What does צֵל (ṣēl) mean in the Bible?
צֵל (ṣēl): Protective shadow—literal shade and figurative refuge, expressing divine safeguarding in psalmic covenantal language
Hebrew · H6738
צֵל
Shade , whether literal or figurative
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צֵל H6738
Pronunciation ṣēl
What does צֵל (ṣēl) mean in the Bible?
צֵל (ṣēl): Protective shadow—literal shade and figurative refuge, expressing divine safeguarding in psalmic covenantal language
Full entry for צֵל (H6738) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6738?
The BSB source-word alignment has 49 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include in the shadow (6), shade (4), shadow (4), in its shade (3), in his shade (2).
Where does צֵל (ṣēl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 19:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (11), Psalms (10), 2 Kings (4), Ecclesiastes (4).
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 in the shadow 6× Psalms 17:8, Psalms 36:7, Psalms 57:1, Psalms 63:7
shade 4× Job 7:2, Isaiah 30:2, Isaiah 30:3, Jonah 4:6
shadow 4× Psalms 109:23, Psalms 144:4, Isaiah 38:8, Jeremiah 48:45
in its shade 3× Ezekiel 31:6, Ezekiel 31:17, Jonah 4:5
in his shade 2× Song Of Solomon 2:3, Hosea 14:7
like a shadow 2× Ecclesiastes 6:12, Ecclesiastes 8:13
- 1× Ecclesiastes 7:12
[is] a shelter 1× Ecclesiastes 7:12
[is] the shade 1× Psalms 121:5
[Would you like] the shadow 1× 2 Kings 20:9
a shade 1× Isaiah 25:4
are but a shadow 1× Job 8:9
are like a shadow 1× 1 Chronicles 29:15
As the shade 1× Isaiah 25:5
by its shade 1× Psalms 80:10
for it 1× 2 Kings 20:10
for the shadow 1× 2 Kings 20:10
her brood under her shadow 1× Isaiah 34:15
in my shade 1× Judges 9:15
in the shade 1× Ezekiel 17:23
is but a shadow 1× Job 17:7
its shade 1× Ezekiel 31:12
like a fleeting shadow 1× Job 14:2
like the shadow 1× Isaiah 32:2
shadows 1× Psalms 102:11
the shadow 1× 2 Kings 20:11
The shadows 1× Judges 9:36
Their protection 1× Numbers 14:9
their shade 1× Hosea 4:13
to [give] shade 1× Isaiah 4:6
Under his shadow 1× Lamentations 4:20
under the protection 1× Genesis 19:8
with shade 1× Isaiah 16:3
with the shadow 1× Isaiah 51:16
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 19:8 בְּצֵ֥ל to under the protection Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Numbers 14:9 צִלָּ֧ם to Their protection Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Judges 9:15 בְצִלִּ֑י to in my shade Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Judges 9:36 צֵ֧ל to The shadows Noun - masculine singular construct 2 Kings 20:9 הַצֵּל֙ to [Would you like] the shadow Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Kings 20:10 לַצֵּ֔ל to for the shadow Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Kings 20:10 הַצֵּ֛ל to for it Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Kings 20:11 הַצֵּ֗ל to the shadow Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Chronicles 29:15 כַּצֵּ֧ל׀ to are like a shadow Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular Job 7:2 צֵ֑ל to shade Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 19:8
Aligned rows 49
Books represented 15
Genesis 1 Numbers 1 Judges 2 2 Kings 4 1 Chronicles 1 Job 4 Psalms 10 Ecclesiastes 4 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 1 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 4 Hosea 2 Jonah 2
Source forms
בְּצֵ֥ל 9x bə·ṣêl Genesis 19:8, Psalms 17:8, Psalms 36:7, Psalms 91:1
בְּצֵ֣ל 2x bə·ṣêl Ecclesiastes 7:12, Isaiah 25:5
כְּצֵ֣ל 2x kə·ṣêl Psalms 102:11, Psalms 144:4
כַּצֵּ֑ל 2x kaṣ·ṣêl Ecclesiastes 6:12, Ecclesiastes 8:13
צֵ֣ל 2x ṣêl Isaiah 25:4, Isaiah 38:8
צִלָּ֑הּ 2x ṣil·lāh Psalms 80:10, Hosea 4:13
בַּצֵּ֔ל 1x baṣ·ṣêl Jonah 4:5
בְּצֵל־ 1x bə·ṣêl- Isaiah 30:3
Parsing patterns
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 10x Genesis 19:8, Psalms 17:8, Psalms 36:7, Psalms 91:1
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 5x 1 Chronicles 29:15, Job 14:2, Job 17:7, Ecclesiastes 6:12
Noun - masculine singular 4x Job 7:2, Job 8:9, Isaiah 25:4, Jonah 4:6
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 4x Song Of Solomon 2:3, Lamentations 4:20, Ezekiel 31:17, Hosea 14:7
Article | Noun - masculine singular 3x 2 Kings 20:9, 2 Kings 20:10, 2 Kings 20:11
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 3x Psalms 57:1, Psalms 63:7, Isaiah 51:16
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular 3x Psalms 102:11, Psalms 109:23, Psalms 144:4
Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Judges 9:36, Isaiah 38:8
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Protective shadow—literal shade and figurative refuge, expressing divine safeguarding in psalmic covenantal language
Source Gloss
shade , whether literal or figurative
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Protective shadow—literal shade and figurative refuge, expressing divine safeguarding in psalmic covenantal language
shade, whether literal or figurative BDB: shadow Usage: defence, shade(-ow).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
צֵל is built from this root:
צָלַל H6751
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