---
title: שָׁעַן — lean · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שָׁעַן (8172), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 22 times: lean. BDB 1906: vb. lean, support oneself. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שָׁעַן

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«שָׁעַן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **lean** — 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:** 8172 · **BDB:** שָׁעַן

### Glosses

depend (2); depended (2); he.supports.himself (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

lean [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8172/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. lean, support oneself [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8172/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. lean, support oneself;—Pf. 3 ms. consec. וְנִשְׁעַן Nu 21:15; Is 10:20; 1 pl. נִשְׁעַנּוּ 2 Ch 14:10, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִשָּׁעֵן Jb 8:15 +, etc.; Imv. mpl. הִשָּׁעֲנוּ Gn 18:4; Inf. cstr. הִשָּׁעֵן Is 10:20, sf. הִשָּׁעֶנְךָ 2 Ch 16:7, 8, etc.; Pt. נִשְׁעָן 2 S 1:6 +;—lean, c. עַל upon, 2 S 1:6; 2 K 5:18; 7:2, 17, against pillars Ju 16:26, house Jb 8:15 (fig.); תַּחַת הָעֵץ Gn 18:4 (J); poet. of cliff, וְנִשׁ׳ לנְּבוּל Nu 21:15 leans to (upon) the border of Moab; lean (fig. = trust) upon, עַל pers. king Is 10:20; Ez 29:7; 2 Ch 16:7; עַל־י׳ Mi 3:11; Is 10:20; 2 Ch 13:18; 14:10; 16:7, 8; בֵּאלֹהָיו Is 50:10; abs. Jb 24:23; עַל־סוּסִים Is 31:1; על c. n. abstr. 30:12 c. אֶל Pr 3:5.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 20 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שָׁעַן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8172/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Genesis 18:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.18.4/)

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יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ תַּ֥חַת הָעֵֽץ׃

*Word for word:* let.it.be.brought please a.little of.water and wash feet your and support.yourself under the tree

*JPS 1917:* Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and recline yourselves under the tree.

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[Job 8:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.8.15/)

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יִשָּׁעֵ֣ן עַל־בֵּ֭יתוֹ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֹ֑ד יַחֲזִ֥יק בּ֝֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א יָקֽוּם׃

*Word for word:* he.supports.himself on house his and not it.stands he.takes.hold on it and not it.endures

*JPS 1917:* He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.

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