Difference between revisions of "Debir"

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== Fausset's Bible Dictionary <ref name="term_35117" /> ==
== Fausset's Bible Dictionary <ref name="term_35116" /> ==
         <p> 1. In the highlands of Judah, near Hebron. First taken by Joshua ( Joshua 10:38-39; Joshua 11:21; Joshua 12:13; Joshua 15:49). Formerly [[Kirjath]] Sepher (city of the book), or K. Sannah (palm). There is still a Dewirban three miles W. of Hebron. But [[Debir]] was S. of [[Hebron]] ( Joshua 15:49); so Van de Velde identifies it with Dilbeh, S.W. of Hebron. Conder (Palestine Exploration) identifies it better with El hoheriyeh, a corruption of the old name Deberah, meaning in Arabic "the village on the ridge." Exactly at 3,000 (16-inch) cubits on the main S. road a large stone still there marked the bounds assigned outside to Debir as a Levitical city (which also may be the limit of a sabbath day's journey); and another stone on the W. </p> <p> At 6 1/2 miles northward are the "upper and lower springs," which Caleb's daughter begged for, in the valley Seil el Dilbeh, in all 14 springs divided into three groups; no other such are found in the [[Judah]] "south country," or Negeb; a brook flows through the small gardens for four or five miles ( Judges 1:15; Joshua 15:19). Conder states the important discovery that "the list in Joshua 12, which precedes all the other topographical lists, forms the key of the whole system." They are the 31 royal cities; these divide the country into districts which have natural boundaries, and contain severally one or more of the royal cities. Debir stood, according to Joshua 15:19, in "a dry and" ("south land"), therefore Dilbeh near fine springs cannot be the site. Dhoheriyeh is remarkable for its broad rolling downs and fruitful soil; it is truly "a dry land" without a spring. </p> <p> "Joshua returned to (made a detour to attack) Debir" ( Joshua 10:38-40.) His direct march after [[Eglon]] and [[Lachish]] would have been northwards from Hebron to Gilgal, therefore it was probably S.W. of Hebron. The [[Negeb]] or "south land" consists of soft, porous, chalky limestone extending from the desert on the E. (the Jeshimon) to 'Anab and the plain on the W., and from Dilbeh and Yutta on the N. to [[Beersheba]] on the S. The dwellings of Dhoheriyeh are mostly caves in the rock, with rude arches carved over doorways; rock excavation is a mark of great antiquity, and is a relic of the troglodyte or primitive Canaanite way of living. It was originally the seat of a king of the Anakim. This people reoccupied it when the [[Israelite]] army withdrew and was engaged with the northern Canaanites. Othniel, son of Kenaz, for love of Achsah, Caleb's daughter, took it again. It was allotted to the priests ( Joshua 21:15; 1 Chronicles 6:58). </p> <p> 2. A place on the northern bound of Judah, near the valley of [[Achor]] ( Joshua 15:7), between [[Jericho]] and [[Jerusalem]] ( Joshua 15:7). </p> <p> 3. Part of the boundary of Gad ( Joshua 13:26); in the high pastures E. of Jordan, and possibly akin to dabar, [[Hebrew]] for a wilderness pasture, Reland identifies it with Lodebar. </p>
         <p> King of [[Eglon]] (a town in the lowland of Judah), one of the five hanged by Joshua ( Joshua 10:3; Joshua 10:23). </p>
== International Standard Bible Encyclopedia <ref name="term_2934" /> ==
== International Standard Bible Encyclopedia <ref name="term_2944" /> ==
        <p> '''''dē´bẽr''''' ( דּביר , <i> '''''debhı̄r''''' </i> , or דּבר , <i> '''''debhir''''' </i> , "oracle"): King of Eglon, one of the five [[Amorite]] kings whose confederation against [[Israel]] was overcome and who were killed by Joshua ( Joshua 10:3 ). </p>
