H0681 H0681
A substantive preposition meaning 'beside, near, next to'; with min-prefix, 'from beside, away from the proximity of.'
The Hebrew אֵצֶל is one of the most precise spatial terms in the Old Testament, indicating close physical proximity -- standing beside, being next to. It governs nearly every kind of scene: cattle standing beside cattle at the Nile (Gen 41:3), the Ark placed beside Dagon (1 Sam 5:2), and Wisdom beside the Creator (Prov 8:30). When prefixed with מִן, the sense shifts from static proximity to separative motion -- departing from beside someone. Spanish 'junto a' and German 'neben' consistently reflect its meaning across translations.
Senses
1. beside, near (proximity) — Static spatial proximity: 'beside, near, next to' someone or something, with or without pronominal suffixes. Across 55 occurrences, this covers scenes of positioning and location. Spanish 'junto a,' French 'à côté de,' and German 'neben' all converge on this locative sense. Key passages include Potiphar's wife describing Joseph as being beside her (Gen 39:15-18), the visionary wheels beside the living creatures (Ezek 1:15), and Wisdom beside God as a master craftsman (Prov 8:30). 55×
AR["بِ-جانِبِ","بِجَانِبِ","بِـ-جَانِبِ","عِنْدَ"]·ben["কাছে","পাশে","সার্তানের"]·DE["ist-neben","neben"]·EN["beside","is-beside"]·FR["est-à-côté-de","à-côté","à-côté-de"]·heb["אֵצֶל","אצל"]·HI["निकट","पअस","पास"]·ID["dekat","dengan","di-samping"]·IT["accanto","accanto-a","è-accanto-a"]·jav["cedàking","celak","ing-celak","ing-sandhinging","ing-sandhingipun","sacaket","sisih","wonten-ing-sandhingipun","wonten-sandhingipun"]·KO["겱에","곁-에","곁에","곡에","옆에"]·PT["ao-lado-de","junto-a","junto-a-","perto-de"]·RU["возле","рядом","рядом-с","рядом-с-","у"]·ES["junto-a"]·SW["ambalo","kando-ya","karibu-na"]·TR["yanına","yanında"]·urd["قریب","پاس","پاس-میں"]
Gen 39:10, Gen 39:15, Gen 39:16, Gen 39:18, Gen 41:3, Lev 1:16, Lev 6:10, Lev 10:12, Deut 11:30, Deut 16:21, Judg 19:14, 1 Sam 5:2 (+38 more)
2. from beside (separative) — Separative motion away from a proximate location, formed with the prefixed preposition מִן (yielding מֵאֵצֶל). This covers 6 occurrences where the emphasis is on departure or removal from beside someone. Translations render this with compound phrases: English 'from beside,' Spanish 'de junto a,' German 'von neben.' David rising from beside the stone (1 Sam 20:41) and the glory departing from beside the cherubim (Ezek 10:16) illustrate this directional extension. 6×
AR["بِجَانِبِ","مِنْ-جَانِبِ","مِنْ-جَانِبِهِمْ","مِنْ-جَانِبِي","مِنْ-عِنْدِهِ"]·ben["ও-দেখলাম","তাদের-পাশ-থেকে","তার-কাছ-থেকে","থেকে-পাশে","পাশ-থেকে"]·DE["neben","von-neben","von-neben-ihn","von-neben-mich"]·EN["from-beside","from-beside-him","from-beside-me","from-beside-them"]·FR["[מאצל]","[מאצלם]","de-à-côté-de","de-à-côté-de-lui","de-à-côté-de-moi"]·heb["מ-אצל","מ-אצל-ו","מ-אצל-י","מ-אצלו","מ-אצלם"]·HI["उनके-पास-से","उसके-पास-से","उस्के-पअस-से","पअस-से","मेरे-पास-से","से-पास"]·ID["dari-samping","dari-samping-mereka","dari-sampingnya","dari-sisiku","dari-sisinya"]·IT["accanto-a","da-accanto-a","da-accanto-a-lui","da-accanto-a-me"]·jav["cedhak-ing","saking-cedàking-piyambakipun","saking-celak-ipun","saking-celak-kula","saking-sandhingipun","saking-sisih"]·KO["곁에서","그-곁에서","그들의-곁에서","그에게서-","내-곡에서","옆-에서"]·PT["de-junto","de-junto-de","de-junto-de-mim","de-junto-dele","de-junto-deles"]·RU["от-меня","от-него","от-них","от-рядом-с-","рядом-с"]·ES["de-junto-a","de-junto-a-ellos","de-junto-a-mí","de-junto-a-él","desde-junto-a"]·SW["karibu-na","kutoka-kando-ya","kutoka-kando-yao","kutoka-kwake","na-mjakazi-wako"]·TR["yanlarından","yanımdan","yanında","yanından"]·urd["اُس-کے-پاس-سے","اُن-کے-پاس-سے","پاس-سے","پاس-میرے-سے","کے-پاس-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. אֵ֫צֶל61 subst. conjunction, proximity; with sf. אֶצְלִי, אֶצְלוֹ etc.; only used as a prep. a. (as an implicit accus.) in proximity to (as though وِصْلَ LagBN 68), beside: Gn 39:10, 15; 41:3 and stood אֵצֶל הַפָּרוֹת beside the kine, 1 S 5:2 אֵצֶל דָּגוֹן beside Dagon, 20:19 1 K 13:24, 25; 21:1 Pr 8:30 Ez 1:15, 19; 33:30; 39:15; often in phrase (מ׳ י׳) אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ Lv 1:16; 6:3 Dt 16:21…