Lexical Summary Dibri: Dibri Original Word: דִּבְרִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Dibri From dabar; wordy; Dibri, an Israelite -- Dibri. see HEBREW dabar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom dabar Definition a Danite NASB Translation Dibri (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs דִּבְרִי proper name, masculine a Danite Leviticus 24:11. Topical Lexicon Name and Lineage Dibri (Strong’s Hebrew 1704) is identified in Leviticus 24:11 as the father of Shelomith and a member of the tribe of Dan. His appearance is brief yet precise, attesting to Scripture’s habit of rooting historical events in real families and tribes. By recording Dibri’s name, the text affirms that the incident which follows is not mythic or anonymous but anchored in covenant history. Biblical Narrative Context The single reference to Dibri occurs within the account of Israel’s first recorded case of blasphemy during the wilderness period: “Then the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)” (Leviticus 24:11) The blasphemer’s mixed parentage—an Egyptian father and an Israelite mother—highlights the challenges Israel faced in maintaining covenant holiness among a diverse people. Dibri’s inclusion emphasizes that the offender, though of partial foreign descent, is still tied to an identifiable Israelite household and is therefore subject to the same divine law as any full-blooded Israelite (Leviticus 24:16, 22). Theological Implications 1. Sanctity of God’s Name: The narrative surrounding Dibri underscores the non-negotiable holiness of the divine Name (Exodus 20:7). The mention of a concrete ancestor serves as a sobering reminder that transgression is never abstract; families and tribes are affected when God’s honor is violated. Historical and Cultural Insights The tribe of Dan often appears on the margins of Israel’s camp and later its territorial allotment (Numbers 2:25-31; Judges 18:1). Dibri’s emergence from Dan fits this pattern of a tribe that wrestled with maintaining covenant fidelity. Moreover, the record of an Egyptian marriage alliance shows that Israel’s exodus community was not ethnically monolithic. Such unions, while tolerated, required ongoing catechesis lest foreign influence diminish reverence for the LORD (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Ministry Applications • Family Discipleship: Dibri’s mention calls fathers and grandfathers to transmit a fear of the LORD to their descendants. The tragedy in Leviticus 24 reveals the cost when reverence is not faithfully taught. Lessons for Today Though Dibri surfaces only once, his cameo illumines the gravity of blasphemy, the integrity of divine justice, and the generational weight of covenant life. His recorded name assures readers that every household is known before God and invited to walk in reverent obedience. Forms and Transliterations דִּבְרִ֖י דברי diḇ·rî diḇrî divRiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 24:11 HEB: שְׁלֹמִ֥ית בַּת־ דִּבְרִ֖י לְמַטֵּה־ דָֽן׃ NAS: the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe KJV: the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe INT: was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri of the tribe Dan |
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