87:3) and 'on the day she is spoken for' (Song 8:8). Arabic يُتَحَدَّثُ and Spanish 'que se hable' confirm the passive voice. Both passages involve something being declared or spoken about a subject, emphasizing the content received rather than the agent producing it. 2×
AR["مَقُولَةٌ", "يُتَحَدَّثُ-"]·ben["-যখন-তার-বিষয়ে-কথা-হবে-", "কথিত-হয়"]·DE["redete"]·EN["are-spoken", "that-is-spoken-"]·FR["de-parole", "où-on-parlera"]·heb["מדובר", "ש-ידובר"]·HI["कही-जाती-हैं", "बात-होगी"]·ID["diucapkan", "ia-dibicarakan"]·IT["deserto", "parlare"]·jav["dipun-cariyosaken", "kang-panjenenganipun-dipunrembag-"]·KO["그녀-가-말해질", "말하여지-는"]·PT["se-dizem", "se-falar"]·RU["когда-будет-свататься-", "сказано"]·ES["que-se-hable-", "son-dichas"]·SW["atakaposemwa", "yanasemwa"]·TR["ki-konusulur", "söyleniyor"]·urd["کہ-بات-ہو", "کہی-جاتی-ہیں"]
7. sense 7 — A single occurrence at 2 Chronicles 22:10 where Athaliah 'destroyed' the royal seed. English 'and-destroyed,' Spanish 'y-destruyó' confirm this is not speech but annihilation. This likely reflects דבר III (related to דֶּבֶר 'pestilence') or a textual/semantic overlap with the Assyrian dabāru 'drive away.' The destructive meaning stands wholly apart from the communication senses. 1×
AR["وَأَبَادَتْ"]·ben["আর-ধ্বংস-করলেন"]·DE["und-reden"]·EN["and-destroyed"]·FR["et-parler"]·heb["ו-דבר"]·HI["और-नष्टकिया"]·ID["dan-membinasakan"]·IT["e-parlare"]·jav["lan-ngendika"]·KO["그리고-그녀가-멸했다"]·PT["e-falou"]·RU["и-погубила"]·ES["y-destruyó"]·SW["na-akawaangamiza"]·TR["ve-yok-etti"]·urd["اور-ہلاک-کیا"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[דָּבַר1142] vb. speak (original meaning dub.; range in order Thes is conjectural and not comprehensive enough; treiben MV does not explain Arabic or Heb. usage, but only Aramaic A meaning go away, sustained by Arabic دَبَرَ بِهِ go away with it, would best explain the four branches of usage:—(1) Arabic دَبَرَ depart, perish, iv. retreat, fig. retrograde, decline; دَبْرٌ passing away, death;…