H1755 H1755
A generation or age: the people living in a given period, successive posterity, or the formula 'from generation to generation' expressing perpetuity.
One of Hebrew's most rhythmically powerful words, dor carries both the concreteness of a living cohort and the abstraction of endless time. When Moses condemns 'this crooked and perverse generation' (Deut 32:5), dor means the actual people standing before him. But in the cultic formula ledorotekhem ('throughout your generations,' Gen 17:9; Exod 12:14), it stretches forward into perpetuity — every future cohort inheriting the covenant obligation. The distributive formula midor ledor ('from generation to generation,' Ps 33:11) compresses this into poetry. Spanish mirrors the spread beautifully: 'generacion' for the living cohort, 'generaciones vuestras' for posterity, and 'de generacion en generacion' for the perpetuity formula. The Arabic cognate dawr ('cycle, revolution') hints at the circular conception of time underlying the word.
1. generation, contemporaries — A generation as a group of contemporaries — the people alive at the same time, characterized as a moral or spiritual cohort. 'This generation' may be righteous (Gen 7:1, where Noah stands alone in his generation) or wicked (Deut 32:5, 20; Ps 12:7). Often preceded by the article or a demonstrative, it functions almost like a collective noun. Spanish 'generacion' and German 'Geschlecht' consistently render this. The 96 occurrences make this the primary sense — dor as the people who share a historical moment. 96×
AR["فَ-جِيلٍ","فَجيل","فَجيلٍ","فَجِيلٍ","فَدَور","فَدَوْرٍ","فَـ-جِيلٍ","وَ-جيل","وَ-جيلٍ","وَ-جِيلٍ","وَ‒جِيلٍ"]·ben["এবং-পুরুষে","এবং-বংশ","এবং-বংশে","এবং-বংশের","ও-পুরুষে","ও-প্রজন্ম।","ও-বংশ","ও-বংশে","পুরুষে।","বংশ-","বংশ-পরম্পরায়","বংশে"]·DE["auf-Geschlecht","nach-Geschlecht","und-Generation","und-Geschlecht"]·EN["after-generation","and-generation","upon-generation"]·FR["et-génération"]·heb["ו-דור"]·HI["और-पीढ़ी","और-पीढ़ी-की","दर-पीढ़ी","पीढ़ी","पीढ़ी-तक","पीढ़ी-से","वा-दोर"]·ID["dan-generasi","dan-turun-temurun","demi-generasi","generasi","ke-generasi"]·IT["e-generazione"]·jav["lan-jaman","lan-turun","lan-turun-tumurun","lan-turunan","saha-turun-tumurun","saha-turunan","tiyang-bodho","tumurun-tumurun"]·KO["그리고-대-로","그리고-대-에","그리고-대-와","그리고-대대-로","그리고-세대","그리고-세대에","그리고-세대의","세대","이르리로다"]·PT["e-geração","em-geração"]·RU["в-род","и-поколение","и-поколении","и-поколения","и-род","и-рода","и-родах","и-роде","к-поколению"]·ES["a-generación","en-generación","y-generación"]·SW["baada-ya-kizazi","hadi-kizazi","kizazi","na-kizazi"]·TR["kuşak","kuşağa","nesile","ve-nesil","ve-nesilde","ve-nesile","ve-nesle"]·urd["اور-نسل","اور-پشت","در-نسل","در-پشت","نسل","وَ-نَسل","وَ-پشت","پشت","پشت-تک"]
Exod 3:15, Exod 17:16, Deut 23:2, Deut 23:3, Deut 23:8, Deut 32:5, Deut 32:7, Deut 32:7, Judg 2:10, Esth 9:28, Esth 9:28, Ps 10:6 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. generations, posterity — Successive generations, posterity — used in the plural with possessive suffixes in covenant and cultic legislation to express an obligation binding on all descendants. The formula ledorotam/ledorotekem ('throughout their/your generations') pervades Pentateuchal law: circumcision (Gen 17:7, 12), Passover (Exod 12:14), Sabbath (Exod 31:13), and priestly statutes. Spanish 'para vuestras generaciones' and German 'für ihre Geschlechter' preserve the distributive force. This sense shifts from a single living cohort to a chain of future ones. 50×
AR["لِ-أَجيالِكُم","لِ-أَجْيَالِكُمْ","لِ-أَجْيَالِهِمْ","لِأَجْيَالِكُمْ"]·ben["-বংশধরে-তাদের","তোমাদের-প্রজন্মে","তোমাদের-বংশ-পরম্পরায়","তোমাদের-বংশদের-জন্য","তোমাদের-বংশধরদের-জন্য","তোমাদের-বংশধরে","তোমাদের-বংশধরের-জন্য","তোমাদের-বংশপরম্পরায়","তোমাদের-বংশে","তোমাদের-বংশে।"]·DE["fuer-dein-Geschlechter","für-ihre-Geschlechter"]·EN["for-their-generations","for-your-generations"]·FR["pour-leur-générations","pour-ton-générations"]·heb["ל-דור-ם","ל-דורות","ל-דורותיכם"]·HI["उनकि-पिधियो-मे","के-लिए-पीढ़ियों-तुम्हारी","तुम्हारी-पीढ़ियों-में","पीढ़ियों-तुम्हारी","पीढ़ियों-तुम्हारी-के-लिए"]·ID["bagi-generasi-generasimu","bagi-keturunan-kamu","bagi-keturunan-keturunanmu","bagi-keturunan-mereka","bagi-keturunanmu","turun-temurun","untuk-keturunan-keturunan-kamu","untuk-keturunanmu"]·IT["per-loro-generazioni","per-tuo-generazioni"]·jav["dhateng-turun-temurun-panjenengan-sedaya","kagem-turun-tumurun-panjenengan","kangge-turun-turun-panjenengan","kangge-turun-turunipun","kanggé-turun-panjenengan-sadaya","kanggé-turun-temurun-ipun-panjenengan-sadaya","kanggé-turun-temurun-panjenengan","kanggé-turun-temurun-panjenengan-sedaya","kanggé-turun-tumurunipun-panjenengan-sedaya,"]·KO["그들의-세대들에","너희-대대-에","너희-의-대대-에","너희-의-대대로","너희의-대대로","너희의-대대에","너희의-대에","너희의-세대들-에게","대대로-너희의","에-너희의-대대"]·PT["para-gerações-de-vós","para-gerações-deles","para-gerações-vossas","para-vossas-gerações","para-vossas-gerações,","para-vossas-gerações."]·RU["в-поколениях-ваших","в-родах-их","для-поколений-ваших","для-родов-ваших"]·ES["para-generaciones-vuestras","para-vuestras-generaciones","para-vuestras-generaciones:","por-sus-generaciones","por-vuestras-generaciones"]·SW["katika-vizazi-vyenu","kwa-vizazi-vyao","kwa-vizazi-vyenu"]·TR["-için-nesilleriniz","kuşaklarınız-boyunca","kuşaklarınız-için","nesillerine","nesilleriniz-boyunca"]·urd["اُن-کی-نسلوں-کے-لیے","تمہاری-نسلوں-تک","تمہاری-نسلوں-کے-لئے","تمہاری-نسلوں-کے-لیے","تمہاری-پشتوں-میں","نسلوں-تمہاری-میں","نسلوں-کے-لیے-تمہاری"]
Gen 6:9, Gen 9:12, Gen 17:7, Gen 17:9, Gen 17:12, Exod 12:14, Exod 12:17, Exod 12:42, Exod 16:32, Exod 16:33, Exod 27:21, Exod 29:42 (+38 more)
3. perpetuity, age after age — Perpetuity, age after age — the distributive formula midor ledor or ledor vador ('from generation to generation'), expressing endless duration or the everlasting quality of God's faithfulness (Ps 100:5), his name (Exod 3:15), or his throne (Lam 5:19). Korean daedaero and Arabic min jilin ila jilin convey the same iterative pattern. This is not a demographic term but a temporal one — dor as a unit of measured eternity, each generation a beat in God's unending rhythm. 21×
AR["إِلَى-جِيلٍ","جيل","جِيلٍ","في-دَور","فَـ-دَوْرٍ","فِي-جِيلٍ","لِ-جيلٍ","لِ-جِيلٍ","لِجِيلٍ","لِدَور","لِـ-دَوْرٍ","لِـجيل","مِنْ-جِيلٍ","وَجِيلٍ"]·ben["-জন্য","-বংশ-থেকে","-বংশ-থেকে-","এবং-পুরুষে","পুরুষ-থেকে","পুরুষ-পর্যন্ত","পুরুষে","পুরুষে-থেকে-পুরুষে","পুরুষে-পুরুষে","প্রতি-বংশ","বংশ-থেকে","বংশ-পরম্পরায়-","বংশ-পর্যন্ত","বংশের-কাছে","সেই-বংশে","সেই-বংশের-জন্য"]·DE["Generation","Geschlecht","Geschlecht-","Geschlechter","in-Geschlecht","und-Generation","und-Geschlecht","von-Geschlecht","zu-Geschlecht","zu-ein-Geschlecht"]·EN["for-a-generation","for-generation","from-generation","generation","generations","in-generation","of-generations","they-shall-dwell","throughout-generation","throughout-generation-of","to-generation