D
DAGON [day´-gun] — a pagan god of the Philistines (Judg. 16:23–30).
DAMASCUS [da-mas´-cus] — one of the oldest cities in the world and the capital of Syria (Isa. 7:8). Saul was on the road to Damascus when he saw Jesus. He became a Christian and God changed his name to Paul.
DAN (a judge) — the fifth son of Jacob (Gen. 30:1–6), and a city named after him.
DANIEL (God is my judge) — the name of four men in the Bible:
1. A son of David and Abigail (1 Chron. 3:1). He is also called Kileab (2 Sam. 3:3).
2. A priest of the family of Ithamar who returned with Ezra from the Captivity (Ezra 8:2). He sealed the covenant in the days of Nehemiah (Neh. 10:6).
3. A wise (Ezek. 28:3) and righteous man, mentioned together with Noah and Job (Ezek. 14:14, 20).
4. A prophet during the Captivity of God’s covenant people in Babylon and Persia (Dan. 1:6–12:9; Matt. 24:15). Daniel also wrote the book in the Old Testament that bears his name.
DANIEL, BOOK OF — a major book of prophecy in the Old Testament. The book is named for Daniel because he wrote it. Part of the book tells of things that happened to Daniel and his friends. The other part of the book tells about things that would happen in the future (prophecy).
An altar for pagan worship at the city of Dan. Portions of the altar were constructed by King Ahab of Israel.
DARIUS [da-ri´-us] — the name of several rulers of ancient Persia like Darius I the Great, who ruled from about 522 to 485 B.C., Darius II Ochus, the son of Artaxerxes I, who ruled over Persia from about 424 to 405 B.C. (Neh. 12:22), and Darius III Codomannus, the king of Persia from 336 to 330 B.C. This Darius is probably the “fourth” king of Persia mentioned by the prophet Daniel (Dan. 11:12).
DARKNESS — the absence of light. Darkness existed before God created light (Gen. 1:2). Darkness was included as part of many different things like evil, bad luck, struggles (Job 17:12), death (Job 10:21–22; 38:17), and sin (Job 24:13–17).
Darkness also describes the condition of people who haven’t found Jesus (John 1:4–5; 12:35) and the people who turn away from Jesus on purpose (John 3:19–20).
DAUGHTER — a female child. Sometimes the word “daughter” is used in the Bible to talk about other female relatives like a stepsister, niece, or a granddaughter (Gen. 20:12; 24:48).
DAVID (beloved) — the second king of Israel, an ancestor of Jesus Christ, and the writer of many psalms. The story of David’s life is found in 1 Samuel 16–31; 2 Samuel 1–24; 1 Kings 1–2; and 1 Chronicles 10–29.
DAY OF THE LORD, THE — a special day at the end of time when God’s will and purpose for humanity will be fulfilled (Phil. 1:6, 10, NKJV).
DEACON — a servant or minister (not a pastor) (1 Tim. 3:8–13).
Tombs of Darius I and Artaxerxes I at the royal city of Persepolis in ancient Persia.
DEAD SEA — a large salty lake in southern Israel. In the Old Testament it is called the Salt Sea; the Sea of the Arabah; and the Eastern Sea (Gen. 14:3; Josh. 3:16).
DEAD SEA SCROLLS — the name for a group of scrolls (around eight hundred) and fragments of scrolls that were found in eleven caves near Khirbet (“ruin of ”) Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in 1947. The Dead Sea Scrolls have provided a lot of important information to Bible scholars.
DEATH — a word that means the end of life. But since humans are spiritual beings, death is only the end of our physical life (body), not the end of our existence (1 John 3:14; Rom. 6:4–8; Rev. 20:6).
DEBAUCHERY — the bad behavior of a person who is drunk (Gal.5:19, NKJV; 1 Pet.4:13, NIV).
DEBORAH [deb´-o-rah] (bee) — the name of two women in the Old Testament:
1. A nurse to Isaac’s wife, Rebekah (Gen. 24:59; 35:8).
David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), that is, his will was completely committed to the will of his Lord. As a dedicated servant of God, he was used by God to perform mighty acts for the sake of His chosen people Israel.
