אָצַל
𐤀𐤑𐤋
ʼâtsal
H680 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To separate out, set apart, or withdraw (someone or something) from a group or whole, often for a special purpose, including the sense of reserving or appointing distinctively. In certain contexts, it can mean to withhold or keep back, or to limit in extent or involvement.
Semantic Range
to separate out, appoint, set aside, reserve, withdraw, withhold, keep back, limit participation
Root / Etymology
From the root אָצַל (ʾāṣal), possibly related to the noun אֵצֶל (ʾēṣel, 'side' or 'proximity'). The verb likely developed from the core idea of 'being at the side,' extending to 'separating off to the side' or 'setting apart.' The lexical meaning developed from the physical idea of placing aside, to the more abstract selection or reservation of persons or things.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb אָצַל is relatively rare in the Hebrew Bible, appearing mainly with the nuance of God's selection or reservation of individuals for special status (e.g., the seventy elders, Numbers 11:17, 25). In narrative and legal texts, the act of separating or reserving is often divine or authoritative, denoting a special authorization rather than mere physical separation. The verb does not primarily mean 'to refuse' or 'to contract' in modern terms; those senses likely derive from the related idea of limiting or withholding. Translations sometimes use 'to take' or 'to keep', but these may obscure the core nuance of separating or designating for a particular role. The root is distinct from other verbs for 'choosing' or 'setting apart' (e.g., בָּחַר); it emphasizes the act of separating from a group rather than merely selecting.
Translation Consistency
The primary sense of אָצַל is to separate out or reserve someone/something for a special purpose (appoint, set aside, withdraw/withhold). The phrasal verb “set apart” naturally and idiomatically captures that center meaning in English and can cover the related senses of reserving, withdrawing, or limiting participation while remaining consistent and readable across contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to join; used only as a denominative from אֵצֶל; to separate; hence, to select, refuse, contract; keep, reserve, straiten, take.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
אצל (Atsel) — to reserve, to set apart, to separate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H678 | אָצִיל | set-apart ones of |
| H679 | אַצִּיל | projecting forearm |
| H681 | אֵצֶל | alongside |
| H682 | אָצֵל | Atsel (Set-Apart One/Place) |
| H683 | אֲצַלְיָהוּ | Yahweh-has-reserved |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H680-01 |
אָצַ֥לְתָּ | atsaleta | HVqp2ms |
reserved | you set apart | you reserved | 1 |
H680-02 |
אָצַ֖לְתִּי | atsaleti | HVqp1cs |
I set apart | I withheld | 1 | |
H680-03 |
נֶאֱצַ֗ל | neetsal | HVNp3ms |
was set back | was set apart | was set apart | 1 |
H680-04 |
וַ/יָּ֗אצֶל | vayatsel | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he took | and he set apart | and he set apart | 1 |
H680-05 |
וְ/אָצַלְתִּ֗י | veatsaleti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and-I-will-take | and I will set apart | and I will set apart | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H680-01 |
Genesis 27:36 | אָצַ֥לְתָּ | atsaleta | HVqp2ms |
reserved | you set apart | you reserved |
H680-05 |
Numbers 11:17 | וְ/אָצַלְתִּ֗י | veatsaleti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and-I-will-take | and I will set apart | and I will set apart |
H680-04 |
Numbers 11:25 | וַ/יָּ֗אצֶל | vayatsel | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he took | and he set apart | and he set apart |
H680-03 |
Ezekiel 42:6 | נֶאֱצַ֗ל | neetsal | HVNp3ms |
was set back | was set apart | was set apart |
H680-02 |
Ecclesiastes 2:10 | אָצַ֖לְתִּי | atsaleti | HVqp1cs |
I set apart | I withheld |