דִּבְלָה
Diblah, a place in Syria
Definition
Diblah (דִּבְלָה) is a proper noun referring to a place name in the Old Testament, specifically a location in Syria. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Ezekiel 6:14, where it is mentioned as the northernmost point in a prophecy of judgment against Israel, stretching 'from the wilderness to Diblah.' Most scholars believe 'Diblah' is likely a scribal error or variant spelling for Riblah (רִבְלָה, H7247), a well-known city on the Orontes River in Syria that served as a significant military and administrative center for the Babylonians (see 2 Kings 23:33, 25:6, 20-21; Jeremiah 39:5-6; 52:9-10, 26-27). If this identification is correct, Diblah/Riblah represents the far northern extent of the land in Ezekiel's oracle, symbolizing the comprehensive reach of God's judgment.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Ezekiel 6:14. It functions strictly as a geographical proper noun, setting a boundary in a prophetic declaration. The context is God's pronouncement of judgment against the mountains and high places of Israel for idolatry. The phrase 'from the wilderness to Diblah' defines the sweeping, north-south scope of the coming desolation. No other biblical books contain this specific form.
Etymology
The etymology of דִּבְלָה (Diblah) is uncertain. It is widely considered by lexicographers and commentators to be an orthographical error (a copyist's mistake in spelling) for רִבְלָה (Riblah, H7247). Riblah itself likely derives from a root meaning 'to be fruitful' or 'fertile,' which would be fitting for a city in a well-watered plain. The confusion between the Hebrew letters 'dalet' (ד) and 'resh' (ר) is a common scribal error due to their similar appearance in ancient scripts.
Semantic Range
While Diblah itself is a minor geographical term, its probable identification with Riblah connects it to a place of profound theological significance in the narrative of judgment. Riblah was where the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar executed the kings of Judah and blinded King Zedekiah, fulfilling prophecies of covenant curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:28-29, 36). In Ezekiel's prophecy, using this name (even in a variant form) evokes the full, devastating reality of exile and divine judgment, stretching to the very place where Judah's monarchy was ended. It underscores the totality and historical tangibility of God's word through the prophets.
If Diblah is Riblah, its cultural context is significant. Riblah was a strategic city on the major trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia. For the Israelites and readers of Ezekiel, it was not an obscure spot but a known symbol of Babylonian imperial power and the site of national trauma. Referring to it as the northern boundary in a prophecy would have immediately conveyed a sense of the land being completely overrun and controlled by a foreign power, from the southern wilderness to the northern seat of their conquerors.
Riblah (רִבְלָה, H7247) — The widely accepted correct spelling and referent for the Syrian city, a place of judgment and Babylonian administration.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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