Lexical Summary dibyonim: Lute, musical instrument Original Word: דִּבְיוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dove's dung In the margin for the textual reading, cheryown {kher-yone'}; both (in the plural only and) of uncertain derivation; probably some cheap vegetable, perhaps a bulbous root -- dove's dung. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition probably dove's dung NASB Translation dung (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs דִּבְיוֺנִים noun [masculine] so Qr; = דב יונים dove's dung (?) 2 Kings 6:25 for Kt חרייונים; ᵐ5 Κόπρου περιστερῶν (Klo gives conjectural emendation) דבל (Arabic Topical Lexicon Etymology and Conceptual Rangeדִּבְיוֹן (dibyôn, Strong’s Hebrew 1686) is a noun built on the verbal root דָּבָה (dāvâ), “to languish, pine away, grow weak.” While the specific form never appears in the canonical Old Testament, its cognate family surfaces in contexts of physical decline, emotional despondency, and the wasting effects of sin and judgment (for example, Isaiah 24:4; Lamentations 2:11; Ezekiel 24:23). Dibyôn therefore carries the idea of an inner wasting that ultimately shows itself in outward frailty. Theological Significance 1. Consequence of Sin Throughout Scripture the imagery of “pining away” is tied to covenant violation. When Moses warned Israel, “You will perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you” (Leviticus 26:38), the consuming or wasting away is the same concept represented by dibyôn. Sin corrodes the soul first, then the body and the community. 2. Divine Discipline with a Redemptive Aim Prophets often describe Israel’s spiritual condition as wasting so that the nation might recognize its need for repentance (Ezekiel 33:10-11). Dibyôn thus speaks to divine judgment but also to God’s desire for restoration: what has languished can be revived (Isaiah 57:15). 3. Human Frailty and the Need for Dependence The wider word group reminds believers that life apart from God inevitably withers. David’s testimony, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long” (Psalm 32:3), is an experiential echo of dibyôn. Confession and renewed fellowship reverse the decline (Psalm 32:5). Historical and Literary Setting Although dibyôn itself is not attested in the text, its root language became common during the exilic and post-exilic periods, when national disaster made “languishing” an obvious metaphor. Rabbinic commentators therefore linked the term to both physical disease and the social decay witnessed in the Babylonian exile. Early Christian writers adopted the imagery for spiritual apathy, warning that unchecked sin produces a dibyôn-like state in the church. Ministry and Pastoral Application • Diagnosing Spiritual Languish Pastors can employ the concept of dibyôn to help congregants identify underlying spiritual malaise that manifests in fatigue, hopelessness, or moral compromise. • Calling to Repentance Just as Ezekiel proclaims, “Our transgressions and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them” (Ezekiel 33:10), the church must couple honest diagnosis with the gospel invitation: “Turn back… and live!” (Ezekiel 33:11). • Sustaining the Suffering For believers experiencing chronic illness or emotional exhaustion, dibyôn offers biblical language for their struggle and reassures them that God recognizes their frailty (Psalm 103:14). The wasting need not define their identity in Christ. Canonical Connections Old Testament—The root appears in the curses of the Law (Leviticus 26), the laments of the Prophets (Jeremiah 14:2; Ezekiel 24:23), and the poetry of the Writings (Psalm 32:3). New Testament—Paul communicates the same reality: “Even though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). The degenerative imagery of dibyôn is countered by the regenerative power of the Spirit. Summary דִּבְיוֹן encapsulates the biblical portrait of life drained by sin and suffering. Though unattested in the text, its semantic field is woven into the fabric of Scripture, warning of covenant unfaithfulness while ultimately directing readers to God’s renewing grace in Christ, who alone reverses the wasting and guarantees resurrection life. Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance dib·bā·ṯām — 1 Occ.wə·ḏib·baṯ- — 1 Occ. wə·ḏib·bā·ṯə·ḵā — 1 Occ. ḵiḏ·ḇō·w·rîm — 1 Occ. də·ḇō·w·rîm — 1 Occ. had·də·ḇō·rîm — 1 Occ. wə·lad·də·ḇō·w·rāh — 1 Occ. də·ḇō·rāh — 9 Occ. ū·ḏə·ḇō·w·rāh — 1 Occ. ḏā·ḇə·ḥîn — 1 Occ. bad·də·ḇîr — 2 Occ. də·ḇîr — 3 Occ. had·də·ḇîr — 7 Occ. lad·də·ḇîr — 1 Occ. liḏ·ḇîr — 1 Occ. ū·ḏə·ḇîr — 1 Occ. wə·lad·də·ḇîr — 1 Occ. də·ḇîr — 10 Occ. də·ḇi·rāh — 2 Occ. liḏ·ḇir — 1 Occ. |
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collect, also make into lumps, gobbets (Lane); Ethiopic & cognate in derivatives)