Left Side

שְׂמֹאל, שְׂמֹאול (Baer Jos 1:7)54 n.[m.] the left (NH id.; Assyrian šumêlu; Arabic شِمَالٌ (also شَمَالٌ and شَأْمَلٌ, شَامَلٌ north wind); Old Aramaic שמאל, Palm. (sf.) סמלך; Syriac ܣܶܡܳܠܴܐ; √ dub., שאם + ל Nö M 128 HomA. u. A. i. (1892), 21 Köii. 1. 143, 405; (v. also Thes DietrWortforschung 234), cf. Arabic شأم be unlucky, شَأْمَةٌ left, شَأَم, شَام north; Sab. שאם north, unlucky DHMEpigr. Denkm. 29; Epigr. Denkm. Ar. Nos. 6. 7; other views in Sta§ 299 LagBN 116);—שְׂמֹאל abs. Gn 13:9 +, cstr. 48:13; 2 K 23:8; שְׂמֹאול abs. Nu 20:17 +; sf. שְׂמֹאלֶ֑ךָ 2 S 2:21, שְׂמֹאלוֹ Gn 48:13 +, etc.;—opp. יָמִין except Gn 14:15; Ju 19:27; 2 K 23:8;— 1. left, region on the left, Gn 13:9 (J); on the left is עַל־שׂ׳ 2 K 23:8; Ez 16:46; Zc 4:3, 11, עַל־הַשּׂ׳ 1 Ch 6:29 cf. 2 Ch 18:18, also מִשּׂ׳ (a sinistra) Ex 14:22, 29 (P), 2 S 16:6 + 7 times + מֵהַשּׂ׳ 2 Ch 3:17; Ez 1:10, לִשׂ׳; Ec 10:2, שׂ׳ alone Jb 23:9; toward the left is עַל־שׂ׳ Gn 24:49 (J), 2 S 2:21; Zc 12:6, עַל־הַשּׂ׳ 2 S 2:19, שׂ׳ alone 1 S 6:12; Is 9:20 + 13 times †2. יַד־שׂ׳ left hand, Ju 3:21; 7:20, so שׂ׳ alone Gn 48:13(×2), 14 (E), Ju 16:29; Ez 39:3; Jon 4:11; Pr 3:16; Dn 12:7; Ct 2:6; 8:3. †3. = north (on left of one facing east, cf. אָתוֹר d, יָמִין 4, קֶדֶם 1 b) Gn 14:15; Jos 19:27 (P); cf. Ez 16:46.

† I. מוּל, מוֹל (†Dt 1:1), מוֹאל (†Ne 12:38) subst. and prep. front, in front of (deriv. dub.; according to Ol § 223 c Sta§ 378 a, for מְאוֹל from אוּל to be in front: v. further Köii. 300 f. HptBAS i. 172):— 1. subst. only 1 K 7:5 (si vera l.: v. Sta ZAW 1883, 151) וּמוּל מֶחֱזָה אֶל־מֶחֱזָה and the front of (one) window was towards (the other) window, and Ne 12:38 לְמוֹאל = in the opposite direction (but read prob. לִשְׂמאוֹל, cf. לַיָּמִין v 31). 2. as prep., Dt 1:1; 2:19 מוּל בני עמון in front of the Ammonites, 3:29 (= 4:46; 34:6) מוּל בית פעור, 11:30 Jos 18:18; 19:46 מוּל יָפוֹ, 1 S 14:5(×2); fig. Ex 18:19 הֱיֵה אַתָּה לעם מול האלהים in front of God, i.e. representing God to them. With prefixes:— a. אל־מול towards the front of, 1 S 17:30 וַיִּסֹּב מֵאֶצְלוֹ אֶל־מוּל אַחֵר to the front of another; on the front of, Ex 34:3 (pregn.) וְאַל־יִרְעוּ אל־מול ההר, Jos 8:33(×2); 9:1; 22:11 (v. WAW JPh. xiii. 117 ff.); spec. אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי towards or on the forefront of, Ex 26:9 28:25 (‖ 39:18), v 37 Lv 8:9 Nu 8:2, 3 2 S 11:15 set ye Uriah אל־מול פני המלחמה. b. מִמּוּל:—(a) from the front of, Mi 2:8 (text dub.: read prob. מֵעַל). (b) of position, off (v. מן 1 c) the front of, Lv 5:8 מִמּוּל עָרְפּוֹ off the front of its neck, i.e. close in front of it, Nu 22:5 והוא יושׁב מִמֻּלִי close in front of me, 2 S 5:23 (1 Ch 14:14) ובאת להם ממול בכאים come to them off the front of the mulberry-trees, 1 K 7:39 (2 Ch 4:10) מִמּוּל נֶגֶב; מִמּוּל פָּנָיו on the forefront of, Ex 28:27 (‖ 39:20).

