Original Word: דִּי זָהָב
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Diy zahab
Pronunciation: dee zah-HAHV
Phonetic Spelling: (dee zaw-hawb')
KJV: Dizahab
NASB: Dizahab
Word Origin: [as if from H176 (אוֹ אַו - or)8 and H2091 (זָהָב - gold)]

1. of gold
2. Dizahab, a place in the Desert

Dizahab

As if from diy and zahab; of gold; Dizahab, a place in the Desert -- Dizahab.

see HEBREW diy

see HEBREW zahab

Word Origin
from day and zahab
Definition
probably a place in the desert
NASB Translation
Dizahab (1).

דִּי זָהָב proper name, of a location apparently on border of Moab Deuteronomy 1:1 (ᵐ5 Καταχρύσεα).

Biblical Setting

The only occurrence of דִּי זָהָב (Dizahab) is in the opening verse of Deuteronomy: “These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan—in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph—between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab” (Deuteronomy 1:1). The name is listed among waypoints that fix the exact place where Moses delivered his final addresses to the nation. Dizahab marks the southern end of that itinerary, locating Israel just east of the Jordan River a mere weeks before they would cross into Canaan.

Geographical Theories

1. Eastern Arabah. Many conservative geographers place Dizahab somewhere in the Arabah valley, the desert rift that runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. The term “place of gold” may signal an area known for mineral deposits mined in antiquity.
2. Sinai Peninsula. Others set the site near modern Dahab on the eastern shore of the Sinai Peninsula, famous for its ancient copper and gold workings.
3. Symbolic notation. A minority view holds that Moses used the name figuratively to allude to Israel’s previous obsession with “gold,” especially the golden calf episode. Yet the straightforward listing with other discernible stations argues that Dizahab was a real locality whose exact position has been lost.

Historical Significance

Moses’ mention of Dizahab functions like a coordinate on an ancient map, anchoring Deuteronomy in verifiable space and time. It implicitly rebukes higher-critical claims that the book is a late fiction. The passage also recalls Israel’s forty-year journey: the nation is at the threshold of promise, surrounded by reminders of both divine faithfulness and past failures. Dizahab, whether a mining camp or trade stop, represents the final staging ground of a generation that would soon possess the land sworn to Abraham.

Theological Reflections

1. A counterpoint to idolatry. If “place of gold” evokes the golden calf, it frames Deuteronomy’s opening theme: wholehearted loyalty to the LORD. Moses’ subsequent warnings against idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:15-24) gain rhetorical force when uttered from a site whose very name whispers “gold.”
2. Stewardship of wealth. Throughout Scripture gold epitomizes both God-given abundance (Genesis 2:11-12) and human temptation (Exodus 32:2-4). By situating his sermon at Dizahab, Moses underscores that prosperity must serve covenant obedience rather than supplant it.
3. Covenant renewal. Deuteronomy rehearses law, history, and promises in order to renew the covenant with the second generation. The location list in 1:1, culminating in Dizahab, frames the entire book as a covenant document delivered in real history, preparing hearts for allegiance to their true King.

Ministry Principles

• Preaching must be grounded in both history and exhortation. Moses’ example shows that geographical and historical accuracy enlarge, rather than distract from, spiritual application.
• Material blessing is not neutral; it demands intentional consecration. The “place of gold” reminds believers that wealth can either furnish worship (Exodus 35:5-9) or fuel idolatry (Exodus 32:24).
• God often speaks at the borderlands—moments of transition that call for renewed commitment. Dizahab, poised between wilderness wandering and inheritance, mirrors the believer’s continual call to “choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).

Christological Perspective

Jesus Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3), embodies the true wealth foreshadowed in every place named for gold. Whereas temporary riches can lure hearts away, the riches of His grace secure an inheritance “that can never perish, spoil, or fade” (1 Peter 1:4). Standing at one’s own Dizahab—any point of decision—the call is to value the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord (Philippians 3:8).

Summary

Dizahab is a small but strategic marker in biblical geography that spotlights the faithfulness of God, the danger of misplaced trust in riches, and the urgency of covenant fidelity. Though its precise coordinates are uncertain, its message remains clear: at every “place of gold,” God’s people must remember who truly leads them and where true treasure lies.

זָהָֽב׃ זהב׃ zā·hāḇ zāhāḇ zaHavInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts