---
title: שֶׁקֶל — a weight · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שֶׁקֶל (8255), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 88 times: a weight. BDB 1906: n.m. shekel. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שֶׁקֶל

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«שֶׁקֶל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **a weight** — 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:** 88 times · **Key:** 8255 · **BDB:** שֶׁ֫קֶל

### Glosses

the.shekel (30); shekel\[s\] (24); shekels (21)

### Meaning (OSHB)

a weight [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8255/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. shekel [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8255/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Lv 27:6 a weight, shekel (orig. = weight; late Heb. = coin GACooke Inscr.356);—abs. שׁ׳ Am 8:5 +, שָׁ֑קֶל Ex 38:29 +; pl. שְׁקָלִים Jos 7:21 +; cstr. שִׁקְלֵי 1 Ch 21:25;—shekel, as standard weight Am 8:5; of weight of bronze armour 1 S 17:5, iron spear-head v 7, + 2 S 21:16b (v. מִשְׁקָל), hair 2 S 14:26, food Ez 4:10; implying value, of wedge of gold Jos 7:21 (JE); of nails in temple (gold) 2 Ch 3:9; usually a definite weight of silver (used in payment or valuation) Ex 21:32 (E), Jos 7:21 (JE), 1 S 9:8; 2 S 24:24; 2 K 7:1(×2), 16(×2), 18(×2); 15:20; Je 32:9; Ez 45:12(×2) (v. infra), and (= coin, from time of Darius I) Ne 5:15; 10:33; Lv 5:15; 27:3, 4, 5(×2) (all P), + 53 times P; also מַחֲצִית הַשּׁ׳ Ex 30:13(×2), 15; 38:26 (= בֶּקַע), all half-shekel, atonement-money; cf. שְׁלִישִׁית הַשּׁ׳ Ne 10:33 one-third; also רֶבַע שׁ׳ 1 S 9:8 one-fourth of shekel; שׁ׳ = 20 גֵּרָה (ג׳ otherwise unknown) Ez 45:12; Ex 30:13; Lv 27:25; Nu 3:47; 50 שׁ׳ = one maneh Ez 45:12 (read וַחֲמִשִּׁים for וחמשׁה \[and עֶשְׂרֵה for עֲשָׂרָה preceding\], 𝔊A Boeckh Hi-Sm Co Toy Da Krae Berthol); שׁ׳ הַקֹּדֶשׁ Ex 30:13, 24; Lv 5:15; Nu 3:47, 50; 7:13 + 21 times P; land estimated in שׁ׳ of gold 1 Ch 21:25; שׂ׳ also often om. after num.—שׁ׳ was of two standards, one one-half the other; actual weights (and values) varied, but most persistent were: (1) gold, 252 2/3 gr. Troy (or 126 1/3), mod. equiv. c. £2 1 s., or $10; (2) silver, 224 1/2 gr. (nearly 1/2 oz.) = שׁ׳ הַקֹּדֶשׁ (v. supra), or 112 1/4, mod. equiv. c. 2 s. 9d., or 67 c.; שׁ׳ בְּאֶבֶן הַמֶּלֶךְ 2 S 14:26 is dub.; if late (Bu HPS Löhr Now) it prob. ref. to a Bab. or Pers. scale (cf. S-CPap באבני מלבא often); 60 (or 50) שׁ׳ = 1 mina, 60 minas = 1 talent (v. מָנֶה, כִּכָּר). Vid. especially ARSKennedyHast. DB weights and measures, and money.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 33 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שֶׁקֶל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8255/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Leviticus 27:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/LEV.27.4/)

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וְאִם־נְקֵבָ֖ה הִ֑וא וְהָיָ֥ה עֶרְכְּךָ֖ שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָֽׁקֶל׃

*Word for word:* and if \[is\].female she and it.will.be valuation your thirty shekel\[s\]

*JPS 1917:* And if it be a female, then thy valuation shall be thirty shekels.

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[Exodus 30:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.30.24/)

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וְקִדָּ֕ה חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וְשֶׁ֥מֶן זַ֖יִת הִֽין׃

*Word for word:* and cassia five hundred(s) by the.shekel of the.holy.place and oil of.olive\[s\] a.hin

*JPS 1917:* and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin.

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