Dabareh to Dura
Dictionary of Bible Names

Dagon
A fish, fish God
Strong's #H1712

Dagon was the main deity worshipped by Israel's longest and fiercest enemy the Philistines (Judges 16:23). A pagan fish god, it was credited with delivering Samson into their hands.

After the Philistine seize the Ark of the Covenant they place it in Dagon's temple as a war trophy (1Samuel 5). God's response to their lack of respect toward the Ark was to afflict, somewhat humorously, several Philistine cities with painful hemorrhoids (1Samuel 5:6)!

Roughly seventy-five years later, after overcoming Israel's King Saul in battle, the Philistines hang up his severed head in Dagon's temple (1Chronicles 10:10).

Dalmanutha
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Dalmatia
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Dalphon
Dripping
Strong's #H1813

Dalphon was the name of one of Haman's ten sons. He, and all his brothers, were killed after their father's plot to destroy the Jews was foiled by Esther and Mordecai.

References
Esther 9:7

Damaris
Gentle, a heifer
Strong's #G1152

Damaris, a woman, was one of only two people listed in Scripture as having converted to Christianity during Paul's brief evangelism of Athens.

References
Acts 17:34

Damascus
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Dan
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Daniel
Judgment of God, God is my judge
Strong's #H1840, #G1158

Daniel, a member of Judah's royal family, was likely made a eunuch after he was taken captive to Babylon. His divinely inspired interpretation of dreams and visions foretold of future world empires, including those in the End Time, and revealed prophecies centered on the coming Messiah. Please see our article on the life of Daniel.

Dannah
Thou hast judged, judgment
Strong's #H1837

Dannah was a city given to the tribe of Judah as an inheritance in the Promised Land.

References
Joshua 15:49

Darius
Lord
Strong's #H1867

Darius was likely a title given to Persian kings.

References
Ezra 4:5, 24, 5:5 - 7, 6:1 - 15, Nehemiah 12:22, Daniel 6, 9;1, 11:1, Hagai 1:15, 2:10, Zechariah 1:1, 7, 7:1

Darkon
Scatterer
Strong's #H1874

References
Ezra 2:56, Nehemiah 7:58

Dathan
Belonging to a fountain
Strong's #H1885

References
Numbers 16, 26:9. Deuteronomy 11:6, Psalm 106:17

David
Beloved, loving
Strong's #H1732

David lived from 1040 to 970 B.C. He ruled over the tribe of Judah from 1010 to 1003 and over a united Israel from 1003 until his death. Please see our article on the life of King David.

References
Ruth 4:17, 22, 1Samuel 16:13 - 23, 17:12 - 58, 18:1 - 30, 19:1 - 22, 20:1 - 42, 21:1 - 12, etc.

Dead Sea
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Debir
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Deborah
Bee
Strong's #H1683

At the behest of Deborah, a prophetess, a man named Barak leads a successful attack on Jabin's forces and is victorious. Both Deborah and Barak serve as Judges in Israel from 1192 to 1152 B.C.

References
Genesis 35:8, Judges 4 - 5

Decapolis
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Dedan
Low country
Strong's #H1719

References
Genesis 10:7, 25:3, 1Chronicles 1:9, 32, Jeremiah 25:23, 49:8, Ezekiel 25:13, 27:15, 20, 38:13

Dekar
Son of stabbing, son of Dekar, son of piercing
Strong's #H1128

References
1Kings 4:9

Delaiah
Jah has delivered, Jehovah has drawn
Strong's #H1806

Delilah
Languishing, feeble
Strong's #H1807

Philistine harlot who was bribed to entice Samson, who was under a Nazarite vow, to reveal the secret of his strength.

Demas
Governor of the people
Strong's #G1214

Demas was one of several people who knew the Apostle Paul and aided him in spreading the gospel. Toward the end of Paul's life, however, he abandoned him due to his love of what the world had to offer.

References
Colossians 4:14, Philemon 1:24, 2Timothy 4:10

Demetrius
Belonging to Ceres
Strong's #G1216

Demetrius was an important Ephesian silversmith. Fearing the gospel would greatly impact his business which centered on the pagan deity Diana, he stirred up those in Ephesus against Paul. His opposition motivated the apostle to leave the city.

Derbe
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Deuel
They know God, known of God
Strong's #H1845

References
Numbers 1:14, 7:42, 47, 10:20

Diana
Artemis, prompt, complete light
Strong's #G735

Diana was the Roman name for the pagan Greek Goddess Artemis. The seat of her worship was a huge temple in Ephesus, the capital of the Roman province of Asia.

Ephesus' temple to Diana, funded entirely by the residents of the city, is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In its greatest manifestation, it measured 450 feet long (137 meters) by 225 feet wide (69 meters) and 60 feet (18 meters) high. The upper part of this architectural wonder was held up by more than 127 columns.

Those who worshipped Diana, and profited from her temple, came in direct conflict with Christianity when the Apostle Paul preached the gospel in the city (Acts 19).

Diblath
Place of the fig cake
Strong's #H1689

The wilderness area near Diblath, possibly in northern Israel, was used by God as an example of the desolate land he will cause Israel to experience due to her many sins.

References
Ezekiel 6:14

Dibon (Dibongad)
Wasting, pining
Strong's #H1769

Dibongad is possibly another name for Dibon. It was a major Moabite city that was controlled, at the time of Moses, by the Amorites (Numbers 21:25 - 26). It was located on the major north-south trading route, east of the Jordan River, called the King's Highway.

