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צֵלֶל

𐤑𐤋𐤋

tsêlel

H6752 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צלל to darken, to overshadow, to shade

Definition

A shadow or shade, referring to a dark silhouette or area produced by something blocking light; most often denotes literal shadow (as cast by objects, people, or clouds), but can also metaphorically represent protection, transience, or insubstantiality.

Semantic Range

shadow (literal), shade (literal), metaphor for protection, metaphor for transience or insubstantiality, shelter

Root / Etymology

From the root צָלַל meaning 'to be dark' or 'to shade, overshadow.' The noun form צֵלֶל is a concrete derivation referring to the result of shading—namely, a shadow or shaded area.

Historical & Contextual Notes

צֵלֶל appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible (notably in Genesis 19:8 and Ecclesiastes 6:12) and is closely related to the more common צֵל (tsel). In most cases, it refers concretely to literal shade or shadow, but in Ecclesiastes, as with other metaphorical uses of 'shadow' (including צֵל), it symbolizes the fleeting and insubstantial nature of human life or experience. The nuance can be either neutral or negative, depending on context. In poetic and wisdom literature, shadow imagery often invokes impermanence or lack of substance, a usage echoed in later literature. English translations render it as either 'shade' or 'shadow,' sometimes missing its capacity to convey both shelter and ephemerality. The word is distinct from related terms like מַסָּךְ (cover, screen) and often appears in contexts of protection (literal shade from heat) or ephemerality (life as a shadow). Usage does not notably shift across periods, but metaphorical resonance becomes more pronounced in exilic and later writings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from צָלַל; shade; shadow.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צלל (ṣ-l-l) — to darken, to overshadow, to shade

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1212 בְּצַלְאֵל In-the-Shadow-of-God
H4698 מְצִלָּה tinkling-bells of
H4699 מְצֻלָּה in the deep abyss
H4700 מְצֵלֶת with the ringing cymbal-pair
H6738 צֵל in the shade

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6752-01 הַ/צְּלָלִ֑ים hatselalim HTd/Ncmpa the shadows the shadows 2
H6752-02 צִֽלֲל֑/וֹ tsilalo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his shadow his shadow 1
H6752-03 צִלְלֵי tsileley HNcmpc shadows of shadows of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6752-03 Jeremiah 6:4 צִלְלֵי tsileley HNcmpc shadows of shadows of
H6752-02 Job 40:22 צִֽלֲל֑/וֹ tsilalo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his shadow his shadow
H6752-01 Song of Songs 2:17 הַ/צְּלָלִ֑ים hatselalim HTd/Ncmpa the shadows the shadows
H6752-01 Song of Songs 4:6 הַ/צְּלָלִ֑ים hatselalim HTd/Ncmpa the shadows the shadows
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