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Debir

biblical_place_name theological_term standard

Debir is a biblical place name, best known as a Canaanite city conquered in Joshua and later listed in Judah’s territory. The name is also used for a border location and for a personal name in the Old Testament.

At a Glance

A biblical place name most often referring to the Canaanite city captured by Israel and later counted among Judah’s towns.

Key Points

Description

Debir is a biblical proper name rather than a theological abstraction. Its best-known referent is the Canaanite city also called Kiriath-sepher or Kiriath-sannah, which is described as conquered in the conquest period and later included among the towns of Judah. The name appears again in the account of Othniel and Achsah, where Debir lies in the hill country of Judah. A separate reference uses Debir as a border location in Judah’s territorial description, and the same name also occurs as a personal name in Old Testament lists. Because the term functions as a place-name with multiple referents, it should be published under a disambiguated biblical proper-name category rather than treated as a doctrinal term.

Biblical Context

Debir appears in the conquest and settlement narratives of Joshua and Judges. The city is linked with Judah’s territorial inheritance and with the account of Othniel and Achsah. Another use of the name appears in Judah’s border description, showing that the same spelling can designate more than one location or referent.

Historical Context

As a town in the southern hill country, Debir belonged to the world of Late Bronze and early Iron Age Canaan and Israel. Its exact archaeological identification remains uncertain, but the biblical text clearly presents it as an important locality within Judah’s settlement pattern.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In ancient Israel’s memory, city names often carried territorial and covenantal significance. Debir is remembered not as a theological concept but as part of the land distribution to Judah and the narratives surrounding conquest, inheritance, and household provision.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew דְּבִיר (dĕbîr). In other Old Testament contexts the related noun can mean an inner chamber or sanctuary, but in this entry it functions as a proper name.

Theological Significance

Debir is not a doctrine, but it contributes to the Bible’s theology of land inheritance, covenant fulfillment, and the practical outworking of Israel’s settlement in Canaan.

Philosophical Explanation

As a proper name, Debir illustrates how biblical language can refer to a specific historical location while also carrying broader literary and covenantal significance through its narrative setting.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not confuse the place-name Debir with the common Hebrew noun used for an inner room or sanctuary. Also distinguish the major city referent from other biblical uses of the same name.

Major Views

Most readers and commentators treat the Joshua-Judges references as the chief Debir location in Judah. The precise modern site is debated, and the smaller or secondary references should be kept distinct.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Debir has no direct doctrinal content of its own. Any theological use should remain tied to the plain biblical context of land, inheritance, and narrative history.

Practical Significance

Debir reminds readers that Scripture is anchored in real places and people. The entry also encourages careful reading, since the same name can point to more than one referent.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Debir

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