---
title: שָׁפָל — low · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שָׁפָל (8217), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 17 times: low. BDB 1906: adj. low Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/8217.html)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/) / [ש](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1513-7.md)‎ / שָׁפָל‎

<!-- .hw dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
# שָׁפָל

<!-- .meta -->
«שָׁפָל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **low** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Used:** 17 times · **Key:** 8217 · **BDB:** שָׁפָל

### Glosses

lowly (7); \[is\].deep (2); a.\[person\].lowly (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

low [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8217/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

adj. low Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8217/#m2)

<!-- fold -->
**The whole BDB entry:** adj. low;—abs. שׁ׳ 2 S 6:22 +, cstr. שְׁפַל ψ 29:23 +; fs. שְׁפָלָה Ez 17:14 +, cstr. שִׁפְלַת v 6; pl. שְׁפָלִים Jb 5:11;— low, in height, of vine Ez 17:6, tree v 24 (opp. גָּבֹהַּ); שׁ׳ מִן־הָעוֹר Lv 13:20 lower (deeper) than the skin (around it), so v 21, 26, cf. 14:37. of a modest, unambitious kingdom Ez 17:14; 29:14, 15; low in station Jb 5:11 (opp. שָֽׂגְבוּ), Ez 21:31 (Ges§ 90 f; read הַשְּׁפָלָה֣). humiliated, שׁ׳ בְּעֵינָ֑י 2 S 6:22; pl. Mal 2:9 (‖ נִבְזִים). lowly, as subst. ψ 138:6 (opp. גָּבֹהַּ), רוּחַ שְׁפָלִים Is 57:15 (‖ נִדְכָּאִים); שְׁפַל רוּחַ v 15, Pr 29:23 (opp. גַּאֲוַת אָדָם), + 16:19 Thes al. (but v. √ Qal 2).

<!-- .note -->
Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 16 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שָׁפָל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8217/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Job 5:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.5.11/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
לָשׂ֣וּם שְׁפָלִ֣ים לְמָר֑וֹם וְ֝קֹדְרִ֗ים שָׂ֣גְבוּ יֶֽשַׁע׃

*Word for word:* to set lowly.\[people\] to a.high.place and mourners they.are.high safety

*JPS 1917:* So that He setteth up on high those that are low, and those that mourn are exalted to safety.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Proverbs 29:23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.29.23/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
גַּאֲוַ֣ת אָ֭דָם תַּשְׁפִּילֶ֑נּוּ וּשְׁפַל־ר֝֗וּחַ יִתְמֹ֥ךְ כָּבֽוֹד׃

*Word for word:* \[the\].pride of.a.person it will.bring.him.low and a.\[person\].lowly of.spirit he.will.attain honor

*JPS 1917:* A man's pride shall bring him low; but he that is of a lowly spirit shall attain to honour.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [שֵׁפֶל](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/8216.md)
- next →: [שִׁפְלָה](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/8218.md)
- ↑ back to [ש](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1513-7.md)