What Does Leviticus 10:8 Mean in the King James?

And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,

Leviticus 10:8 · 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

The Hebrew root for speaking also gives the word for a matter itself, so the LORD’s speech arrives as substance, not sound alone.

THE MEANING

You encounter instruction at the moment before its content unfolds: the LORD speaks to Aaron, and the next verse gives the substance. The address holds speaker and hearer together; what follows is a word directed to a life.

THE ROOT

וַיְדַבֵּר

vayedabber

GROWS FROM

ד־ב־ר

D-B-R

To speak; the related noun also means a word, matter, or affair.

“spake” in this verse is vayedabber. The root joins speaking with the matter being spoken: a word is not merely sound but something with substance. Midbar, “wilderness,” is traditionally associated with this root, echoing a place where speech may be encountered; that is a traditional resonance, not the direct claim of this verse.

ALSO GROWS

davar: Word; matter or affair.

דָּבָר

This branch holds utterance and substance together, illuminating the LORD’s speech as consequential communication.

midbar: Wilderness; open country.

מִדְבָּר

Its traditional association with ⁨דבר⁩ gives the wilderness a resonance as a place of encounter with speech, though that resonance is not stated directly here.

THE PATTERN

Divine speech arrives as direct address, and its voice opens a hearer’s response.

And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

Exodus 3:4 · KJVThe voice calls Moses by name, and the address draws an answer from him.

And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

1 Samuel 3:10 · KJVSamuel’s answer shows direct address opening into attentive response.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

John 10:27 · KJVThe voice is recognized, and hearing becomes relationship and movement.

THE THREAD

And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

Leviticus 11:1 · KJV

The same Hebrew speaking verb, ⁨וַיְדַבֵּר⁩ (vayedabber), introduces this address to Moses and Aaron. Here, too, the speech is a threshold: the specific instruction unfolds immediately after it.

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