What Does Joshua 15:49 Mean in the King James?

And Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah, which is Debir,

Joshua 15:49 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

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 went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.

Joshua 15:15 · KJVThe same place is identified through the name “city of the book,” letting its name carry meaning as well as location.

And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Genesis 32:30 · KJVThe place-name Peniel preserves the meaning of the encounter described in the verse.

And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

John 1:42 · KJVCephas is immediately interpreted as “A stone,” showing a name disclose more than identity.

THE THREAD

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Genesis 15:1 · KJV

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.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us