Word Study for H1810 (דִּלְעָן)

Dilʻân /dil-awn'/ Ask about this word

Rootof uncertain derivation

MeaningDilan, a place in Palestine

KJV usageDilean.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Dilʻân — 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 Dilʻân, represented by H1810, identifies a specific location in Palestine. Its derivation is uncertain. The name appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire Bible, marking it as a geographically specific reference rather than a broadly used term.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The single biblical mention of H1810 occurs in the book of Joshua. It is listed as one of the cities in a particular region alongside two other towns, Mizpeh and Joktheel. The verse simply states, "And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel," Joshua 15:38, placing it firmly within the context of a geographical survey or tribal allotment.

Related Words & Concepts

The words listed with H1810 provide its immediate context:

H4708 Mitspeh (Mitspeh, the name of five places in Palestine; Mizpeh, watch tower): This location is listed directly with Dilean in the same verse Joshua 15:38.
H3371 Yoqthᵉʼêl (veneration of God; Joktheel, the name of a place in Palestine, and of one in Idumaea; Joktheel): This place name is also listed with Dilean Joshua 15:38. The same name was later given to a city in Edom after it was captured in war 2 Kings 14:7.

Theological Significance

The significance of H1810 is rooted in its role as a geographical marker in the biblical record.

Territorial Marker: Its inclusion in Joshua establishes its existence as a recognized town during the time of Israel's settlement. It is part of the formal record of named places.
Geographical Association: The primary importance of Dilʻân comes from its grouping with Mizpeh H4708 and Joktheel H3371, which helps to geographically situate it within the biblical landscape Joshua 15:38.
Undefined Etymology: Unlike some biblical place names, the definition for H1810 notes its derivation is "uncertain," limiting any deeper thematic interpretation based on its name alone.

Summary

In summary, H1810 or Dilʻân is a place name with a singular but precise function in the biblical text. It appears once in Joshua as part of a list of cities, serving as a specific geographical point of reference. Its importance is not theological but historical and cartographic, securing its place in the record of Israel's inherited land alongside its neighbors, Mizpeh and Joktheel.

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 across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — 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.

דִלְעָן

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

1 verse, all in Joshua — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.