Who was Diblaim in the Bible?

Diblaim is mentioned only once as the father of Gomer, the woman the prophet Hosea married (Hosea 1:3). He is not a central figure himself, but his significance comes entirely from his relationship to his daughter and her symbolic role in Hosea's prophecy.

Why is Diblaim mentioned in the Book of Hosea?

Diblaim is mentioned to establish Gomer's lineage, identifying her as "Gomer daughter of Diblaim" (Hosea 1:3). This formal introduction highlights the reality and specificity of Hosea's marriage, which God commanded as a living metaphor for Israel's unfaithfulness to Him.

What does the name Diblaim mean?

The name Diblaim likely comes from the Hebrew word for "cakes of pressed figs." While its exact significance for the character is unclear, some scholars suggest it might symbolically point to idolatry or indulgence, themes relevant to the story of his daughter Gomer's unfaithfulness.

Diblaim

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleWifeFather

Diblaim was the father of Gomer, the woman whom the prophet Hosea married at God's command. (Hos.1.3)

Diblaim

Biography

Diblaim is a minor biblical figure mentioned only once in Scripture, identified in Hosea 1:3 as the father of Gomer. Gomer became the wife of the prophet Hosea through an extraordinary divine command, God instructed Hosea to marry a woman prone to unfaithfulness as a living parable of Israel's spiritual adultery against the Lord. Beyond this single reference, nothing else is recorded about Diblaim's personal history, tribe, or circumstances. His name in Hebrew may carry connotations of dried figs or a place name. Whether Diblaim was a man of standing or obscurity, his daughter became one of the most theologically significant women in prophetic literature, embodying the waywardness of God's covenant people in the context of the eighth-century BC Divided Monarchy.

Significance

Diblaim's significance is entirely derivative, it resides in his daughter Gomer and the extraordinary role her marriage to Hosea plays in God's prophetic revelation. Through Gomer, the Lord enacted a dramatic symbol of Israel's covenantal unfaithfulness and his own relentless, pursuing love. Hosea's willingness to marry the daughter of Diblaim and later redeem her from disgrace (Hosea 3) prefigures God's redemptive pursuit of a wayward people. Diblaim thus occupies a quiet but essential place in one of Scripture's most poignant pictures of divine grace, reminding readers that the families and lineages of ordinary people can become vessels for extraordinary prophetic witness.

Authority Records

Wikidata

ChildGomer

Verse Appearances (1)

Hosea

Hosea 1:3

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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