Causes
Effects
Adultery (11:4)
Bathsheba bears a son (11:5)
Murder of Uriah (11:17)
Accused, repents, but the child dies (12:10, 13, 19)
Amnon’s incest (13:14)
Amnon murdered (13:28, 29)
Absalom usurps throne (16:15, 16)
Absalom murdered (18:14, 15)
The census (24:2)
Plague (24:15)
Consistently illustrated in the life of David’s household is the principle that a disobedient life is a troubled life.
Oasis at En Gedi where David hid from King Saul during his years as a fugitive (1 Sam. 23:29; 24:1).
2. The fifth judge of Israel and a prophetess. She was the only female judge (Judg. 4–5).
DECAPOLIS [de-cap´-o-lis] (ten cities) —a group of ten cities or “towns” in northern Palestine. Most of the people who lived there were Greek. Jesus healed and taught people from there (Matt. 4:25; Mark 5:20; Mark 7:31).
DECREE — an official order, command, or an announcement issued by a king or other person of authority. The decrees of kings were often delivered to faraway towns or cities by messengers and announced in a public place (Ezra 1:1; Amos 4:5). In the Bible we can learn about God’s decrees, which are laws or rules the whole world is supposed to follow (Ps. 148:6, NKJV).
DEDICATE, DEDICATION — the act of setting apart, or making holy (Eph. 5:26). Dedication is the religious ceremony where a person or a thing is set aside or consecrated (made holy) for serving God. The temple (2 Chron. 2:4, NKJV), a field (Lev. 27:16, NKJV), a house (Lev. 27:14, NKJV), articles of precious metal (2 Sam. 8:10, NKJV), and even items won in battle (1 Chron. 26:27, NKJV) are all examples of things that were dedicated.
In one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, Hannah dedicated her young son Samuel by giving him to God (1 Sam. 1:19–28). Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving to God (1 Sam. 2:1–10) is a good example of praise and dedication for everyone who wants to honor God with their lives.
DEDICATION, FEAST OF — a feast that is also known as Hanukkah and the Feast of Lights. It is only mentioned once in the Bible (John 10:22). It was the celebration of the cleansing of the temple after Antiochus Epiphanes vandalized it. The Feast of Dedication is observed (held) on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month on the Jewish calendar.
DEEP, THE — a massive space, huge area, or the abyss. In the Bible, the word is first used in Genesis 1:2: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep” (NKJV). It is also used to refer to the oceans and to the large amount of water that came during the Flood (Gen. 7:11, NKJV; 8:2, NKJV). The deep also refers to the Abyss, or the abode (place) of the dead (Rom. 10:7, NKJV) and evil spirits (Luke 8:31, NKJV; Rev. 9:1–2, 11, NKJV; 20:1, NKJV).
“The deep” is also a symbol for something great or mighty (Ps. 36:6; 92:5; 1 Cor. 2:10).
DEFILE — to make unclean or impure. The Old Testament mentions five types of defilement: (1) ceremonial (Lev. 15:19); (2) ethical (Ezek. 37:23, NKJV); (3) physical (Song of Sol. 5:3, NKJV); (4) religious (Jer. 3:1); and (5) sexual (Lev. 15:24). God had these laws to help His chosen people stay pure. But the people spent too much time fighting over tiny little details of each law instead of focusing on how they were supposed to live. Jesus fixed the problem by making them understand what they were doing and reminding them how they were supposed to be living (Mark 7:15, 18, 20, 23, NKJV).
DEITY — any god including the one true God.
DELILAH [de-li´-lah] — a Philistine woman. Because Samson loved her, she was able to trick him into thinking that she loved him. He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone the secret of his great strength, but he thought he could trust Delilah so he told her that the secret was his long hair. Long hair was a symbol of his Nazirite vow (promise) to God. She sold that information to the Philistines for 1,100 pieces of silver (Judg. 16:5). While Samson was asleep at her house, the Philistines snuck in and cut his hair. Because of this Samson lost his strength and was captured. They put him in prison and caused him to go blind.
DEMAS [de´-mas] — a friend and coworker of the apostle Paul. Later Demas left Paul because he loved the “world” too much (2 Tim. 4:10; Col. 4:14; Philem. 24).