        <p> '''''dē´bẽr''''' ( דּביר , <i> '''''debhı̄r''''' </i> ; Δαβείρ , <i> '''''Dabeı́r''''' </i> ): "And Joshua returned, and all [[Israel]] with him, to Debir, and fought against it: and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword ... he left none remaining" ( Joshua 10:38 , Joshua 10:39 ). In Joshua 15:15-17 and Judges 1:11-13 is an account of how [[Othniel]] captured Debir, which "beforetime was <i> '''''Kiriath''''' </i> - <i> '''''sepher''''' </i> ," and won thereby the hand of Achsah, Caleb's daughter. In Joshua 15:49 [[Debir]] is called <i> '''''Kiriath''''' </i> - <i> '''''sannah''''' </i> . It had once been inhabited by the [[Anakim]] ( Joshua 11:21 ). It was a Levitical city ( Joshua 21:15; 1 Chronicles 6:58 ). </p> <h4> 1. The Meaning of the Name </h4> <p> (1) <i> Debir </i> is usually accepted as meaning "back," but this is doubtful; the word <i> '''''debhı̄r''''' </i> is used to denote the "holy of holies" ( 1 Kings 6:5 ). According to Sayce ( <i> HDB </i> ), "the city must have been a sacred one with a well-known temple." <i> '''''Kiriath''''' </i> - <i> '''''sepher''''' </i> is translated "town of books," and Sayce and others consider that in all probability there was a great storehouse of clay tablets here; perhaps the name may have been <i> '''''ḳiryath ṣōphēr''''' </i> , "town of scribes." <i> '''''Kiriath''''' </i> - <i> '''''sannah''''' </i> ( Joshua 15:49 ) is probably a corruption of <i> '''''Kiriath''''' </i> - <i> '''''sepher''''' </i> ; the [[Septuagint]] has here as in references to the latter πόλις γραμμάτων , <i> '''''pólis grammátōn''''' </i> , "town of books." </p> <h4> 2. The Site </h4> <p> Unfortunately this site, important even if the speculations about the books are doubtful, is still a matter of uncertainty. <i> '''''Edh''''' </i> - <i> '''''Dháherı̄yeh''''' </i> , some 11 miles Southwest of Hebron, has a good deal of support. It was unquestionably a site of importance in ancient times as the meeting-place of several roads; it is in the [[Negeb]] (compare Judges 1:15 ), in the neighborhood of the probable site of Anab ( Joshua 11:21; Joshua 15:50 ); it is a dry site, but there are "upper" and "lower" springs about 6 1/2 miles to the North. A more thorough examination of the site than has as yet been undertaken might produce added proofs in favor of this identification. No other suggestion has any great probability. See <i> PEF </i> , III, 402; <i> PEFS </i> , 1875. </p> <p> (2) <i> Debir </i> , on the border between [[Judah]] and [[Benjamin]] ( Joshua 15:7 ), must have been somewhere East of [[Jerusalem]] not far from the modern [[Jericho]] road. <i> '''''Thoghgret ed Debr''''' </i> , "the pass of the rear," half a mile Southwest of the <i> '''''Tal‛at ed Dumm''''' </i> (see [[Adummim]] ), close to the so-called, "Inn of the Good Samaritan," may be an echo of the name which has lingered in the neighborhood. Many authorities consider that there is no place-name in this reference at all, the text being corrupt. </p> <p> (3) <i> Debir </i> the Revised Version, margin, <i> '''''Lidebir''''' </i> ( Joshua 13:26 ), a town on the border of Gad, near Mahanaim; Ibdar, South of the <i> '''''Yarmūk''''' </i> has been suggested. May be identical with Lo-debar ( 2 Samuel 9:4 ). </p>
== Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature <ref name="term_37030" /> ==
        <p> in the mountains of Judah. Lieut. Conder gives an extended argument (Quar. Statement of the "Pal. Explor. Fund," January 1875, page 49 sq.) in favor of logating this place at the modern ed-Dhoheriyeh, which may be summed up thus: </p> <p> (1) Both names signify the back, i.e., ridge, of the mountains, on which this place is conspicuous; </p> <p> (2) it has ancient remains, consisting of cave dwellings, wells, and cisterns; five old roads lead from it, and large stones, at the distance of about three thousand cubits around it, seem to mark the limits of a Levitical city; </p> <p> (3) there are fine springs in the neighborhood, namely, those of Seil Dilbeh, six miles west of Juttah, which feed a brook that runs several miles. To this identification Tristram (Bible Places, page 61) and Trelawney Saunders (Map of the O.T.) accede. </p> <p> The argument, however, is rather specious than strong: </p> <p> (1) The names do not agree in etymology, and the resemblance in meaning is very doubtful; </p> <p> (2) 'the ruins show, indeed, an ancient site, but not necessarily the one in question, and the Levitical bounds are particularly dubious;- </p> <p> (3) the springs are too distant to indicate any special connection with this locality, which, moreover, is farther from [[Hebron]] than we should expect. </p>
==References ==
==References ==
<references>
<references>


