Lexical Summary debir: Inner sanctuary, Holy of Holies Original Word: דְּבִיר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance oracle Or (shortened) dbir {deb-eer'}; from dabar (apparently in the sense of oracle); the shrine or innermost part of the sanctuary -- oracle. see HEBREW dabar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originperhaps from dabar Definition perhaps (a place of) speaking (the innermost room of Solomon's temple) NASB Translation inner sanctuary (15), sanctuary (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. דְּבִיר noun masculine (compare Arabic  back,  part behind) hindmost chamber, innermost room of the temple of Solomon = קדשׁ הקדשׁים 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 דְּבִיר 2 Kings 10:25 also, for ᵑ0 עִיר; so Klo after ᵐ5L. (It is translated oracle in AV RV after Aq Symm χρηματιστήριον, ᵑ9 oraculum, on the incorrect theory that it was derived from דִּבֶּר speak.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope In 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 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 in 1 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. 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). 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 wəladdəḇîrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 6:5 HEB: סָבִ֔יב לַֽהֵיכָ֖ל וְלַדְּבִ֑יר וַיַּ֥עַשׂ צְלָע֖וֹת NAS: both the nave and the inner sanctuary; thus he made KJV: [both] of the temple and of the oracle: and he made INT: around the nave and the inner made side 1 Kings 6:16 1 Kings 6:19 1 Kings 6:20 1 Kings 6:21 1 Kings 6:22 1 Kings 6:23 1 Kings 6:31 1 Kings 7:49 1 Kings 8:6 1 Kings 8:8 2 Chronicles 3:16 2 Chronicles 4:20 2 Chronicles 5:7 2 Chronicles 5:9 Psalm 28:2 16 Occurrences |
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