davar · word, matter, thing

What it means

davar (דָּבָר) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “word, matter, thing”.

Word; what is said. Also "matter" or "thing": what is spoken about, an affair, an event.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. What someone says or announces, above all what YHWH says.
2. A matter, a thing; with "not", nothing.
3. What someone did, set down in writing.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Word, what is said; by extension, the matter being spoken of, a thing or an event. It comes from the verb דָבַר, “speak”.

• Word, message: “the word of YHWH” Genesis 15:1
• “The ten words” of the covenant Exodus 34:28Deuteronomy 4:13
• Matter, thing, event: “after these things” Genesis 22:1Genesis 18:14
• A king's deeds put in writing 1 Kings 11:41

Historical and cultural background

The books of Kings refer to written records: “the book of the acts of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:41) and “the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel”, literally “of the words of the days” (1 Kings 14:19).

How we translate it

“Word” 578 times, “words” 404, “thing” 120, “matter” 89, “things” 41, “chronicles” 38, “acts” 35, “deeds” 20. The expression עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים is translated literally, “the ten words”, with a note (Deuteronomy 4:13). In “after these things” the word marks a step in the story, not something said.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• word ×578
• words ×404
• thing ×120
• matter ×89
• things ×41
• chronicles ×38
• acts ×35
• anything ×20
• deeds ×20
• nothing ×10
• others ×87

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×61
• Exodus×62
• Leviticus×8
• Numbers×29
• Deuteronomy×96
• Joshua×32
• Judges×25
• Ruth×3
• 1 Samuel×78
• 2 Samuel×68
• 1 Kings×125
• 2 Kings×108
• 1 Chronicles×30
• 2 Chronicles×78
• Ezra×14
• Nehemiah×29
• Esther×37
• Job×20
• Psalms×69
• Proverbs×36
• Ecclesiastes×24
• Isaiah×47
• Jeremiah×204
• Ezekiel×82
• Daniel×21
• Hosea×4
• Joel×2
• Amos×10
• Jonah×5
• Micah×3
• Zephaniah×2
• Haggai×7
• Zechariah×20
• Malachi×3

• Genesis 11:1

  All the earth had one language and the same words.

• Genesis 12:17

  But YHWH struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

• Genesis 15:1

  After these things the word of YHWH came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram; I am a shield to you; your reward will be very great.”

• Genesis 15:4

  And look, the word of YHWH came to him, saying, “This one will not be your heir; but one who will come out from your own body, he will be your heir.”

• Genesis 18:14

  Is anything too hard for YHWH? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

• Genesis 18:25

  Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare like the wicked! Far be it from you! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?”

• Genesis 19:8

  Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as is good in your eyes; only to these men do not do anything, for that is why they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

• Genesis 19:21

  He said to him, “Look, I grant you this request also, not to overturn the city of which you have spoken.

• Genesis 19:22

  Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” That is why the name of the city was called Zoar.

• Genesis 20:8

  So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their ears; and the men were very afraid.

• Genesis 20:10

  And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?”

• Genesis 20:11

  Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely there is no fear of Elohim in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’

• Genesis 20:18

  For YHWH had completely closed every womb in the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

• Genesis 21:11

  The matter was greatly displeasing in the eyes of Abraham on account of his son.

• Genesis 21:26

  Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; and you also did not tell me, and I too did not hear of it until today.”

• Genesis 22:1

  After these things Elohim tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

• Genesis 22:16

  and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares YHWH, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only one,

• Genesis 22:20

  After these things it was told to Abraham, saying, “Look, Milcah too has borne sons to Nahor your brother:

• Genesis 24:9

  The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord and swore to him concerning this matter.

• Genesis 24:28

  The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

• Genesis 24:30

  When he saw the ring and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man; and look, he was standing by the camels at the spring.

• Genesis 24:33

  Then food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my errand.” He said, “Speak.”

• Genesis 24:50

  Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The matter has come from YHWH; we cannot speak to you bad or good.

• Genesis 24:52

  When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground to YHWH.

• Genesis 24:66

  The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

• Genesis 27:34

  When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, me too, my father!”

• Genesis 27:42

  The words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah, and she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Look, Esau your brother is consoling himself about you by planning to kill you.

• Genesis 29:13

  When Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

• Genesis 30:31

  He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do for me this thing, I will again pasture your flock and keep it.

• Genesis 30:34

  Laban said, “Very well; let it be according to your word.”

• Genesis 31:1

  He heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has made all this wealth.”

• Genesis 32:19

  He commanded also the second, also the third, and also all who were going after the herds, saying, “According to this word you shall speak to Esau when you find him.

• Genesis 34:14

  They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us.

• Genesis 34:18

  Their words seemed good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor’s son.

• Genesis 34:19

  The young man did not delay to do the thing, for he delighted in the daughter of Jacob; and he was the most honored of all the house of his father.

• Genesis 37:8

  His brothers said to him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed rule over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and because of his words.

• Genesis 37:11

  His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

• Genesis 37:14

  He said to him, “Go, please, see the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

• Genesis 39:7

  After these things, his lord’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”

• Genesis 39:17

  Then she spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came to me to mock me.

And 1402 more times.