         <ref name="term_35117"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/fausset-s-bible-dictionary/debir+(1) Debir from Fausset's Bible Dictionary]</ref>
         <ref name="term_35116"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/fausset-s-bible-dictionary/debir+(2) Debir from Fausset's Bible Dictionary]</ref>
          
          
         <ref name="term_2934"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/international-standard-bible-encyclopedia/debir+(1) Debir from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia]</ref>
         <ref name="term_2944"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/international-standard-bible-encyclopedia/debir+(2) Debir from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia]</ref>
       
        <ref name="term_37030"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/cyclopedia-of-biblical-theological-and-ecclesiastical-literature/debir+(2) Debir from Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature]</ref>
          
          
</references>
</references>

Revision as of 18:00, 8 October 2021

Fausset's Bible Dictionary [1]

King of Eglon (a town in the lowland of Judah), one of the five hanged by Joshua ( Joshua 10:3; Joshua 10:23).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [2]

dē´bẽr ( דּביר , debhı̄r  ; Δαβείρ , Dabeı́r ): "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it: and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword ... he left none remaining" ( Joshua 10:38 , Joshua 10:39 ). In Joshua 15:15-17 and Judges 1:11-13 is an account of how Othniel captured Debir, which "beforetime was Kiriath - sepher ," and won thereby the hand of Achsah, Caleb's daughter. In Joshua 15:49 Debir is called Kiriath - sannah . It had once been inhabited by the Anakim ( Joshua 11:21 ). It was a Levitical city ( Joshua 21:15; 1 Chronicles 6:58 ).

1. The Meaning of the Name

(1) Debir is usually accepted as meaning "back," but this is doubtful; the word debhı̄r is used to denote the "holy of holies" ( 1 Kings 6:5 ). According to Sayce ( HDB ), "the city must have been a sacred one with a well-known temple." Kiriath - sepher is translated "town of books," and Sayce and others consider that in all probability there was a great storehouse of clay tablets here; perhaps the name may have been ḳiryath ṣōphēr , "town of scribes." Kiriath - sannah ( Joshua 15:49 ) is probably a corruption of Kiriath - sepher  ; the Septuagint has here as in references to the latter πόλις γραμμάτων , pólis grammátōn , "town of books."

2. The Site

Unfortunately this site, important even if the speculations about the books are doubtful, is still a matter of uncertainty. Edh - Dháherı̄yeh , some 11 miles Southwest of Hebron, has a good deal of support. It was unquestionably a site of importance in ancient times as the meeting-place of several roads; it is in the Negeb (compare Judges 1:15 ), in the neighborhood of the probable site of Anab ( Joshua 11:21; Joshua 15:50 ); it is a dry site, but there are "upper" and "lower" springs about 6 1/2 miles to the North. A more thorough examination of the site than has as yet been undertaken might produce added proofs in favor of this identification. No other suggestion has any great probability. See PEF , III, 402; PEFS , 1875.

(2) Debir , on the border between Judah and Benjamin ( Joshua 15:7 ), must have been somewhere East of Jerusalem not far from the modern Jericho road. Thoghgret ed Debr , "the pass of the rear," half a mile Southwest of the Tal‛at ed Dumm (see Adummim ), close to the so-called, "Inn of the Good Samaritan," may be an echo of the name which has lingered in the neighborhood. Many authorities consider that there is no place-name in this reference at all, the text being corrupt.

(3) Debir the Revised Version, margin, Lidebir ( Joshua 13:26 ), a town on the border of Gad, near Mahanaim; Ibdar, South of the Yarmūk has been suggested. May be identical with Lo-debar ( 2 Samuel 9:4 ).

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [3]

in the mountains of Judah. Lieut. Conder gives an extended argument (Quar. Statement of the "Pal. Explor. Fund," January 1875, page 49 sq.) in favor of logating this place at the modern ed-Dhoheriyeh, which may be summed up thus:

(1) Both names signify the back, i.e., ridge, of the mountains, on which this place is conspicuous;

(2) it has ancient remains, consisting of cave dwellings, wells, and cisterns; five old roads lead from it, and large stones, at the distance of about three thousand cubits around it, seem to mark the limits of a Levitical city;

(3) there are fine springs in the neighborhood, namely, those of Seil Dilbeh, six miles west of Juttah, which feed a brook that runs several miles. To this identification Tristram (Bible Places, page 61) and Trelawney Saunders (Map of the O.T.) accede.

The argument, however, is rather specious than strong:

(1) The names do not agree in etymology, and the resemblance in meaning is very doubtful;

(2) 'the ruins show, indeed, an ancient site, but not necessarily the one in question, and the Levitical bounds are particularly dubious;-

(3) the springs are too distant to indicate any special connection with this locality, which, moreover, is farther from Hebron than we should expect.

References