What Does Joshua 15:49 Mean?
And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir,
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah, which is Debir,THE KEY
דְּבִיר (Dəḇîr, Debir), traditionally glossed “oracle,” carries a spoken-word resonance, while Joshua elsewhere calls the same place קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר (Qiryat-Sefer, “city of the book”): utterance and inscription converge in one place.
THE MEANING
You meet דַּנָּה (Dannah, a place-name of uncertain meaning) beside קִרְיַת־סַנָּה (Qiryat-sannah; “city of Sannah,” though the second element is uncertain), which the verse identifies as דְּבִיר (Dəḇîr, Debir, traditionally “oracle” or “inner sanctuary”). Elsewhere, the same place bears the name קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר (Qiryat-Sefer, “city of the book”), so its names hold spoken and written word together. The place is more than a point on a map; its names carry the resonance of utterance and record.
THE ROOT
דְּבִיר
Dəḇîr
GROWS FROM
דבר
d-b-r
To speak, utter; word or speech.
Debir is traditionally glossed “oracle” or “inner sanctuary” and associated with the root of speech. Joshua’s other name for this place, Qiryat-Sefer (“city of the book”), brings the spoken word and the written word into one frame.
ALSO GROWS
dāḇār: word, matter
דָּבָר
It shares the d-b-r root and makes the word-resonance within Debir audible.
dibbēr: he spoke, declared
דִּבֵּר
This speaking form illuminates Debir’s traditional oracle sense as a place associated with utterance.
THE PATTERN
Scriptural names carry interpretation inside identification, making a place or person more than a bare label.
And he climbed from there to the settlers of Debir; and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher.And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, the face of God, for I have seen God face to face, and my living soul has been pulled free.And he led him to Jesus. And Jesus, fixing his gaze on him, said, You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas, the rock.THE THREAD
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not fear, Abram. I am your shield, and your very great wages.Debir is associated with the d-b-r word-family, which includes דָּבָר (dāḇār, davar), “word.” Here the word comes and addresses; that living movement gives Debir’s oracle resonance a voice.
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