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
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
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;…