---
title: צָלַל — be dark · The Tanakh dictionary
description: צָלַל (6751), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 2 times: be dark. BDB 1906: vb. be grow dark. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# צָלַל

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«צָלַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be dark** — 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:** 6751 · **BDB:** צָלַל³

### Glosses

\[which\].gave.shade (1); they.became.shady (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be dark [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1510/6751/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. be grow dark [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1510/6751/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. be or grow dark (cf. Arabic ظَلَّ be black, ظِلٌّ shade; Ethiopic ጸlለለ be dark; Assyrian ṣillu, shade, ṣalâlu, Pi. roof over, so Sab. טֿלל \[ii.\], טלת ceiling, roof, HomChrest. 125, cf. Palm. תטלילא; Old Aramaic טלל overshadow, Aramaic טְלָלָא, ܛܶܠܳܠܴܐ shadow);— Pf. 3 pl. צָֽלְלוּ שַׁעֲרֵי יְר׳ Ne 13:19 the gates of Jerusalem grew dark, i.e. evening came on. Pt. חֹרֶשׁ מֵצַל Ez 31:3 a shadowing wood (but del. 𝔊 Co Toy Krae).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «צָלַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1510/6751/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Ezekiel 31:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/EZK.31.3/)

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הִנֵּ֨ה אַשּׁ֜וּר אֶ֣רֶז בַּלְּבָנ֗וֹן יְפֵ֥ה עָנָ֛ף וְחֹ֥רֶשׁ מֵצַ֖ל וּגְבַ֣הּ קוֹמָ֑ה וּבֵ֣ין עֲבֹתִ֔ים הָיְתָ֖ה צַמַּרְתּֽוֹ׃

*Word for word:* there! Assyria \[was\].a.cedar in (the) Lebanon beautiful of.branch\[es\] and a.forest \[which\].gave.shade and tall of.height and between branches it.was treetop its

*JPS 1917:* Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.

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[Nehemiah 13:19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/NEH.13.19/)

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וַיְהִ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽלֲלוּ֩ שַׁעֲרֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם לִפְנֵ֣י הַשַּׁבָּ֗ת וָאֹֽמְרָה֙ וַיִּסָּגְר֣וּ הַדְּלָת֔וֹת וָאֹ֣מְרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִפְתָּח֔וּם עַ֖ד אַחַ֣ר הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת וּמִנְּעָרַ֗י הֶֽעֱמַ֙דְתִּי֙ עַל־הַשְּׁעָרִ֔ים לֹא־יָב֥וֹא מַשָּׂ֖א בְּי֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃

*Word for word:* and it.was when they.became.shady the.gates of.Jerusalem before the sabbath and I said and they.were.closed the doors and I said (cmp) not people will.open.them until after the sabbath and some of my.servants I.stationed at the gates not it.will.come a.load on the.day of the.sabbath

*JPS 1917:* And it came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the sabbath; and some of my servants set I over the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

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