---
title: שְׂמֹאל — the left · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שְׂמֹאל (8040), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 54 times: the left. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שְׂמֹאל

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«שְׂמֹאל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **the left** — 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:** 54 times · **Key:** 8040 · **BDB:** שְׂמֹאל

### Glosses

left (18); left.hand (12); his.left (5)

### Meaning (OSHB)

the left [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8040/#m1)

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**The whole BDB entry:** (Baer Jos 1:7)54 n.\[m.\] the left (NH id.; Assyrian šumêlu; Arabic شِمَالٌ (also شَمَالٌ and شَأْمَلٌ, شَامَلٌ north wind); Old Aramaic שמאל, Palm. (sf.) סמלך; Syriac ܣܶܡܳܠܴܐ; √ dub., שאם + ל Nö M 128 HomA. u. A. i. (1892), 21 Köii. 1. 143, 405; (v. also Thes DietrWortforschung 234), cf. Arabic شأم be unlucky, شَأْمَةٌ left, شَأَم, شَام north; Sab. שאם north, unlucky DHMEpigr. Denkm. 29; Epigr. Denkm. Ar. Nos. 6. 7; other views in Sta§ 299 LagBN 116);—שְׂמֹאל abs. Gn 13:9 +, cstr. 48:13; 2 K 23:8; שְׂמֹאול abs. Nu 20:17 +; sf. שְׂמֹאלֶ֑ךָ 2 S 2:21, שְׂמֹאלוֹ Gn 48:13 +, etc.;—opp. יָמִין except Gn 14:15; Ju 19:27; 2 K 23:8;— left, region on the left, Gn 13:9 (J); on the left is עַל־שׂ׳ 2 K 23:8; Ez 16:46; Zc 4:3, 11, עַל־הַשּׂ׳ 1 Ch 6:29 cf. 2 Ch 18:18, also מִשּׂ׳ (a sinistra) Ex 14:22, 29 (P), 2 S 16:6 + 7 times + מֵהַשּׂ׳ 2 Ch 3:17; Ez 1:10, לִשׂ׳; Ec 10:2, שׂ׳ alone Jb 23:9; toward the left is עַל־שׂ׳ Gn 24:49 (J), 2 S 2:21; Zc 12:6, עַל־הַשּׂ׳ 2 S 2:19, שׂ׳ alone 1 S 6:12; Is 9:20 + 13 times יַד־שׂ׳ left hand, Ju 3:21; 7:20, so שׂ׳ alone Gn 48:13(×2), 14 (E), Ju 16:29; Ez 39:3; Jon 4:11; Pr 3:16; Dn 12:7; Ct 2:6; 8:3. = north (on left of one facing east, cf. אָתוֹר d, יָמִין 4, קֶדֶם 1 b) Gn 14:15; Jos 19:27 (P); cf. Ez 16:46.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 34 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, 1 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שְׂמֹאל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8040/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 4:27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.4.27/)

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אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול הָסֵ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מֵרָֽע׃

*Word for word:* do.not turn.aside right and left turn.aside foot your from evil

*JPS 1917:* Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.

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[Song of Songs 8:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/SNG.8.3/)

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שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ תַּ֣חַת רֹאשִׁ֔י וִֽימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃

*Word for word:* hand his.left \[is\].under head my and his.right hand it embraces.me

*JPS 1917:* His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

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