DEMETRIUS [dah-me´-tre-us] — the name of a silversmith in Ephesus (Acts 19:24, 38) who made and sold silver statues of false gods. He became nervous that people would hear the gospel and stop buying his idols so he started a riot against the apostle Paul (Acts 19:28, 34; Acts 19:35–40; Acts 20:1).
There was another man named Demetrius who was a Christian. He received praise from John because he had “a good testimony from all” (3 John 12).
DEMONIAC — a person who is possessed by demons (Mark 5:15–16).
DEMONS — another name for fallen angels who joined Satan in the fight against God (Luke 10:17).
DENARIUS [de-nar´-e-us] — a silver coin (Matt. 20:1–16).
DENY — to say something is untrue or to disown something. A person can deny God with their words or deeds (actions). Denial in word is saying that you don’t know or have a relationship with God or Christ (Josh. 24:27, NKJV; Matt. 10:33, NKJV; 2 Pet. 2:1, NKJV). Denial in deed is to keep something from someone (Prov. 30:7, NKJV; 1 Tim. 5:8, NKJV), even yourself (Matt. 16:24, NKJV).
DERBE [der´-by] — a city in the southeastern part of Lycaonia. During their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas went there when the people of Lystra ran them off (Acts 14:6–20). Paul also visited Derbe on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1).
DESOLATE — deserted; unoccupied (Jer. 33:12, NKJV).
DEUTERONOMY, BOOK OF — an Old Testament book written by Moses just before he died. The title of the book comes from the Greek word Deuteronomion, which means “second law.” In this book, Moses talked about and repeated many of the laws that God gave the people at Mount Sinai about forty years earlier. He also reminded the people to stay faithful to their God and His commands as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.
DEVICE — thought (Prov. 19:21).
DEVIL (accuser, slanderer) — the main title for the fallen angelic being who is the worst enemy of God and mankind (Eph. 6:10–17). Satan is his usual name, and devil is what he is—an accuser or deceiver. The term comes from a Greek word that means “a false witness” or “malicious accuser.”
DIADEM [di´-a-dem] — a band or wrapping around the turban of a king or his queen. It is proof of their royal authority. Rulers of the ancient Near East did not wear rigid gold crowns but cloth turbans wound around the head. These turbans were decorated with cloth diadems covered with jewels. The New Testament shows the difference between a diadem and a crown. A crown was a garland or a wreath awarded for faithful service, like a crown of righteousness, while a diadem was always a symbol of royal authority.
DIDYMUS [did´-ih-mus] (twin) — the Greek name of Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Christ (John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2).
The unexcavated mound of Derbe, a city visited by the apostle Paul (Acts 14:20; 16:1).
DISCERN — being able to tell the difference between good and bad (Job 6:30, NKJV; Heb. 5:14, NKJV).
DISCIPLE — a student, learner, or pupil. In the Bible the word usually refers to a follower of Jesus. The word is rarely used in the Old Testament. Isaiah used the term “disciples” or “followers” to refer to people who are taught or instructed (Isa. 8:16).
DISCIPLESHIP — the life and training of a disciple.
DISCIPLINE — to train by instruction and control (1 Cor. 9:27, NKJV). The biblical idea (concept) of discipline has a positive side (instruction, knowledge, and training) and a negative side (correction, punishment, and reproof).
DISOBEDIENCE — the unwillingness to follow the guidance of authority, especially refusing to follow God’s will. The first act of disobedience happened when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3).
DISPENSATION — a period of time during which mankind must answer to God for how it has behaved. The word “dispensation” is found twice in the NKJV (Eph. 1:10; Eph. 3:2). The KJV uses the word four times (1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 1:10; 3:2; Col. 1:25).
DISPERSE — to scatter; to spread (Prov. 15:7, NKJV; Ezek. 12:15, NKJV).
DISPERSION — the sending of Jewish people to other countries. This happened to the Hebrew people many times. The term comes from a Greek word meaning “to scatter.” Sometimes the dispersions were voluntary, other times they were forced.
DIVERSE — various; many different ones (Mark 1:34, NKJV).
