דְּבַח (de.vach)
de.vach
sacrifice
A:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-M
Word Overview
The Aramaic noun de.vach means sacrifice, appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible at Ezra 6:3. It is a direct cognate of the Hebrew word for altar, mizbeach. This shared root links the act of offering directly to the place where it happens, emphasizing that the sacrifice is defined by its connection to the sacred structure.
In this specific verse, the term describes the animals prepared for burnt offerings in the rebuilt temple. The usage highlights the practical details of worship restoration after exile. Translators render it simply as "sacrifice," capturing the concrete reality of the ritual without adding abstract theological commentary.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word for sacrifice in this text is tightly bound to the altar itself. In Ezra 6:3, the decree specifies the place where sacrifices are offered. This connection reminds us that worship is not just an internal feeling but a concrete act of devotion anchored in a specific location and community.
After the exile, restoring the temple meant restoring the ability to offer these gifts. The focus on the physical structure highlights how God values tangible expressions of faith. It shows that rebuilding our spiritual lives often requires establishing clear places for prayer and offering.
This verse encourages us to value the practical details of our worship. Whether we gather in a grand building or a small home, the act of offering ourselves to God remains central. The restoration of sacrifice points to the hope of renewed relationship with the Divine.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sacrifices1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- דִּבְחִ֔ין1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 6:3
In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits;
This verse defines the rebuilt temple specifically as the designated place where sacrifices are offered, linking the physical structure directly to the act of worship.