דֶּרֶךְ
A road (as trodden ); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
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What does דֶּרֶךְ (derek) mean in the Bible?
דֶּרֶךְ (derek) is a Hebrew word meaning "a road (as trodden ); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb". a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb BDB: way Usage: along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). The word describes a pattern of living aligned with God's wisdom. This term runs through the canonical themes of Covenant, Revelation, Wisdom.
Full entry for דֶּרֶךְ (H1870) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Path literally walked becomes metaphor for life's moral and spiritual trajectory; covenant-defining directional term
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb BDB: way Usage: along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).
Why This Word Matters
The word describes a pattern of living aligned with God's wisdom. Hosea 14:9
The term refers to a person's overall life direction and conduct. Proverbs 10:29
The metaphor of a path describes the direction of one's life. Proverbs 11:20
The passage frames life decisions as walking along a defined moral path. Proverbs 11:5
God evaluates the direction of a person's life and moral choices. Proverbs 4:10-19
Wisdom literature often uses the imagery of paths to describe moral choices. Proverbs 5:15-23
Symbol of covenant lifestyle. Proverbs 7:24-27
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Old Testament Witnesses
Showing 8 of 712 occurrences in the biblical text.
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.