Original Word: דִּבְרִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Dibriy
Pronunciation: dib-REE
Phonetic Spelling: (dib-ree')
KJV: Dibri
NASB: Dibri
Word Origin: [from H1697 (דָּבָר - word)]

1. wordy
2. Dibri, an Israelite

From dabar; wordy; Dibri, an Israelite -- Dibri.

see HEBREW dabar

Dibri (Strong’s Hebrew 1704) is identified in Leviticus 24:11 as the father of Shelomith and a member of the tribe of Dan. His appearance is brief yet precise, attesting to Scripture’s habit of rooting historical events in real families and tribes. By recording Dibri’s name, the text affirms that the incident which follows is not mythic or anonymous but anchored in covenant history.

Biblical Narrative Context

The single reference to Dibri occurs within the account of Israel’s first recorded case of blasphemy during the wilderness period:

“Then the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)” (Leviticus 24:11)

The blasphemer’s mixed parentage—an Egyptian father and an Israelite mother—highlights the challenges Israel faced in maintaining covenant holiness among a diverse people. Dibri’s inclusion emphasizes that the offender, though of partial foreign descent, is still tied to an identifiable Israelite household and is therefore subject to the same divine law as any full-blooded Israelite (Leviticus 24:16, 22).

Theological Implications

1. Sanctity of God’s Name: The narrative surrounding Dibri underscores the non-negotiable holiness of the divine Name (Exodus 20:7). The mention of a concrete ancestor serves as a sobering reminder that transgression is never abstract; families and tribes are affected when God’s honor is violated.
2. Impartial Justice: By recording Dibri’s tribal identity, Scripture anticipates the later statement, “You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born” (Leviticus 24:22). Dibri’s grandson receives due process in full view of the congregation, illustrating God’s consistent justice across social and ethnic lines.
3. Covenant Accountability: Though only a grandfather in the background, Dibri’s name anchors responsibility within Israel’s generational structure. The genealogy reaffirms that faithfulness—or its lack—reverberates beyond the individual (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

Historical and Cultural Insights

The tribe of Dan often appears on the margins of Israel’s camp and later its territorial allotment (Numbers 2:25-31; Judges 18:1). Dibri’s emergence from Dan fits this pattern of a tribe that wrestled with maintaining covenant fidelity. Moreover, the record of an Egyptian marriage alliance shows that Israel’s exodus community was not ethnically monolithic. Such unions, while tolerated, required ongoing catechesis lest foreign influence diminish reverence for the LORD (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).

Ministry Applications

• Family Discipleship: Dibri’s mention calls fathers and grandfathers to transmit a fear of the LORD to their descendants. The tragedy in Leviticus 24 reveals the cost when reverence is not faithfully taught.
• Church Discipline: The community’s measured handling of the blasphemer offers a template for congregational discipline—seeking clarity from God’s Word, delaying judgment until truth is established (Leviticus 24:12), and upholding divine standards without partiality.
• Respect for God’s Name: Modern believers draw from this episode an unchanging principle: “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). Dibri’s brief appearance keeps before the church the enduring mandate to honor God verbally and practically.

Lessons for Today

Though Dibri surfaces only once, his cameo illumines the gravity of blasphemy, the integrity of divine justice, and the generational weight of covenant life. His recorded name assures readers that every household is known before God and invited to walk in reverent obedience.