","to-generation-of"]·FR["dans-génération","de-génération","et-génération","génération","générations","pour-la-génération","à-génération"]·heb["ב-דור","דור","דורים","ו-דור","ל-דוֹר","ל-דור","מ-דור"]·HI["को-पीढ़ी","पीढ़ियों-के-लिए","पीढ़ियों-तक","पीढ़ी","पीढ़ी-के-लिए","पीढ़ी-तक","पीढ़ी-दर","पीढ़ी-दर-पीढ़ी","पीढ़ी-से","पीढ़ी-से-","में-पीढ़ी","से-पीढ़ी"]·ID["dari-generasi","di-sepanjang","generasi","ke-generasi","kepada-generasi","keturunan","untuk-generasi","untuk-keturunan"]·IT["da-generazione","di-generazione","e-generazione","generazione","generazioni","in-generazione","per-generazione"]·jav["dados-suwung","dhateng-turunan","ing-jaman","ing-piyambakipun","ing-turun","kanggé-jaman","kanggé-turun","kanggé-turunan","lan-turun-tumurun","manggèn","saking-turun","sareng-sareng","trah","turun","turun-temurun","turun-tumurun","turunan","turunan-turunan"]·KO["-세대-에서","~에게-대에","그리고-대로","그리고-에-대로","대","대-로","대-에","대-에서","대대-로","대대-의","대대로","대대로-","대로","세대-를-위하여","에-대로","에게-대","에서-대로"]·PT["a-geração","de-geração","em-geração","gerações","para-a-geração","para-geração","para-geração-de"]·RU["в-род","в-роды","для-поколения","и-род","из-поколения","из-рода","на-поколение","поколений","поколению","родов"]·ES["a-generación","de-generación","en-generación","generaciones","generación","para-generación","por-generación","por-generación-de"]·SW["hadi-kizazi","katika-kizazi","kizazi","kizazi-hadi","kutoka-kizazi","kwa-kizazi","na-vizazi","vizazi"]·TR["kuşak-için","kuşaktan","kuşaktan-","kuşağa","nesil","nesilde","nesilden","nesilden-","nesile","nesiller","nesillerce-","nesle"]·urd["-نسل-در","بِ-نسل","در-نسل","سے-نسل","لِ-پشت","نسل","نسل-","نسل-در","نسل-سے","نسل-کو","نسلوں-تک","پشت","پشت-در-","پشت-در-پشت-میں","پشت-کے-لیے","پشتوں-کو"]
Exod 17:16, Deut 7:9, 1 Chr 16:15, Ps 10:6, Ps 49:11, Ps 90:1, Ps 102:18, Ps 102:24, Ps 105:8, Prov 27:24, Prov 27:24, Isa 34:10 (+9 more)
4. sense 4 — A dwelling or habitation — a rare, possibly distinct homonym appearing in Isaiah 38:12, where Hezekiah laments 'my dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent.' The English gloss 'My dwelling' stands apart from the generational senses. BDB connects this to a different root (dwr, 'to dwell, encircle'), and some scholars treat it as a separate lexeme entirely. The singular occurrence and anomalous semantics suggest either a genuine homonym or a highly metaphorical extension of the 'life-span' concept. 1×
AR["جِيلِي"]·ben["আমার-প্রজন্ম"]·DE["Geschlecht"]·EN["My-dwelling"]·FR["génération"]·heb["דורי"]·HI["मेरी-पीढ़ी"]·ID["Tempat-tinggalku"]·IT["generazione"]·jav["panggenan-kawula"]·KO["나의-세대가"]·PT["geração-minha"]·RU["поколение-моё"]·ES["Mi-generación"]·SW["Kizazi-changu"]·TR["Neslim"]·urd["میری-نسل"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)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×)H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)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×)H0001 1. father, immediate male parent (1031×)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
† I. דּוֹר, דֹּר n.m. Dt 32:5 period, generation, dwelling (cf. sub vb. supr.; also NH דּוֹר, Aramaic (incl. Biblical Aramaic) דָּר, ܕܳܪ, age, generation; Arabic دَوْرٌ gyrus, orbis, periodus; Sab. דר, one time, once, דרם דרם each once in a year DHM in MV)—abs. דּוֹר Gn 7:1 + 68 times; דֹּר Ex 3:15; + 36 textual; cstr. דּוֹר Dt 32:20 + 7 times, דֹּר Ex 3:15; sf. דּוֹרִי Is 38:12, דּוֹרוֹ Is 53:8;…