---
title: שֹׁעַל — hollow hand · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שֹׁעַל (8168), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 3 times: hollow hand. BDB 1906: hollow hand, handful. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שֹׁעַל

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«שֹׁעַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **hollow hand** — 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:** 3 times · **Key:** 8168 · **BDB:** שֹׁ֫עַל

### Glosses

handfuls (2); the.hollow (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

hollow hand [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8168/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

hollow hand, handful [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8168/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] hollow hand, handful;— hollow hand: sf. בְּשָׁעֳלוֹ Is 40:12 (fig. of י׳ holding waters). handful: pl. שְׁעָלִים 1 K 20:10 (dust, in hyperb.); cstr. שַׁעֲלֵי שְׂעֹרִים (as if from \[שַׁ֫עַל\] Kö ii. 1. 35) Ez 13:19 handfuls of barley.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 3 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שֹׁעַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8168/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Isaiah 40:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.40.12/)

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מִֽי־מָדַ֨ד בְּשָׁעֳל֜וֹ מַ֗יִם וְשָׁמַ֙יִם֙ בַּזֶּ֣רֶת תִּכֵּ֔ן וְכָ֥ל בַּשָּׁלִ֖שׁ עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשָׁקַ֤ל בַּפֶּ֙לֶס֙ הָרִ֔ים וּגְבָע֖וֹת בְּמֹאזְנָֽיִם׃

*Word for word:* who? has.he.measured in the.hollow of.his.hand \[the\].waters and.\[the\] heavens with (the) span has.he.marked.off? and has.he.contained? in.(the) third of.a.measure the.dust of the.earth and has.he.weighed? with (the) scale\[s\] mountains and hills with balances

*JPS 1917:* Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

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[1 Kings 20:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/1KI.20.10/)

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וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ בֶּנ־הֲדַ֔דבֶּנ־הֲדַ֔ד וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂ֥וּן לִ֛י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֑פוּ אִם־יִשְׂפֹּק֙ עֲפַ֣ר שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִשְׁעָלִ֕ים לְכָל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּרַגְלָֽי׃

*Word for word:* and he.sent to him Ben Hadad and he.said thus may they.do to me \[the\].gods and thus may.they.add if it.will.suffice the.dust of.Samaria for handfuls for all the people which \[is\].at feet my

*JPS 1917:* And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said: 'The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.'

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