Dodanim - leaders, a race descended from Javan ( Gen. 10:4). They are known in proane history as the Dardani, originally inhabiting Illyricum. They were a semi-Pelasgic race, and in the ethnographical table (Gen. 10) they are grouped with the Chittim (q.v.). In 1 Chr. 1:7, they are called Rodanim. The LXX. and the Samaritan Version also read Rhodii, whence some have concluded that the Rhodians, the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, are meant.

Dodo - amatory; loving. (1.) A descendant of Issachar ( Judg. 10:1).

(2.) An Ahohite, father of Eleazar, who was one of David's three heroes (2 Sam. 23:9; 1 Chr. 11:12). He was the same with Dodai mentioned in 1 Chr. 27:4.

(3.) A Bethlehemite, and father of Elhanan, who was one of David's thirty heroes (2 Sam. 23:24).

Doeg - fearful, an Edomite, the chief overseer of Saul's flocks (1 Sam. 21:7). At the command of Saul he slew the high priest Ahimelech (q.v.) at Nob, together with all the priests to the number of eighty-five persons. (Comp. Ps. 52, title.)

Dog - frequently mentioned both in the Old and New Testaments. Dogs were used by the Hebrews as a watch for their houses ( Isa. 56:10), and for guarding their flocks ( Job 30:1). There were also then as now troops of semi-wild dogs that wandered about devouring dead bodies and the offal of the streets (1 Kings 14:11;1 Kings 16:4;1 Kings 21:19,1 Kings 14:23;1 Kings 22:38; Ps. 59:6, Ps. 59:14).

As the dog was an unclean animal, the terms "dog," "dog's head," "dead dog," were used as terms of reproach or of humiliation (1 Sam. 24:14; 2 Sam. 3:8;2 Sam 9:8;2 Sam 16:9). Paul calls false apostles "dogs" ( Phil. 3:2). Those who are shut out of the kingdom of heaven are also so designated ( Rev. 22:15). Persecutors are called "dogs" ( Ps. 22:16). Hazael's words, "Thy servant which is but a dog" (2 Kings 8:13), are spoken in mock humility=impossible that one so contemptible as he should attain to such power.

Doleful creatures - (occurring only Isa. 13:21. Heb. ochim, i.e., "shrieks;" hence "howling animals"), a general name for screech owls (howlets), which occupy the desolate palaces of Babylon. Some render the word "hyaenas."

Door-keeper - This word is used in Ps. 84:10 (R.V. marg., "stand at the threshold of," etc.), but there it signifies properly "sitting at the threshold in the house of God." The psalmist means that he would rather stand at the door of God's house and merely look in, than dwell in houses where iniquity prevailed.

Persons were appointed to keep the street door leading into the interior of the house ( John 18:16,John 18:17; Acts 12:13). Sometimes females held this post.

Door-posts - The Jews were commanded to write the divine name on the posts (mezuzoth') of their doors ( Deut. 6:9). The Jews, misunderstanding this injunction, adopted the custom of writing on a slip of parchment these verses ( Deut. 6:4-9, and 11:13-21), which they enclosed in a reed or cylinder and fixed on the right-hand door-post of every room in the house.

Doors - moved on pivots of wood fastened in sockets above and below ( Prov. 26:14). They were fastened by a lock ( Judg. 3:23,Judg. 3:25; Cant. 5:5) or by a bar ( Judg. 16:3; Job 38:10). In the interior of Oriental houses, curtains were frequently used instead of doors.

The entrances of the tabernacle had curtains ( Ex. 26:31-33,Ex. 26:36). The "valley of Achor" is called a "door of hope," because immediately after the execution of Achan the Lord said to Joshua, "Fear not," and from that time Joshua went forward in a career of uninterrupted conquest. Paul speaks of a "door opened" for the spread of the gospel (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3). Our Lord says of himself, "I am the door" ( John 10:9). John ( Rev. 4:1) speaks of a "door opened in heaven."

Dophkah - knocking, an encampment of the Israelites in the wilderness ( Num. 33:12). It was in the desert of Sin, on the eastern shore of the western arm of the Red Sea, somewhere in the Wady Feiran.

Dor - dwelling, the Dora of the Romans, an ancient royal city of the Canaanites ( Josh. 11:1,Josh. 11:2;Josh 12:23). It was the most southern settlement of the Phoenicians on the coast of Syria. The original inhabitants seem never to have been expelled, although they were made tributary by David. It was one of Solomon's commissariat districts ( Judg. 1:27; 1 Kings 4:11). It has been identified with Tantura (so named from the supposed resemblance of its tower to a tantur, i.e., "a horn"). This tower fell in 1895, and nothing remains but debris and foundation walls, the remains of an old Crusading fortress. It is about 8 miles north of Caesarea, "a sad and sickly hamlet of wretched huts on a naked sea-beach."

Dorcas - a female antelope, or gazelle, a pious Christian widow at Joppa whom Peter restored to life ( Acts 9:36-41). She was a Hellenistic Jewess, called Tabitha by the Jews and Dorcas by the Greeks.

Dothan - two wells, a famous pasture-ground where Joseph found his brethren watching their flocks. Here, at the suggestion of Judah, they sold him to the Ishmaelite merchants ( Gen. 37:17). It is mentioned on monuments in B.C. 1600.

It was the residence of Elisha (2 Kings 6:13), and the scene of a remarkable vision of chariots and horses of fire surrounding the mountain on which the city stood. It is identified with the modern Tell-Dothan, on the south side of the plain of Jezreel, about 12 miles north of Samaria, among the hills of Gilboa. The "two wells" are still in existence, one of which bears the name of the "pit of Joseph" (Jubb Yusuf).

