Lexical Summary
debir: Inner sanctuary, Holy of Holies
Original Word:דְּבִיר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:dbiyr
Pronunciation:deh-BEER
Phonetic Spelling:(deb-eer')
KJV: oracle
NASB:inner sanctuary, sanctuary
Word Origin:[fromH1696 (דָּבַר - spoke) (apparently in the sense of oracle)]
1. the shrine or innermost part of the sanctuary
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
oracle
Or (shortened) dbir {deb-eer'}; fromdabar (apparently in the sense of oracle); the shrine or innermost part of the sanctuary -- oracle.
see HEBREWdabar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originperhaps from
dabarDefinitionperhaps (a place of) speaking (the innermost room of Solomon's temple)
NASB Translationinner sanctuary (15), sanctuary (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (compare Arabic
back,
part behind)
hindmost chamber, innermost room of the temple of Solomon =
holy of holies, most holy place, the place of the ark and the cherubic images, the throne-room of Yahweh
1 Kings 6:5,16,19,20,21,22,23,31;
1 Kings 7:49 ( = 2 Chron 4:20) 2 Chronicles 8:6,8 ( = 2 Chronicles 5:7,9) 2 Chronicles 3:16;
Psalm 28:2. Probably read
2 Kings 10:25 also, for ; so Klo after
L. (It is translated
oracle in AV RV after Aq Symm ,
oraculum, on the incorrect theory that it was derived from
speak.)
Topical Lexicon
Definition and ScopeIn the historical books the word דְּבִיר designates the most sacred room of Solomon’s temple—the inner sanctuary, later called the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies. In the Psalms it functions metaphorically as the heavenly dwelling toward which prayer is directed. Every occurrence centers on the localized presence of the LORD and the unique access point where covenant, atonement, and worship converge.
Canonical Occurrences
Sixteen appearances cluster around the temple construction narrative (1 Kings 6–8; 7:49), its Chronicler parallel (2 Chronicles 3–5), and a single Psalm (Psalm 28:2). Together they trace the room’s building, furnishing, dedication, continued liturgical use, and devotional significance.
•1 Kings 6:5, 16, 19–23, 31
•1 Kings 7:49; 8:6, 8
•2 Chronicles 3:16; 4:20; 5:7, 9
•Psalm 28:2
Physical Setting in Solomon’s Temple
1 Kings 6:19–20 records that Solomon “prepared the inner sanctuary… The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold.” A perfect cube of roughly thirty feet per side, it stood at the western extremity of the temple, separated from the larger holy place (hekhal) by an olive-wood doorway (6:31) and an embroidered veil (2 Chronicles 3:14, using a different term). Thick cedar boards sheathed the walls, carved with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, then gilded (1 Kings 6:29, 22). The Chronicler notes six hundred talents of gold (2 Chronicles 3:8), underscoring the unmatched costliness of the LORD’s throne room on earth.
Furnishings and Ornamentation
Central to the debir was “the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD” (1 Kings 8:6). Its pure-gold cover, the kapporet or atonement seat, lay beneath towering sculpted cherubim whose ten-cubit wingspan overshadowed the Ark (1 Kings 6:23–28). Golden chains, lampstands, and utensils (1 Kings 7:49;2 Chronicles 4:20) complemented the glory motif. Everything in the debir affirmed the Lord’s kingship and holiness.
Access, Ritual and Atonement
Although 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles focus on construction and dedication, the Pentateuch explains the ritual implications: only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and that but once a year on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle sacrificial blood for the sins of the nation (Leviticus 16). The narrative in1 Kings 8:6-11 details the priests carrying the Ark into the debir while “the glory of the LORD filled the house,” forcing the priests to withdraw. Thus the debir dramatized restricted access: God dwelt among His people, yet separation persisted until atonement was applied.
Psalmic Prayer Orientation
By David’s era the inner sanctuary had become the symbolic focal point of prayer. “Hear my cry for mercy… when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary” (Psalm 28:2). Though the psalm predates the first temple, David anticipates its construction and looks heavenward through the earthly model. The debir therefore functions as a ladder of intercession joining the worshiper to the enthroned LORD.
Theological and Typological Significance
1. Manifest Presence: The room is repeatedly called “the place for the Ark” (1 Kings 6:19; 8:6), reinforcing covenant continuity from Sinai to Zion.
2. Holiness: Gold overlay, cherubim imagery, and cubic perfection testify that absolute purity is required where God dwells.
3. Mediation: The high-priestly restriction proclaims the necessity of a mediator and sacrificial blood.
4. Eschatological Foreshadowing:Hebrews 9–10 identifies the temple’s inner sanctuary as “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” At Christ’s death “the veil of the temple was torn in two” (Matthew 27:51), signifying open access through His sacrifice. Believers now “have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19).
Contemporary Ministry Implications
• Worship: Reverence and joy unite when approaching God, for the One who once dwelt behind the veil now dwells within His people by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).
• Prayer:Psalm 28:2 models lifting hands toward the heavenly debir. Congregations may orient liturgy toward the risen Christ, our true sanctuary (Hebrews 8:1-2).
• Preaching: The debir supplies rich imagery for proclaiming the gospel—holiness, atonement, and relational access fulfilled in Christ.
• Discipleship: As living temples, believers are called to inner holiness matching the gold-plated sanctum, cultivating hearts “prepared” as Solomon prepared the debir.
Summary
דְּבִיר marks the sacred core of Israel’s worship structure, housing the Ark, manifesting divine glory, and governing priestly approach. Its historical function grounds the theology of holiness and mediation, while its typological trajectory points to the torn veil, the heavenly sanctuary, and the believer’s confident nearness to God through the once-for-all work of the Messiah.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּדְּבִ֔יר בדביר דְּבִ֥יר דביר הַדְּבִ֔יר הַדְּבִ֖יר הַדְּבִ֡יר הדביר וְלַדְּבִ֑יר וּדְבִ֧יר ודביר ולדביר לִדְבִ֔יר לַדְּבִ֖יר לדביר bad·də·ḇîr baddəḇîr baddeVir də·ḇîr dəḇîr deVir had·də·ḇîr haddəḇîr haddeVir lad·də·ḇîr laddəḇîr laddeVir liḏ·ḇîr liḏḇîr lidVir ū·ḏə·ḇîr ūḏəḇîr udeVir veladdeVir wə·lad·də·ḇîr wəladdəḇîr
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