Dibon is one of the places where Israel camped while they roamed the wilderness forty years after leaving Egypt. It was ultimately conquered by God's people, under Moses' leadership, and given to the tribe of Gad.

Another city named Dibon, within Judah's territory, was populated during the time of the prophet Nehemiah (Nehemiah 11:25).

References
Numbers 21:30, 32:3, 34, 33:45 - 46, Joshua 13:9, 17, Nehemiah 11:25, Isaiah 15:2, Jeremiah 48:18, 22

Didymus
Double, twin, two-fold
Strong's #G1324

Didymus was another name the Apostle John used for the disciple named Thomas (also known as "doubting Thomas").

References
John 11:16, 20:24, 21:2

Diklah
Palm grove
Strong's #H1853

References
Genesis 10:27, 1Chronicles 1:21

Dilean
Gourd
Strong's #H1810

Dilean was a city given to the tribe of Judah as an inheritance in the Promised Land.

References
Joshua 15:38

Dimnah
Dung heap, dunghill
Strong's #H1829

Dimnah was a city given to the tribe of Zebulun as an inheritance in the Promised Land.

References
Joshua 21:35

Dimon
River bed, silence
Strong's #H1775

Dimon was a city located in Moabite territory which was prophecied to receive God's judgment.

References
Isaiah 15:9

Dimonah
River bed, silence
Strong's #H1776

Dimonah was a city given to the tribe of Judah as an inheritance in the Promised Land.

References
Joshua 15:22

References
Genesis 30:21, 34:1 - 26, 46:15

Dinhabah
Give thou judgement
Strong's #H1838

References
Genesis 36:32, 1Chronicles 1:43

Dionysius
Reveller, devoted to Bacchus
Strong's #G1354

Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus (the Athenian Supreme Court), was one of only two people recorded to have become Christians after Paul's visit to Athens.

References
Acts 17:34

Diotrephes
Jove nourished
Strong's #G1361

Diotrephes was an arrogant and vain leader who attempted to govern the church he attended like a dictator (e.g. the Nicolaitans).

Diotrephes' sinful behavior included frequently slandering the Apostle John. He also refused to be hospitable to Christians visiting the church and cast out of the fellowship those who did so. John planned to visit the church in order to correct the situation (3John 1:13 - 14).

Dishan
Thresher
Strong's #H1789

References
Genesis 36:21, 28, 30, 1Chronicles 1:38, 42

Dishon
Thresher
Strong's #H1787

References
Genesis 36:21, 25 - 30, 1Chronicles 1:38, 42

Dizahab
Enough gold, of gold
Strong's #H1774

Dizahab was one of the main places, east of the Jordan River, where Moses spoke to all Israel.

References
Deuteronomy 1:1

Dodanim
Leaders
Strong's #H1721

References
Genesis 10:4, 1Chronicles 1:7

Dodo
Loving, his beloved
Strong's #H1734

References
Judges 10:1, 2Samuel 23:9, 24, 1Chronicles 11:12, 26

Doeg
Fearing, anxious
Strong's #H1673

King Saul accuses some of Israel's priests of helping David. Such aid, in his mind, is an act of treason. His anger propels him to make the rash decision to kill all eighty-five priests before him. When his Israelite servants refuse to carry out such a heinous act, he commands Doeg to murder them. Doeg, an Edomite, then willingly slaughters the priests.

Doeg, not content with the mass carnage he caused, then quickly travels to Nob where the priests lived. He then, in cold blood, decimates most of the city's innocent inhabitants, including women, babies and even animals (1Samuel 22)!

Dophkah
A knock, knocking
Strong's #H1850

Dophkah was one of the places the children of Israel camped after leaving Egyptian bondage.

References
Numbers 33:12 - 13

Dor
Generation, dwelling
Strong's #H1756

The ruler of Dor, who governed a city located just south of Mount Carmel, was one of the thirty-one kings conquered by Joshua in the Promised Land.

Dor was originally given to the tribe of Asher as an inheritance in the Promised Land. The tribe of Manasseh, however, laid claim to the city and considered it part of their territory.

References
Joshua 11:2, 12:23, 17:11, Judges 1:27, 1Kings 4:11, 1Chronicles 7:29

Dorcas (Tabitha)
Gazelle
Strong's #G1393

Dorcas is also called Tabitha, a name that means "female gazelle" (Strong's #G5000).

When Dorcas died Christians in Joppa sent for the Apostle Peter. When he arrived at her home, he prayed for her and she was raised from the dead! Dorcas became the only person, recorded in the Bible, brought back to life by Peter.

References
Acts 9:36 - 42

Dothan
Two wells
Strong's #H1886

Dothan was the place from where Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob, was sold by his brothers to traders traveling to Egypt.

References
Genesis 37:17, 2Kings 6:13

Drusilla
Watered by the dew
Strong's #G1409

Drusilla was the great-granddaughter of Herod the Great and daughter of Herod Agrippa I. She heard Paul preach the gospel while he was in prison in Caesarea.

References
Acts 24:24

Dura
Circle, dwelling
Strong's #H1757

Dura is the place in Babylon where King Nebuchadnezzar set up a huge gold (gold plated) image (minimum 87 feet or 26.5 meters high and roughly 9 feet or 2.7 meters wide). After its creation, he required all those under his power to worship it or suffer the death penalty.

Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to commit idolatry and worship Nebuchadnezzar's statue. The king, in a fit of rage, has the three men thrown into a fiery furnace. After they miraculously survive his brutality, Nebuchadnezzar admits that the God of Israel is the only true Deity worthy of worship.

References
Daniel 3:1