What does שָׁפָל (šāpāl) mean in the Bible?
שָׁפָל (šāpāl): Low in position or status; used of both literal lowness and social/spiritual humiliation or abasement
Hebrew · H8217
שָׁפָל
Depressed , literally or figuratively
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שָׁפָל H8217
Pronunciation šāpāl
What does שָׁפָל (šāpāl) mean in the Bible?
שָׁפָל (šāpāl): Low in position or status; used of both literal lowness and social/spiritual humiliation or abasement
Full entry for שָׁפָל (H8217) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8217?
The BSB source-word alignment has 17 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and humble (2), beneath (2), the lowly (2), to be beneath (2), a lowly (1).
Where does שָׁפָל (šāpāl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 13:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (6), Leviticus (4), Isaiah (2), 2 Samuel (1).
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 and humble 2× 2 Samuel 6:22, Isaiah 57:15
beneath 2× Leviticus 13:21, Leviticus 13:26
the lowly 2× Job 5:11, Ezekiel 21:26
to be beneath 2× Leviticus 13:20, Leviticus 14:37
a lowly 1× Ezekiel 29:14
and humiliated 1× Malachi 2:9
and make the low 1× Ezekiel 17:24
brought low 1× Ezekiel 17:14
but a humble 1× Proverbs 29:23
low 1× Ezekiel 17:6
of the lowly 1× Isaiah 57:15
the lowliest 1× Ezekiel 29:15
to the lowly 1× Psalms 138:6
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 13:20 שָׁפָ֣ל to to be beneath Adjective - masculine singular Leviticus 13:21 וּשְׁפָלָ֥ה to beneath Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular Leviticus 13:26 וּשְׁפָלָ֥ה to beneath Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular Leviticus 14:37 שָׁפָ֖ל to to be beneath Adjective - masculine singular 2 Samuel 6:22 שָׁפָ֖ל to and humble Adjective - masculine singular Job 5:11 שְׁפָלִ֣ים to the lowly Adjective - masculine plural Psalms 138:6 וְשָׁפָ֣ל to to the lowly Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular Proverbs 29:23 וּשְׁפַל־ to but a humble Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular construct Isaiah 57:15 וּשְׁפַל־ to and humble Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular construct Isaiah 57:15 שְׁפָלִ֔ים to of the lowly Adjective - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 13:20
Aligned rows 17
Books represented 8
Leviticus 4 2 Samuel 1 Job 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 2 Ezekiel 6 Malachi 1
Source forms
וּשְׁפַל־ 2x ū·šə·p̄al- Proverbs 29:23, Isaiah 57:15
וּשְׁפָלָ֥ה 2x ū·šə·p̄ā·lāh Leviticus 13:21, Leviticus 13:26
שָׁפָ֖ל 2x šā·p̄āl Leviticus 14:37, 2 Samuel 6:22
שְׁפָלָ֔ה 2x šə·p̄ā·lāh Ezekiel 17:14, Ezekiel 29:15
הַשָּׁפָ֣לָה 1x haš·šā·p̄ā·lāh Ezekiel 21:26
וְשָׁפָ֣ל 1x wə·šā·p̄āl Psalms 138:6
וּשְׁפָלִ֖ים 1x ū·šə·p̄ā·lîm Malachi 2:9
שָׁפָ֣ל 1x šā·p̄āl Leviticus 13:20
Parsing patterns
Adjective - masculine singular 4x Leviticus 13:20, Leviticus 14:37, 2 Samuel 6:22, Ezekiel 17:24
Adjective - feminine singular 3x Ezekiel 17:14, Ezekiel 29:14, Ezekiel 29:15
Adjective - masculine plural 2x Job 5:11, Isaiah 57:15
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular 2x Leviticus 13:21, Leviticus 13:26
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular construct 2x Proverbs 29:23, Isaiah 57:15
Adjective - feminine singular construct 1x Ezekiel 17:6
Article | Adjective - masculine singular 1x Ezekiel 21:26
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural 1x Malachi 2:9
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Low in position or status; used of both literal lowness and social/spiritual humiliation or abasement
Strong's H8217
Lexical occurrences 19 verses Word forms 1 form 11 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 16:19 Source Gloss
depressed , literally or figuratively
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Low in position or status; used of both literal lowness and social/spiritual humiliation or abasement
depressed, literally or figuratively BDB: low Usage: base(-st), humble, low(-er, -ly).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 11
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 1×
Infinitive construct Prov 16:19 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Spiritual humility of spirit preferred over material pride and spoil
Lowliness of spirit that precedes honor, contrasted with pride leading to shame
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 19 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׁפָל 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