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אֵצֶל

𐤀𐤑𐤋

ʼêtsel

H681 preposition

SILEX Entry

Root אצל to set aside, to join closely, to reserve

Definition

A location or position beside, alongside, or by the side of something or someone; used in both literal and figurative contexts to indicate proximity or adjacency. As a preposition, it communicates nearness, presence at or by an object, person, or place, sometimes with connotations of affiliation, togetherness, or association.

Semantic Range

by, beside, next to, at the side of, near, at, toward, in the presence of, alongside, with (esp. in close proximity or association)

Root / Etymology

Root אצל, core meaning: to reserve, set aside, or possibly join closely. The noun אֵצֶל is derived from this root, though its primary lexical usage is as a preposition denoting proximity; etymology points toward a concept of being 'at the side of' or 'in close association with.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The preposition אֵצֶל appears throughout the Hebrew Bible to designate nearness or adjacency, often in narrative, legal, or genealogical settings. It is used spatially, e.g., describing someone standing beside another or an object located next to another object. Figuratively, it can denote social or legal association ('together with,' 'among'), but unlike עִם ('with'), it emphasizes position rather than relationship. The sense captured by later English translations (by, beside, near, at) broadly covers its range, but can sometimes obscure the distinction between mere proximity (אֵצֶל) and more intimate or participatory involvement (עִם). In post-biblical Hebrew, אֵצֶל comes to mean 'with' even more closely, but in the Bible it nearly always retains its sense of locational nearness. The phrase בֵּית הָאֵצֶל ('the house beside,' Micah 1:11) illustrates the toponymic use. Its usage does not clearly distinguish between Israelite or later periods, as its function is primarily grammatical and spatial rather than tied to specific evolving socio-religious contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָצַל (in the sense of joining); a side; (as a preposition) near; at, (hard) by, (from) (beside), near (unto), toward, with. See also בֵּית הָאֵצֶל.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אצל (ʾ-ṣ-l) — set aside, join closely, reserve, be at the side

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H678 אָצִיל set-apart ones of
H679 אַצִּיל projecting forearm
H680 אָצַל you set apart
H682 אָצֵל Atsel (Set-Apart One/Place)
H683 אֲצַלְיָהוּ Yahweh-has-reserved

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H681-01 אֵ֥צֶל etsel HR beside alongside 39
H681-05 אֶצְל֖/וֹ etselo HR/Sp3ms beside him at his side 5
H681-04 אֶצְלִ֔/י etseli HR/Sp1cs beside me at my side 4
H681-03 אֶצְלָ֑/ם etselam HR/Sp3mp beside them alongside them 3
H681-02 אֶצְלָ֖/הּ etselah HR/Sp3fs by her at her side 3
H681-06 מֵ/אֵ֣צֶל meetsel HR/R by from beside 2
H681-09 מֵֽ/אֶצְל/וֹ֙ meetselo HR/R/Sp3ms from him from beside him 2
H681-08 מֵֽ/אֶצְלִ֗/י meetseli HR/R/Sp1cs from beside me from beside me 1
H681-10 וְ/אֵ֖צֶל veetsel HC/R and at and beside 1
H681-07 מֵ/אֶצְלָֽ/ם meetselam HR/R/Sp3mp from-beside-them from beside them 1

Occurrences in Scripture

61 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H681-02 Genesis 39:10 אֶצְלָ֖/הּ etselah HR/Sp3fs beside her at her side
H681-04 Genesis 39:15 אֶצְלִ֔/י etseli HR/Sp1cs beside me at my side
H681-02 Genesis 39:16 אֶצְלָ֑/הּ etselah HR/Sp3fs by her at her side
H681-04 Genesis 39:18 אֶצְלִ֖/י etseli HR/Sp1cs beside me at my side
H681-01 Genesis 41:3 אֵ֥צֶל etsel HR beside alongside
H681-01 Leviticus 1:16 אֵ֤צֶל etsel HR beside alongside
H681-01 Leviticus 6:3 אֵ֖צֶל etsel HR beside alongside
H681-01 Leviticus 10:12 אֵ֣צֶל etsel HR beside alongside
H681-01 Deuteronomy 11:30 אֵ֖צֶל etsel HR beside alongside
H681-01 Deuteronomy 16:21 אֵ֗צֶל etsel HR beside alongside
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