What does דֶּבֶר (deber) mean in the Bible?
דֶּבֶר (deber): Divine instrument of judgment; sweeping mortality sent by God to punish covenant violation or idolatry
Hebrew · H1698
דֶּבֶר
A pestilence
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דֶּבֶרH1698
Pronunciationdeber
What does דֶּבֶר (deber) mean in the Bible?
דֶּבֶר (deber): Divine instrument of judgment; sweeping mortality sent by God to punish covenant violation or idolatry
Full entry for דֶּבֶר (H1698) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1698?
The BSB source-word alignment has 49 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and plague (18), plague (11), a plague (6), by plague (2), with a plague (2).
Where does דֶּבֶר (deber) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 5:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (17), Ezekiel (12), 2 Chronicles (3), Exodus (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itand plague18×Jeremiah 14:12, Jeremiah 21:9, Jeremiah 24:10, Jeremiah 27:8
plague11×Exodus 9:3, 2 Samuel 24:13, 1 Kings 8:37, 2 Chronicles 6:28
a plague6×Leviticus 26:25, 2 Samuel 24:15, 1 Chronicles 21:14, 2 Chronicles 7:13
by plague2×Ezekiel 5:12, Ezekiel 33:27
with a plague2×Exodus 9:15, Numbers 14:12
[nor] the pestilence1×Psalms 91:6
are your plagues1×Hosea 13:14
by the plague1×Ezekiel 6:12
days of plague1×1 Chronicles 21:12
plagues1×Amos 4:10
the plague1×Jeremiah 21:7
to the plague1×Psalms 78:50
will make the plague1×Deuteronomy 28:21
with plague1×Ezekiel 38:22
with plagues1×Exodus 5:3
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 5:3בַּדֶּ֖בֶרtowith plaguesPreposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularExodus 9:3דֶּ֖בֶרtoplagueNoun - masculine singularExodus 9:15בַּדָּ֑בֶרtowith a plaguePreposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularLeviticus 26:25דֶ֙בֶר֙toa plagueNoun - masculine singularNumbers 14:12בַדֶּ֖בֶרtowith a plaguePreposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularDeuteronomy 28:21הַדָּ֑בֶרtowill make the plagueArticle | Noun - masculine singular2 Samuel 24:13דֶּ֙בֶר֙toplagueNoun - masculine singular2 Samuel 24:15דֶּ֙בֶר֙toa plagueNoun - masculine singular1 Kings 8:37דֶּ֣בֶרtoplagueNoun - masculine singular1 Chronicles 21:12וְדֶ֙בֶר֙todays of plagueConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 5:3
Aligned rows49
Books represented14
Exodus3Leviticus1Numbers1Deuteronomy12 Samuel21 Kings11 Chronicles22 Chronicles3Psalms3Jeremiah17Ezekiel12Hosea1Amos1Habakkuk1
Source forms
וּבַדָּ֑בֶר4xū·ḇad·dā·ḇerJeremiah 21:9, Jeremiah 29:18, Jeremiah 38:2, Jeremiah 42:17
דֶּ֖בֶר3xde·ḇerExodus 9:3, 1 Chronicles 21:14, 2 Chronicles 7:13
דֶּ֙בֶר֙3xde·ḇer2 Samuel 24:13, 2 Samuel 24:15, Amos 4:10
הַדָּ֑בֶר3xhad·dā·ḇerDeuteronomy 28:21, Jeremiah 24:10, Jeremiah 29:17
בַּדֶּ֣בֶר2xbad·de·ḇerEzekiel 5:12, Ezekiel 6:12
דֶּ֣בֶר2xde·ḇer1 Kings 8:37, 2 Chronicles 6:28
וּבַדֶּ֖בֶר2xū·ḇad·de·ḇerJeremiah 42:22, Ezekiel 6:11
וּבַדָּֽבֶר׃2xū·ḇad·dā·ḇerJeremiah 32:36, Jeremiah 44:13
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular12xExodus 9:3, Leviticus 26:25, 2 Samuel 24:13, 2 Samuel 24:15
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular11xJeremiah 14:12, Jeremiah 21:9, Jeremiah 27:8, Jeremiah 27:13
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular6xExodus 5:3, Exodus 9:15, Numbers 14:12, Ezekiel 5:12
Article | Noun - masculine singular5xDeuteronomy 28:21, Jeremiah 21:7, Jeremiah 24:10, Jeremiah 29:17
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular5x1 Chronicles 21:12, 2 Chronicles 20:9, Ezekiel 5:17, Ezekiel 7:15
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular2xJeremiah 32:24, Ezekiel 7:15
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular2xJeremiah 21:6, Ezekiel 38:22
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular1xJeremiah 28:8
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Divine instrument of judgment; sweeping mortality sent by God to punish covenant violation or idolatry
Source Gloss
a pestilence
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Divine instrument of judgment; sweeping mortality sent by God to punish covenant violation or idolatry
a pestilence BDB: pestilence Usage: murrain, pestilence, plague.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Divine judgment through pestilence as punishment for disobedience and unfaithfulness
Pestilence as consequence of refusing God's word and going to Egypt in disobedience
Pestilence as one of God's judgments accompanying sword and famine for covenant violation
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 49 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.