Boy Old Testament Rare
Debir
an orator; a word
דְּבִיר
Debir (Hebrew: דְּבִיר) means “an orator; a word”, by traditional interpretation. Two men in scripture bear the name; the best attested belongs to the Judges period. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Adoni-zedek in Joshua 10.
Which Debir?
Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Debir
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Debir
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 4 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Judges
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Joshua 10:3 |
| Last appears | Joshua 12:11 |
| Cross-references | 68 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Japhia co-occurrence Appears with Japhia in Joshua 10.
- Piram co-occurrence Appears with Piram in Joshua 10.
- Hoham co-occurrence Appears with Hoham in Joshua 10.
- Adoni-zedek co-occurrence Appears with Adoni-zedek in Joshua 10.
- Arba co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Arba.
- Jobab co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Jobab.
- Horam co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Horam.
- Jabin co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Jabin.
Origin & meaning
Debir was the Amorite king of Eglon who joined a coalition against Joshua but was defeated.
The biblical story
Debir was the Amorite king of Eglon during the time of Joshua's conquest of Canaan. He joined a coalition of five Amorite kings led by Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, to attack Gibeon after the Gibeonites made a peace treaty with Israel (Jos.10.3-4).
In response to the Gibeonites' request for help, Joshua and the Israelite army marched all night from Gilgal and caught the Amorite kings by surprise. The Lord threw the Amorite armies into confusion, and Joshua's forces defeated them decisively (Jos.10.5-10).
As the Amorite kings fled, the Lord caused large hailstones to fall on them, killing more of them than the Israelites did with their swords (Jos.10.11). Joshua then called for the sun and moon to stand still, allowing the Israelites to complete their victory (Jos.10.12-13).
The five Amorite kings, including Debir, were found hiding in a cave at Makkedah. They were captured, brought before Joshua, and executed (Jos.10.16-27).
Debir's defeat, along with the other Amorite kings, was a significant victory for the Israelites as they continued their conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership.
Key verses
Debir appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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Wherefore Adoni–zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
Joshua 10:3
Show all 1 reference
Joshua (1)
- Joshua 10:3