εὐώνυμ-ος, ον, (ὄνομα) __A of good name, honoured, Refs 8th c.BC+; εὐ. χάρις the honour of a good name, Refs; δίκη.. μὴ εὐ. not creditable, Refs 5th c.BC+ __A.2 expressed in well-chosen terms, λόγος Refs 2nd c.AD+ __A.II having an auspicious name or sound, ἀριστοκρατία Refs 5th c.BC+ __A.II.2 prosperous, fortunate, δίκα, πόδες, Refs 5th c.BC+ __A.II.3 epithet of Artemis, Ἀρχ. Ἐφ. Refs 4th c.BC+ __A.III euphemistic (like ἀριστερός) for left, on the left hand (because bad omens came from the left), ὠλένη εὐ. Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐξ εὐωνύμου (i.e. χειρός) Refs; κατὰ τὰ εὐ. NT+5th c.BC+; as military term, τὸ εὐ. κέρας Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ εὐ. (without κέρας) Refs 5th c.BC+ __A.III.2 euphemistic of bad omens, opposed to οἱ δεξιοὶ φύσιν, Refs 6th c.BC+ __A.III.3 Astron., southerly, Refs 2nd c.AD+

† שְׂמָאלִי adj. left, on the left;—שׂ׳ 1 K 7:21 +; f. שְׂמָאלִית Lv 14:15 +;—left (usually opp. יְמָנִי), pillar 1 K 7:21 = 2 Ch 3:17, side of temple 2 K 11:11 = 2 Ch 23:10, side of body Ez 4:4, palm Lv 14:15, 16, 26, 27 (P).

† [שִׂמְאֵל] vb. denom. Hiph. take the left (always opp. הֵימִין):—Impf. cohort. אַשְׂמְאִ֫ילָה Gn 13:9; 2 mpl. תַּשְׂמְאִ֫ילוּ Is 30:21; Imv. fs. הַשְׂמִילִי (Ges§ 23 f Köi. 276) Ez 21:21, cf. Inf. cstr. הַשְׂמִיל 2 S 14:19; Pt. מַשְׂמִאלִים 1 Ch 12:2;— 1. = go to the left Gn 13:9 (J), Ez 21:21. 2. fig. turn (aside) to the left (from true way) 2 S 14:19; Is 30:21. 3. use the left hand 1 Ch 12:2.

ἀριστερός [ᾰ], ά, όν, left, on the left, ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερά towards, i.e. on, the left, Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 ἀριστερά (with or without χείρ), ἡ, left hand, ἐξ ἀριστερῆς χειρός on the left hand, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐς ἀριστερὴν χεῖρα ἤιε, ἐν ἀριστερῇ ἔχειν, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 metaphorically, boding ill, ominous, because to a Greek, looking northward, unlucky signs came from the left, ἀ. ἤλυθεν ὄρνιςRefs 8th c.BC+ __4 awkward, erring, φρενόθεν ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερὰ ἔβας turnedst to the leftward of thy mind, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερὰ εἴληφας τὸ πρᾶγμα in a sinister sense, Refs 4th c.BC+; τῷ ἀριστερῷ δέχεσθαι [λόγους] Refs 1st c.AD+. (Prop. 'better', compare ἄριστο; euphemism (compare εὐώνυμος) to avoid ill-luck.)