---
title: זָחַל — shrink back · The Tanakh dictionary
description: זָחַל (2119), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 2 times: shrink back. BDB 1906: vb. shrink back, crawl away. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# זָחַל

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«זָחַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **shrink back** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 2 times · **Key:** 2119 · **BDB:** זָחַל

### Glosses

\[things.which\].crawl (1); of.\[things.which\].crawl (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

shrink back [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2119/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. shrink back, crawl away [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2119/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. shrink back, crawl away (Aramaic זְחַל crawl (also drap, drip, of water: so NH זָחַל), זָחֵיל worm; Syriac ܙܳܚܠܴܐ locust (as crawling); Arabic زَحَلَ withdraw, retire to a distance (v. Lane, Wetzst in De Hiob 2, 428), and Sab. זחֿל withdraw, humble oneself DHMZMG 1875, 610)— only Pt. pl. cstr. זֹחֲלֵי Dt 32:24 Mi 7:17;—crawl, of reptiles (pt.) זֹחֲלֵי עָפָר Dt 32:24 i.e. serpents (as poisonous), instruments of Yahweh’s judgment on Isr.; ז׳ ארץ Mi 7:17 id. (as crawling into the earth to hide), sim. of nations in fear of י׳.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «זָחַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2119/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Deuteronomy 32:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/DEU.32.24/)

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מְזֵ֥י רָעָ֛ב וּלְחֻ֥מֵי רֶ֖שֶׁף וְקֶ֣טֶב מְרִירִ֑י וְשֶׁן־בְּהֵמוֹת֙ אֲשַׁלַּח־בָּ֔ם עִם־חֲמַ֖ת זֹחֲלֵ֥י עָפָֽר׃

*Word for word:* \[they.will.be\].weakened of.famine and eaten of.plague and destruction bitter and tooth of.animals I.will.send on them with \[the\].venom of.\[things.which\].crawl of.\[the\].dust

*JPS 1917:* The wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the fiery bolt, and bitter destruction; and the teeth of beasts will I send upon them, with the venom of crawling things of the dust.

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[Micah 7:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/MIC.7.17/)

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יְלַחֲכ֤וּ עָפָר֙ כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ כְּזֹחֲלֵ֣י אֶ֔רֶץ יִרְגְּז֖וּ מִמִּסְגְּרֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם אֶל־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ יִפְחָ֔דוּ וְיִֽרְא֖וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

*Word for word:* they.will.lick.up dust like (the) snake like \[things.which\].crawl of.\[the\].earth they.will.quake from strongholds their to Yahweh God our they.will.be.in.dread and they.will.be.afraid from you

*JPS 1917:* They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their close places; they shall come with fear unto the LORD our God, and shall be afraid because of Thee.

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