---
title: שְׁכֶם — shoulder · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שְׁכֶם (7926), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 22 times: shoulder. BDB 1906: n.m. shoulder. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שְׁכֶם

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«שְׁכֶם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **shoulder** — 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:** 22 times · **Key:** 7926 · **BDB:** שְׁכֶם

### Glosses

shoulder (17); a.shoulder (3); its.shoulder (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

shoulder [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7926/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. shoulder [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7926/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m.Zp 3:9 shoulder;—abs. שׁ׳ Gn 48:22 +, שְׁכֶ֑ם 33:19 +, שֶׁ֑כֶם ψ 21:13 (whence orig. \*šakm inferred Ol§ 147 a ad fin. Sta§ 199 a; but—ֶ der. from—ִ before ב, BaNB 104 Köii. 1, 67, 506); cstr. שְׁכֶם Gn 9:23; sf. שִׁכְמוֹ 49:15 +, שִׁכְמָה (for שִׁכְמָהּ Ges§ 91 e) Jb 31:22, etc.;— shoulder (sometimes incl. back of neck; כתף = shoulder-blade): as bearing burdens, וַיֵּט שׁ׳ לִסְבֹּל Gn 49:15 (poem in J; Issach. under fig. of ass), cf. 21:14 (E), 24:15, 45; Ex 12:34, also Gn 9:23 (all J), Jos 4:5 (E), Ju 9:48; Is 10:27 (‖ צַוָּאר), 14:25 (both fig.), ψ 81:7, so, metaph., of responsibility of rule Is 9:5; 22:22 (symbolized by key), of accusation as (easy) burden Jb 31:36; fig. also לְעָבְדוֹ שׁ׳ אֶחָד Zp 3:9 to serve him (with) one shoulder (as one man), cf. Syriac ܚܰܕ ܟܰܬܦܳܐ. in statement of Saul’s height, מִשִּׁכְמוֹ וָמַ֫עְלָה גָּבֹהַּ מִכָּל־הָעָם 1 S 9:2, cf. 10:23 and (with play on n.pr.loc. שְׁכֶם) נָתַתִּי לְךָ שׁ׳ אַחַד עַל־אַחֶיךָ Gn 48:22 (E; cf. Dr). in gen. back: כְּהַפְנֹתוֹ שִׁכְמוֹ לָלֶכֶת מֵעִם 1 S 10:9; so תְּשִׁיתֵמוֹ שׁ׳ ψ 21:13, i.e. make them turn (in flight; cf. וְאוֹיְבַי נָתַתָּה לִי עֹרֶף 18:41); as beaten מַטֵּה שׁ׳ Is 9:3 (‖ שֵׁבֶט הַנֹּגֵשׂ בּוֹ); more anatom. כְּתֵפִי מִשּׁ׳ תִפּוֹל Jb 31:22 let my shoulder-blade fall from its back.—Ho 6:9 v. ii. שְׁכֶם.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 22 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (5 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שְׁכֶם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7926/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 81:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.81.7/)

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הֲסִיר֣וֹתִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמ֑וֹ כַּ֝פָּ֗יו מִדּ֥וּד תַּעֲבֹֽרְנָה׃

*Word for word:* I.removed from a.burden shoulder his palms his from a.basket they.passed.away

*JPS 1917:* 'I removed his shoulder from the burden; His hands were freed from the basket.

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[Psalms 21:13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.21.13/)

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כִּ֭י תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ שֶׁ֑כֶם בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָ תְּכוֹנֵ֥ן עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

*Word for word:* (dm) you will.make.them a.shoulder on bowstrings your you.will.prepare on faces their

*JPS 1917:* For thou shalt make them turn their back, thou shalt make ready with thy bowstrings against the face of them.

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