H2755 H2755
textual variant (ketiv) possibly meaning dung; replaced in qere tradition
This lemma represents a ketiv (written) reading that appears in the Masoretic text of 2 Kings 6:25 but was replaced by scribal tradition with the qere (read) form dibyon-yonim (dove's dung). The precise meaning remains uncertain, though if authentic it likely referred to some kind of excrement. Most modern translations follow the corrected qere reading rather than preserving this variant. The textual apparatus shows translators marking this as a scribal issue [ketiv] rather than attempting semantic interpretation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — This appears exclusively as a textual variant that scribes corrected to dove's dung (דִּבְיוֹנִים) in the reading tradition. The Greek Septuagint's κόπρου περιστερῶν (dove dung) follows the qere. The BDB notes that scholars have proposed various conjectural emendations, reflecting uncertainty about the original text. The cross-linguistic evidence shows translators declining to interpret this ketiv, instead marking it as a scribal problem requiring the corrected reading. 2×
AR["[ذَرْقِ-الْحَمامِ]", "[عَذِرَتَهُمْ]"]·ben["কেতিব"]·DE["[ketiv]", "[their-dung]"]·EN["[ketiv]", "[their-dung]"]·FR["[ketiv]", "[their-dung]"]·heb["[חריהם]", "[חריונים]"]·HI["[खरय्योनीम]", "[गंदगी-अपनी]"]·ID["(ketiv)", "[tahi-mereka]"]·IT["[ketiv]", "[their-dung]"]·jav["[kotoran-manuk-dara]", "[rai]"]·KO["(변형)", "[또똑]"]·PT["[esterco-de-pomba]", "[excremento-deles]"]·RU["[помёта]", "испражнения-их"]·ES["(kethiv)", "[K]"]·SW["[k]"]·TR["[dışkılarını]", "guvercin-pisligi"]·urd["فضلہ-اُن-کی", "کبوتر-کی-بیٹ"]
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
† דִּבְיוֹנִים n.[m.] so Qr; = דב יונים dove’s dung (?) 2 K 6:25 for Kt חרייונים; 𝔊 κόπρου περιστερῶν (Klo gives conject. emend.)