What does שְׂמֹאול mean in the Bible?
e. the north ; hence (by orientation), the left hand".
Hebrew · H8040
שְׂמֹאול
Properly, dark (as enveloped ), i.e. the north ; hence (by orientation), the left hand
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שְׂמֹאול H8040
What does שְׂמֹאול mean in the Bible?
שְׂמֹאול is a Hebrew word meaning "properly, dark (as enveloped ), i.e. the north ; hence (by orientation), the left hand".
Full entry for שְׂמֹאול (H8040) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8040?
The BSB source-word alignment has 54 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include or to the left (13), on the north (4), the left (4), and left (3), and his left hand (2).
Where does שְׂמֹאול appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 13:9. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Chronicles (6), Genesis (6), Deuteronomy (5), 1 Kings (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It or to the left 13× Numbers 20:17, Deuteronomy 2:27, Deuteronomy 5:32, Deuteronomy 17:11
on the north 4× 2 Chronicles 3:17, 2 Chronicles 4:6, 2 Chronicles 4:7, 2 Chronicles 4:8
the left 4× 2 Kings 23:8, 1 Chronicles 6:44, Isaiah 9:20, Zechariah 12:6
and left 3× 2 Samuel 16:6, Isaiah 54:3, Zechariah 4:11
and his left hand 2× Judges 16:29, Daniel 12:7
and on His left 2× 1 Kings 22:19, 2 Chronicles 18:18
and on their left 2× Exodus 14:22, Exodus 14:29
His left hand 2× Song Of Solomon 2:6, Song Of Solomon 8:3
on the left 2× Joshua 19:27, 1 Kings 7:49
. . . 1× Genesis 24:49
and at his left 1× Nehemiah 8:4
from their left 1× Jonah 4:11
from your left 1× Ezekiel 39:3
he put his left 1× Genesis 48:14
in her left hand 1× Proverbs 3:16
in his left hand 1× Genesis 48:13
in the north 1× Job 23:9
in their left 1× Judges 7:20
its left 1× Zechariah 4:3
left hand 1× Genesis 48:13
north 1× Genesis 14:15
on the left side 1× Ezekiel 1:10
or left 1× Numbers 22:26
the north 1× 1 Kings 7:39
to the left 1× Ecclesiastes 10:2
with his left 1× Judges 3:21
you go to the left 1× Genesis 13:9
your left 1× 2 Samuel 2:21
your north 1× Ezekiel 16:46
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 13:9 הַשְּׂמֹ֣אל to you go to the left Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 14:15 מִשְּׂמֹ֖אל to north Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 24:49 שְׂמֹֽאל׃ to . . . Noun - masculine singular Genesis 48:13 מִשְּׂמֹ֣אל to left hand Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct Genesis 48:13 בִשְׂמֹאל֖וֹ to in his left hand Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Genesis 48:14 שְׂמֹאל֖וֹ to he put his left Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 14:22 וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃ to and on their left Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Exodus 14:29 וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם to and on their left Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Numbers 20:17 וּשְׂמֹ֔אול to or to the left Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 22:26 וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ to or left Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 13:9
Aligned rows 54
Books represented 22
Genesis 6 Exodus 2 Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 5 Joshua 3 Judges 3 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 3 1 Kings 3 2 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 6 Nehemiah 1 Job 1 Proverbs 2 Ecclesiastes 1 Song Of Solomon 2 Isaiah 2 Ezekiel 3 Daniel 1 Jonah 1 Zechariah 3
Source forms
וּשְׂמֹ֑אול 5x ū·śə·mō·wl Deuteronomy 17:20, Deuteronomy 28:14, Joshua 1:7, 1 Samuel 6:12
וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ 4x ū·śə·mō·wl Numbers 22:26, Deuteronomy 2:27, Joshua 23:6, 2 Chronicles 34:2
וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ 2x ū·miś·śə·mō·lōw 2 Samuel 16:6, 1 Kings 22:19
וּשְׂמֹֽאל׃ 2x ū·śə·mōl Deuteronomy 5:32, Deuteronomy 17:11
שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ 2x śə·mō·lōw Song Of Solomon 2:6, Song Of Solomon 8:3
בִּ֝שְׂמֹאולָ֗הּ 1x biś·mō·w·lāh Proverbs 3:16
בִשְׂמֹאל֖וֹ 1x ḇiś·mō·lōw Genesis 48:13
בִּשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ 1x biś·mō·lōw Judges 16:29
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 14x Numbers 20:17, Numbers 22:26, Deuteronomy 2:27, Deuteronomy 5:32
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 6x Genesis 14:15, Joshua 19:27, 1 Kings 7:49, 2 Chronicles 4:6
Noun - masculine singular 5x Genesis 24:49, 2 Kings 23:8, Job 23:9, Isaiah 9:20
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 4x Genesis 48:14, Judges 3:21, Song Of Solomon 2:6, Song Of Solomon 8:3
Article | Noun - masculine singular 3x Genesis 13:9, 2 Samuel 2:19, 1 Chronicles 6:44
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 3x 2 Samuel 16:6, 1 Kings 22:19, Nehemiah 8:4
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x 2 Chronicles 18:18, Daniel 12:7
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 2x Exodus 14:22, Exodus 14:29
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. properly, dark (as enveloped ), i.e. the north ; hence (by orientation), the left hand
Source Gloss
properly, dark (as enveloped ), i.e. the north ; hence (by orientation), the left hand
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
properly, dark (as enveloped), i.e. the north; hence (by orientation), the left hand BDB: the left Usage: left (hand, side).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
שְׂמֹאול is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain