1773. deyo
Lexical Summary
deyo: Enough, sufficient

Original Word: דְּיוֹ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: dyow
Pronunciation: day-yoh
Phonetic Spelling: (deh-yo')
KJV: ink
NASB: ink
Word Origin: [of uncertain derivation]

1. ink

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
ink

Of uncertain derivation; ink -- ink.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
noun from davah
Definition
ink
NASB Translation
ink (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
דְּיוֺ noun masculine ink (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic דְּיוּתָא ; Arabic inkbottle, inkhorn; Ges-Dietr Fl NHWBi. 41 derived from √ דוה in assumed sense of slowly flowing; Fl compare Arabic thin skin on surface of milk, compare also Ol§ 178 g), וַאֲנִי כֹּתֵב עַלהַֿסֵּפֶר בַּדְּי֑וֺ Jeremiah 36:18, compare LagGes. Abh. 216. — On erasable quality of Hebrew ink compare RSOTJC, 400 f. ed. 2, 71; see further L. LöwGraphische Requisiten etc. bel den Juden, 1870, i. 145 ff.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

The term appears once: “And Baruch answered, ‘He dictated all these words to me while I was writing in ink on the scroll’” (Jeremiah 36:18). The word focuses attention on the physical medium through which divine revelation was preserved for the nation.

Semantic Significance

Ink in Scripture represents durability, legibility, and the faithful transmission of divine truth. By specifying that Baruch used ink, the text highlights the permanence intended for Jeremiah’s prophetic message in contrast to transient oral speech.

Historical Background

Seventh–sixth-century B.C. Judah was literate enough to employ professional scribes. Ink formulations of the period combined carbon soot, gum arabic, and water, producing a dark, enduring script when applied with a reed pen. Such writing could survive repeated handling, which was vital for scrolls that were read publicly before kings and commoners alike (Jeremiah 36:21–23).

Ink in Ancient Near Eastern Culture

Outside Israel, Egypt and Mesopotamia used similar carbon-based inks for administrative and religious documents. Jeremiah’s scroll therefore fit a well-established technology that enabled covenant documents, royal decrees, and prophetic oracles to be archived and disseminated.

Scribal Ministry in Jeremiah

Baruch’s role illustrates the partnership between prophet and scribe:
• Faithful Reception – Baruch “wrote in ink,” capturing every word dictated by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:4, 18).
• Faithful Preservation – When King Jehoiakim burned the first scroll, a new copy was produced “adding many similar words” (Jeremiah 36:32). Ink allowed accurate replication.
• Faithful Proclamation – The scroll was read in the temple (Jeremiah 36:10) and before officials (Jeremiah 36:14–15), demonstrating how written revelation facilitated corporate accountability.

Theological Reflections: God’s Written Revelation

1. Permanence of Scripture: Ink signifies that God’s word is meant to endure beyond the lifespan of the original hearers (Isaiah 40:8).
2. Accountability: Once inscribed, the message stands as objective testimony against rebellion (Deuteronomy 31:26–27). Jehoiakim’s futile attempt to destroy the scroll reveals that opposition cannot erase divine truth.
3. Mediated Revelation: God employs human instruments and ordinary materials, yet the outcome remains fully authoritative (2 Peter 1:21).

New Testament Echoes

Greek μελάνιον/μέλαν (“ink”) carries the motif forward. Paul writes, “You are a letter from Christ…not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God” (2 Corinthians 3:3). John expresses eagerness to move beyond ink to face-to-face fellowship (2 John 1:12; 3 John 1:13). Together, these passages contrast physical ink with the Spirit’s internal inscription, yet do not depreciate the written word. Rather, they show continuity: the same God who inscribed Jeremiah’s prophecy externally now writes His law internally through the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10).

Practical Ministry Implications

• Commitment to Accurate Transmission: Modern translators, copyists, and teachers should emulate Baruch’s precision.
• Value of Written Resources: Sermons, curricula, and discipleship materials provide lasting benefit when prepared with care, reflecting divine intentionality behind written revelation.
• Courage under Opposition: Just as ink preserved Jeremiah’s message despite royal hostility, faithful documentation of truth today can outlast cultural resistance.

Forms and Transliterations
בַּדְּיֽוֹ׃ בדיו׃ bad·də·yōw baddeYo baddəyōw
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Englishman's Concordance
Jeremiah 36:18
HEB: עַל־ הַסֵּ֖פֶר בַּדְּיֽוֹ׃ פ
NAS: to me, and I wrote them with ink on the book.
KJV: and I wrote [them] with ink in the book.
INT: on the book ink

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1773
1 Occurrence


bad·də·yōw — 1 Occ.

1772
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