DIVINATION — fortunetelling (Ezek. 21:21, NKJV; Acts 16:16, NKJV).
DIVINE — of God or relating to God (Heb. 9:1, NKJV).
DIVORCE — the legal dissolution (ending) of a marriage (Deut. 24:1–4).
DOCTRINE — a set of beliefs about God, mankind, Jesus Christ, the church, and other related concepts considered important and accepted by all members of a community of faith (Prov. 4:2, NKJV).
DOMINION — rule; power (Gen.1:26, NKJV).
DOOM — calamity (a terrible thing); destruction (Deut. 32:35).
DOOR — the covering over an entrance into a tent (Gen. 18:1), a house (Judg. 19:22), or a public building (Ezek. 47:1). The doors of Bible times were made of a wide variety of material, including animal hides, wood, and metal.
DOORKEEPER — a guard, but not a member of the military (Ps. 84:10).
DOORPOSTS — the two sides of a doorway, similar to a doorframe. The Hebrew people were ordered by the Lord to spread the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the doorposts of their houses during the Passover. This was a sign of their loyalty to the Lord. It was also a sign for the destroying angel to pass over their houses when the firstborn of Egypt were killed during the tenth plague (Exod. 12:7). Later, the Hebrew people were told to write sacred words on the doorposts of their houses as a reminder of what God did for them (Deut. 6:9; 11:20).
DORCAS [dor´-cas] (gazelle) — a Christian woman from Joppa known for being nice to and helping the poor (Acts 9:36–43). Tabitha was her Aramaic name (it also means “gazelle”). She was raised from the dead by the apostle Peter.
DOUBLE-TONGUED — without integrity (1 Tim. 3:8, NKJV). One way of saying double-tongued in modern language is “two-faced.” A two-faced person says one thing to one person, and another thing to another person usually to try and cause trouble.
DOVE — a small bird used for sacrifice (John 2:14).
DOWRY — a gift the groom gave to the father of his bride. This was not considered a payment or a purchase price for a wife, but payment to the father for the loss of her help as a daughter. The dowry could be money (Exod. 22:16–17), service (Gen. 29:15–30), or the performance of a specific job (1 Sam. 18:25–27; Judg. 1:12). Laban tricked Jacob into serving fourteen years of labor as a dowry for Rachel (Gen. 29:15–30).
DOXOLOGY — a declaration of praise to God; a brief hymn (song) expressing His power and glory.
DRACHMA [drock´-ma] — a silver coin similar to a Roman denarius.
DREAD — fear (1 Chron. 22:13).
DREAM — a time where images, thoughts, and ideas pass through the mind of a sleeping person. In ancient times, dreams (especially those of kings and priests) were thought to be messages from God (Num. 12:6; Gen. 31:10–13).
DRUNK, DRUNKENNESS — a drugged or crazy condition that results from drinking alcoholic beverages (1 Cor. 5:11; 6:10; Eph. 5:18). Drunkenness is listed several times in the New Testament as a sin to avoid (Luke 21:34; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21).
DULCIMER — a musical instrument. Some Bible teachers think it may have been similar to a Greek instrument known as the symphonia, which consisted of two pipes thrust through a leather sack (Dan. 3:5, 10, 15).
DULL — not sharp; slow to learn (Heb. 5:11, NKJV).
DUMB — silent or mute (Mark 7:37).
DUNG — waste produced by humans and animals as a part of the process of digesting food (Job 20:7). Sometimes this word is used to describe an item that is useless, rejected, or despised (Jer. 16:4).
DUNG HILL — a phrase for a pile or pit of human and animal wastes. It was used to fertilize plants in Bible times (Isa. 25:10; refuse heap, NKJV; manure, ICB).
DURST — dared (Esther 7:5; Luke 20:40).
DUST — loose earth. God made Adam out of the dust of the earth (Gen. 2:7). Because he led people to sin, the serpent was cursed to eat dust as he crawled on his belly (Gen. 3:14). Dust was poured on the head as a sign of mourning. Dust is also used as a symbol for a great number of people (too many to count) (Gen. 13:16), for death (Gen. 3:19; Job 10:9; Eccles. 12:7), and for the grave (Dan. 12:2).