דֹּאר (dor)
dor
Dor
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun dor refers to a generation or a period of time long enough for a group to pass away and be replaced by their descendants. In the Hebrew Bible it marks the span of roughly thirty to forty years, serving as a natural unit for tracking history across books like Joshua and Judges.
It appears in six verses, often describing how quickly people change or how long certain events last. For instance, it notes that after the generation that saw the conquest died, the next did not know the Lord (Judges 2:10). It also measures the length of Solomon’s peaceful reign (1 Kings 4:25).
While some modern translations use "generation," the word carries a sense of continuity within a changing world. It reminds readers that history moves in cycles, with each new group facing its own choices and consequences.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word dor marks a generation, roughly thirty to forty years, enough time for one group to pass and another to rise. It appears in Joshua and Kings not just as a time marker but as a reminder that history moves in cycles. Each new generation faces its own choices, shaped by the events they witnessed or inherited.
In Judges 2:10, this word highlights how quickly spiritual memory fades. The generation that saw God’s mighty acts died out, and those who followed did not know Him. This is not merely historical detail; it is a gentle warning for every age. We are called to pass on what we have learned, so the next group does not start from scratch.
Yet dor also brings comfort. It shows that seasons change, and new opportunities arise. Solomon’s reign in 1 Kings 4:11 was peaceful within this timeframe, showing that God provides stability even as people shift around us. We can trust that our efforts to live faithfully will outlast our own lifetimes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Dor7×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- דּ֖וֹר2×
- דֹּ֑אר1×
- דּ֣וֹר1×
- דּ֛וֹר1×
- דֹ֣אר1×
- ד֜וֹר1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 11:2
and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
Here dor is a place name, but it anchors the narrative in real geography where Israel faced its enemies.
-
I Kings 4:11
Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as wife);
The mention of Dor here marks a period of administrative peace under Solomon, showing stability within a generation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does dor mean in the Bible?
Is Dor only a time period?
Why is dor important in Judges?
Every Occurrence (6 verses across 4 books)
Joshua 3 verses
and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in…
Joshua 12:23the king of Dor in the height of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;
Joshua 17:11Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in Asher Beth Shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the…