What does שֶׁקֶל (šeqel) mean in the Bible?
שֶׁקֶל (šeqel): A weight-based unit that functioned as the standard for commerce and covenant obligation payments in ancient Israel.
Hebrew · H8255
שֶׁקֶל
Probably a weight ; used as a commercial standard
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שֶׁקֶל H8255
Pronunciation šeqel
What does שֶׁקֶל (šeqel) mean in the Bible?
שֶׁקֶל (šeqel): A weight-based unit that functioned as the standard for commerce and covenant obligation payments in ancient Israel.
Full entry for שֶׁקֶל (H8255) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8255?
The BSB source-word alignment has 88 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include shekels (47), shekel (28), [sold] for a shekel (2), The shekel (2), will sell for a shekel (2).
Where does שֶׁקֶל (šeqel) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 23:15. Its strongest book concentrations include Numbers (33), Exodus (14), Leviticus (14), 2 Kings (7).
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 shekels 47× Genesis 23:15, Genesis 23:16, Exodus 21:32, Exodus 38:24
shekel 28× Exodus 30:13, Exodus 30:15, Exodus 30:24, Exodus 38:24
[sold] for a shekel 2× 2 Kings 7:16
The shekel 2× Ezekiel 45:12, Amos 8:5
will sell for a shekel 2× 2 Kings 7:1, 2 Kings 7:18
. . . 1× Numbers 3:47
[which weighs] 1× Exodus 30:13
[will sell] for a shekel 1× 2 Kings 7:1
a shekel 1× Exodus 38:26
for a shekel 1× 2 Kings 7:18
of a shekel 1× Nehemiah 10:32
to the shekel 1× Leviticus 27:25
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 23:15 שֶֽׁקֶל־ to shekels Noun - masculine singular construct Genesis 23:16 שֶׁ֣קֶל to shekels Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 21:32 שְׁקָלִ֗ים to shekels Noun - masculine plural Exodus 30:13 הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל to shekel Article | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 30:13 בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל to shekel Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 30:13 הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל to [which weighs] Article | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 30:13 הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל to shekel Article | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 30:15 הַשָּׁ֑קֶל to shekel Article | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 30:24 בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל to shekel Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 38:24 שֶׁ֖קֶל to shekels Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 23:15
Aligned rows 88
Books represented 14
Genesis 2 Exodus 14 Leviticus 14 Numbers 33 Joshua 2 1 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 2 2 Kings 7 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 1 Nehemiah 2 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 5 Amos 1
Source forms
בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל 18x bə·še·qel Exodus 30:13, Exodus 30:24, Exodus 38:26, Leviticus 27:25
שֶׁ֖קֶל 15x še·qel Exodus 38:24, Exodus 38:25, Numbers 7:13, Numbers 7:19
שְׁקָלִ֖ים 8x šə·qā·lîm Leviticus 27:6, Numbers 3:47, Numbers 18:16, 1 Samuel 17:5
בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל 5x bə·še·qel Exodus 38:24, Exodus 38:25, Leviticus 27:3, Numbers 3:50
בְּשֶׁ֗קֶל 3x bə·še·qel 2 Kings 7:1, 2 Kings 7:16, 2 Kings 7:18
הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל 3x haš·še·qel Exodus 30:13, Exodus 38:26, Nehemiah 10:32
בְּשֶׁ֖קֶל 2x bə·še·qel 2 Kings 7:1, 2 Kings 7:16
הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל 2x haš·še·qel Exodus 30:13
Parsing patterns
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 25x Exodus 30:13, Exodus 30:24, Exodus 38:24, Exodus 38:25
Noun - masculine singular 22x Exodus 38:24, Exodus 38:25, Exodus 38:29, Leviticus 27:3
Noun - masculine plural 20x Exodus 21:32, Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 27:5, Leviticus 27:6
Article | Noun - masculine singular 8x Exodus 30:13, Exodus 30:15, Exodus 38:26, Leviticus 27:25
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 6x 2 Kings 7:1, 2 Kings 7:16, 2 Kings 7:18
Noun - masculine singular construct 4x Genesis 23:15, Genesis 23:16, Leviticus 27:16, 1 Samuel 9:8
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Ezekiel 45:12
Noun - masculine plural construct 1x 1 Chronicles 21:25
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. A weight-based unit that functioned as the standard for commerce and covenant obligation payments in ancient Israel.
Source Gloss
probably a weight ; used as a commercial standard
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
A weight-based unit that functioned as the standard for commerce and covenant obligation payments in ancient Israel.
probably a weight; used as a commercial standard BDB: a weight Usage: shekel.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
שֶׁקֶל 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