English · KJV
H1754

דּוּר

dûwr /dure/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom דּוּר
Meaninga circle, ball or pile
KJV usageball, turn, round about.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dûwr — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word dûwr, represented by H1754, denotes a circle, ball or pile. Based on the root word meaning to turn or go round, it appears 3 times in 3 unique verses. Its applications in scripture convey concepts of circular shape, encirclement, and accumulation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, H1754 is used to illustrate divine action, primarily in contexts of judgment. It is used metaphorically as a ball, describing how an individual will be violently tossed into a foreign country to die in shame Isaiah 22:18. It also depicts military encirclement, where God promises to camp round about an enemy and lay siege with mounts and forts Isaiah 29:3. Finally, it describes the act of creating a pile of bones to be intensely heated in a pot, symbolizing a thorough and consuming judgment Ezekiel 24:5.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context in which H1754 is used:

  • H6801 tsânaph (to wrap, i.e. roll or dress; be attired, [idiom] surely, violently turn): This word is used alongside H1754 to describe the action of being violently turned and tossed like a ball, emphasizing the force of the judgment Isaiah 22:18.
  • H2583 chânâh (to encamp): Paired with H1754, this term describes the act of setting up a camp round about a target, illustrating a strategic and enclosing siege Isaiah 29:3.
  • H6696 tsûwr (to besiege): This word further defines the hostile intent of the encirclement described by H1754, highlighting the theme of confinement and distress during a siege Isaiah 29:3.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1754 is focused on the execution of divine judgment.

  • Forcible Banishment: The imagery of being tossed like a ball signifies a complete loss of stability and honor, portraying exile as a violent and shameful act of judgment where one's glory becomes shame Isaiah 22:18.
  • Divine Hostility: God Himself is depicted as the one who will camp round about and lay siege against a people, using the language of military encirclement to show that judgment can be a direct and inescapable action Isaiah 29:3.
  • Consuming Purification: The use of H1754 to describe a pile of bones being boiled in a pot illustrates a judgment that is both intense and all-encompassing, subjecting the very substance of the people to a fiery ordeal Ezekiel 24:5.

Summary

In summary, H1754 is a multifaceted word used to convey powerful images of divine judgment. Whether as a ball representing violent exile, a circle representing an inescapable siege, or a pile for a consuming fire, dûwr illustrates the various ways judgment is enacted. It shows how a simple word for a shape or an accumulation can carry significant theological weight, depicting the severity and certainty of divine retribution.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun and a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • כַּדּוּר
  • דּוּר

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H6801 צָנַף a primitive root; to wrap, i.e. roll or dress; be attired, [idiom] surely, violently turn. H2583 חָנָה a primitive root (compare חָנַן); properly, to incline; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); sp H6696 צוּר a primitive root; to cramp, i.e. confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile); adver

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

2
Isaiah
1
Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.