Dough - (batsek, meaning "swelling," i.e., in fermentation). The dough the Israelites had prepared for baking was carried away by them out of Egypt in their kneading-troughs ( Ex. 12:34,Ex. 12:39). In the process of baking, the dough had to be turned ( Hos. 7:8).

Dove - In their wild state doves generally build their nests in the clefts of rocks, but when domesticated "dove-cots" are prepared for them ( Cant. 2:14; Jer. 48:28; Isa. 60:8). The dove was placed on the standards of the Assyrians and Babylonians in honour, it is supposed, of Semiramis ( Jer. 25:38; Vulg., "fierceness of the dove;" comp. Jer. 46:16; Jer 50:16). Doves and turtle-doves were the only birds that could be offered in sacrifice, as they were clean according to the Mosaic law ( Ge. 15:9; Lev. 5:7; Lev 12:6; Luke 2:24). The dove was the harbinger of peace to Noah ( Gen. 8:8,Gen. 8:10). It is often mentioned as the emblem of purity ( Ps. 68:13). It is a symbol of the Holy Spirit ( Gen. 1:2; Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32); also of tender and devoted affection ( Cant. 1:15;Cant 2:14). David in his distress wished that he had the wings of a dove, that he might fly away and be at rest ( Ps. 55:6-8). There is a species of dove found at Damascus "whose feathers, all except the wings, are literally as yellow as gold" ( Ps 68:13).

Dove's dung - (2 Kings 6:25) has been generally understood literally. There are instances in history of the dung of pigeons being actually used as food during a famine. Compare also the language of Rabshakeh to the Jews (2 Kings 18:27; Isa. 36:12). This name, however, is applied by the Arabs to different vegetable substances, and there is room for the opinion of those who think that some such substance is here referred to, as, e.g., the seeds of a kind of millet, or a very inferior kind of pulse, or the root of the ornithogalum, i.e., bird-milk, the star-of-Bethlehem.

Dowry - (mohar; i.e., price paid for a wife, Gen. 34:12; Ex. 22:17; 1 Sam. 18:25), a nuptial present; some gift, as a sum of money, which the bridegroom offers to the father of his bride as a satisfaction before he can receive her. Jacob had no dowry to give for his wife, but he gave his services ( Gen. 29:18;Gen 30:20;Gen 34:12).

Dragon - (1.) Heb. tannim, plural of tan. The name of some unknown creature inhabiting desert places and ruins ( Job 30:29; Ps. 44:19; Isa. 13:22; Isa 34:13; Isa 43:20; Jer. 10:22; Micah 1:8; Mal. 1:3); probably, as translated in the Revised Version, the jackal (q.v.).

(2.) Heb. tannin. Some great sea monster ( Jer. 51:34). In Isa. 51:9 it may denote the crocodile. In Gen. 1:21 (Heb. plural tanninim) the Authorized Version renders "whales," and the Revised Version "sea monsters." It is rendered "serpent" in Ex. 7:9. It is used figuratively in Ps. 74:13; Ezek. 29:3.

In the New Testament the word "dragon" is found only in Rev. 12:3, Rev. 12:4, Rev. 12:7, Rev. 12:9, Rev. 12:16, Rev. 12:17, etc., and is there used metaphorically of "Satan." (See WHALE.)

Dragon well - ( Neh. 2:13), supposed by some to be identical with the Pool of Gihon.

Dram - The Authorized Version understood the word 'adarkonim (1 Chr. 29:7; Ezra 8:27), and the similar word darkomnim ( Ezra 2:69; Neh. 7:70), as equivalent to the Greek silver coin the drachma. But the Revised Version rightly regards it as the Greek dareikos, a Persian gold coin (the daric) of the value of about 1 pound, 2s., which was first struck by Darius, the son of Hystaspes, and was current in Western Asia long after the fall of the Persian empire. (See DARIC.)

Draught-house - (2 Kings 10:27). Jehu ordered the temple of Baal to be destroyed, and the place to be converted to the vile use of receiving offal or ordure. (Comp. Matt. 15:17.)

Drawer of water - ( Deut. 29:11; Josh. 9:21, Josh. 9:23), a servile employment to which the Gibeonites were condemned.

Dream - God has frequently made use of dreams in communicating his will to men. The most remarkable instances of this are recorded in the history of Jacob ( Gen. 28:12;Gen 31:10), Laban ( Gen 31:24), Joseph ( Gen 37:9-11), Gideon (Judg. 7), and Solomon (1 Kings 3:5). Other significant dreams are also recorded, such as those of Abimelech ( Gen. 20:3-7), Pharaoh's chief butler and baker ( Gen 40:5), Pharaoh ( Gen 41:1-8), the Midianites ( Judg. 7:13), Nebuchadnezzar ( Dan. 2:1;Dan 4:10,Dan. 2:18), the wise men from the east ( Matt. 2:12), and Pilate's wife ( Matt 27:19).

To Joseph "the Lord appeared in a dream," and gave him instructions regarding the infant Jesus ( Matt. 1:20;Matt 2:12,Matt. 1:13,Matt. 1:19). In a vision of the night a "man of Macedonia" stood before Paul and said, "Come over into Macedonia and help us" ( Acts 16:9; see also 18:9; also 27:23).

Dredge - ( Job 24:6). See CORN.

Dregs - ( Ps. 75:8; Isa. 51:17, Isa. 51:22), the lees of wine which settle at the bottom of the vessel.