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H1707 · Hebrew · Old Testament
דַּבֶּשֶׁת
dabbesheth
Noun feminine
hump of a camel — the defining feature of the desert beast of burden

Definition

Dabbesheth occurs only once in the OT (Joshua 19:11), as a place name — a boundary marker in the territory of Zebulun. The word itself means "hump," from the root associated with the camel's distinctive form. The place name likely referred to a hill shaped like a camel's hump, a common practice in ancient place-naming based on visible geography.

Usage & Theological Significance

Though a rare word, the camel itself carries rich symbolic weight in Scripture. Camels were signs of wealth (Abraham's servant bore camels to Rebekah). They were the cargo ships of the ancient desert trade routes — connecting civilizations. The camel's hump stored the resources needed for endurance through desert crossings. Jesus famously used the camel in His most challenging saying: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" — a deliberate use of the largest animal of the culture to make the point unforgettable.

Key Bible Verses

Joshua 19:11 Their boundary went up to the west and to Maralah and touched Dabbesheth and then the brook east of Jokneam.
Genesis 24:10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master's camels loaded with all kinds of good things.
Matthew 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.
Isaiah 60:6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah.
Matthew 23:24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

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