H6738 H6738
Shadow, shade; protective covering or shelter; fleeting transience of human life
A richly layered Hebrew noun spanning the physical and metaphorical. In its most frequent use, tsel pictures God's sheltering presence -- the 'shadow of the Almighty' (Ps 91:1), the 'shadow of Your wings' (Ps 17:8) -- where shade from the scorching sun becomes a powerful image of divine refuge. Literally it denotes the shadow cast by trees, rocks, or a sundial (2 Kgs 20:9-11). Wisdom literature draws on a third nuance: life passes 'like a shadow' (1 Chr 29:15; Ps 144:4), capturing the brevity and insubstantiality of human days.
Senses
1. shadow/shade (protection, shelter) — The predominant biblical use: shadow as protective shelter or refuge. The psalmist cries out for safety 'in the shadow of Your wings' (Ps 17:8; 57:1), while Ezekiel and Hosea apply it to the sheltering shade of great trees representing kingdoms. Translations across Spanish (sombra de), German (Schatten), and French consistently render this with words for protective shade, confirming the metaphor's universality. 25×
AR["بِ-صِلُّو", "بِظِلِّ", "بِظِلِّهِ", "بِـ-ظِلِّ", "في-ظِلِّ", "في-ظِلِّهِ", "فِي-ظِلَّ", "فِي-ظِلِّ", "كَظِلِّ", "مِنْ-ظِلِّهِ", "وَ-بِ-ظِلِّ", "وَ-بِـ-ظِلِّ", "وَفِي-ظِلِّهِ"]·ben["-এবং-ছায়ায়", "-ছায়ায়", "-ছায়ায়-", "আর-তার-ছায়ায়", "ও-ছায়ায়", "ও-ছায়ায়-", "ছায়ায়", "ছায়ায়-", "তাঁর-ছায়ায়", "তার-ছায়া-থেকে", "তার-ছায়ায়", "সেই-ছায়ায়"]·DE["Schatten", "[בצל]", "[בצלו]", "in-Schatten-von", "in-den-Schatten", "in-der-Schatten-von", "und-Schatten", "und-in-der-Schatten-von", "und-in-der-Schatten-von-"]·EN["and-in-its-shadow", "and-in-shadow-of", "and-in-the-shadow-of", "and-in-the-shadow-of-", "by-the-shadow", "from-its-shadow", "in-his-shade", "in-his-shadow", "in-shadow-of", "in-the-shadow", "in-the-shadow-of"]·FR["[בצל]", "[בצלו]", "[ובצלו]", "[מצלו]", "dans-ombre", "dans-ombre-de", "et-dans-ombre", "ombre", "À-son-ombre", "à-l’ombre"]·heb["ב-צילו", "ב-צל", "ו-ב-צל", "ו-ב-צל-", "ו-ב-צלו", "מ-צלו"]·HI["उसकी-छांव-में", "उसकी-छाया-में", "और-छाया-में", "और-छाया-में-उसकी", "छय-मे", "छाया-में", "में-छाया", "में-छाया-", "से-छाया-उसकी"]·ID["Di-bawah-naungannya", "dalam-bayangan", "dalam-bayangan-", "dalam-naungan", "dalam-naungannya", "dan-dalam-naungan", "dan-di-naungan", "dan-di-naungannya", "dari-naungannya", "di-bawah-naungan", "di-naungan"]·IT["e-ombra", "in-ombra", "in-ombra-suo", "in-shadow-di", "ombra"]·jav["Ing-wayangan", "ing-aub-aubipun", "ing-ayang-ayang-ipun", "ing-eyangén", "ing-eyub", "ing-weling", "ing-wewayangan", "ing-wewayangan-", "ing-wewayanganing", "ing-éyub-éyubipun", "lan-ing-eyubipun", "lan-ing-wayangan", "saha-wonten-ing-wewayangan", "saking-eyubipun", "wonten-ing-ayang-ayangipun", "wonten-ing-eyub", "wonten-ing-eyubing"]·KO["-그늘-에", "그-그늘-에서", "그늘-속에-", "그늘-속에서", "그늘-아래-에", "그늘-에서", "그늘에", "그늘에서-", "그늘에서-그의", "그리고-그늘-속에-", "그리고-그늘-에서", "그리고-그늘에-그의", "그의-그늘에서", "에-그늘에", "에-그늘에-"]·PT["Na-sombra-de", "de-sombra-dele", "e-em-sombra-dele", "e-na-sombra", "e-na-sombra-de", "em-sombra-de", "na-sombra-de", "na-sombra-de-", "na-sombra-dele", "À-sua-sombra", "à-sombra-de", "à-sombra-do", "é-na-sombra-de"]·RU["В-тени", "в-тени", "в-тени-", "в-тени-его", "в-тень", "и-в-тени", "и-в-тени-", "и-в-тени-его", "из-тени-его", "тенью"]·ES["a-sombra-de", "bajo-su-sombra", "con-sombra-de", "de-su-sombra", "en-la-sombra-de", "en-sombra-de", "en-su-sombra", "y-en-sombra-de", "y-en-sombra-de-", "y-en-su-sombra"]·SW["Katika-kivuli-cha", "chini-ya-kivuli-chake", "giza", "kama-katika-kivuli-cha", "katika-kivuli", "katika-kivuli-", "katika-kivuli-cha", "katika-kivuli-chake", "kutoka-kivuli-chake", "kwa-kivuli", "na-katika-kivuli", "na-katika-kivuli-cha-", "na-katika-kivuli-chake"]·TR["-de-gölgesinde", "golgesinde", "golgesinde-", "golgesine-", "gölgesinde", "gölgesinde-", "gölgesinde-onun", "gölgesinden", "gölgesine", "kanatın", "ve-golgesinde-", "ve-gölgesinde", "ve-gölgesine-"]·urd["-سائے-میں", "اس-کے-ساے-میں", "اور-اُس-کے-سائے-میں", "اور-سائے-میں", "اُس-کے-سائے-سے", "اُس-کے-سایے-میں", "سائے-میں", "سایہ-میں", "سایے-سے", "سایے-میں", "میں-سایے", "وَ-بَ-سایہ", "وَ-بَ-سایہ-"]
2. shade, shadow (literal) — The concrete, physical sense: the dark patch cast when an object blocks sunlight. Notably important in the Hezekiah narrative (2 Kgs 20:9-11), where the shadow on the steps of Ahaz retreats ten steps as a divine sign. Also appears in Jotham's fable (Judg 9:36) and descriptions of tree canopy shade (Job 40:22). Multilingual glosses uniformly use literal 'shadow' equivalents here. 15×
AR["الظِّلَّ", "الظِّلُّ", "ظِلاًّ", "ظِلًّا", "ظِلٌّ", "ظِلَّ", "ظِلُّها", "ظِلُّهَا", "ظِلُّهُمْ", "ظِلّ", "فِي-الظِّلِّ", "لِلظِّلِّ", "لِلظِّلِّ-"]·ben["-ছায়ার-জন্য-", "এটির-ছায়া", "ছায়া", "ছায়াকে", "ছায়াতে", "ছায়ার-জন্য", "তাদের-ছায়া", "তার-ছায়া"]·DE["Schatten", "[בצל]", "[צל]", "[צלה]", "der-shadow", "fuer-der-shadow", "ihr-shadow", "mit-sein-shade", "shadow-von"]·EN["for-shade-", "for-the-shadow", "from-heat", "in-the-shade", "its-shade", "of-the-steps", "shade", "shadow", "shadow-of", "the-shadow", "their-shadow", "with-its-shade"]·FR["[בצל]", "[צל]", "le-shadow", "leur-shadow", "ombre", "pour-le-shadow", "shadow-de", "son-ombre", "à-ombre"]·heb["ב-צל", "ה-צל", "ל-צל", "ל-צל-", "צילה", "צל", "צלם"]·HI["इसकी-छाया-से", "उनकी-छाया", "छाया", "छाया-उसकी", "छाया-के-लिए-", "छाया-में", "ल-छाया-के-लिए", "ह-छाया"]·ID["bagi-bayangan-itu", "bayangan", "bayangan-itu", "bayangnya", "di-dalam-naungan,", "naungan", "naungannya", "perlindungan-mereka", "untuk-naungan-"]·IT["il-ombra", "loro-shadow", "ombra", "per-il-ombra", "shadow-di"]·jav["ayang-ayang", "eyub", "eyubipun", "ing-", "ing-eyub", "kangge-eyub-eyub-", "kanggé-wewayangan", "pangayoman-ipun", "sedasa", "undak-undakan", "wewayangan", "wewayangan-ipun"]·KO["그것의-그늘이", "그늘-그것의-이", "그늘-로", "그늘-이", "그늘을", "그늘이요", "그들의-그늘이", "그림자-", "그림자가", "그림자를", "그림자이다", "에서-그늘"]·PT["a-sombra", "na-sombra", "para-a-sombra", "para-sombra-de", "sombra", "sombra-de", "sombra-dela", "sombra-deles", "sua-sombra"]·RU["в-тени", "для-тени-", "тени", "тень", "тень-его", "тень-её", "тень-их", "тенью"]·ES["en-la-sombra", "la-sombra", "para-la-sombra", "para-sombra-de", "sombra", "sombra,", "sombra-de", "sombra-de-ella", "su-sombra"]·SW["kivuli", "kivuli-chake", "kivuli-chao", "kivulini", "kwa-kivuli", "vivuli-vya"]·TR["-gölge-için", "golge", "golge-icin-", "golgesini", "gölge", "gölge-", "gölgede-o", "gölgesi", "gölgesini", "gölgeyi-"]·urd["اُس-کا-سایہ", "اُن-کی-سایہ", "سایہ", "سایے", "سایے-میں", "ساے-کے-لیے", "چھاؤں-اُس-کی", "کے-لیے-سایے"]
Num 14:9, Judg 9:36, 2 Kgs 20:9, 2 Kgs 20:10, 2 Kgs 20:10, 2 Kgs 20:11, Job 7:2, Job 8:9, Ps 80:10, Isa 4:6, Isa 25:4, Isa 38:8 (+3 more)
3. shadow (transience, ephemerality) — Shadow as a figure of ephemerality and human frailty. Always appearing in similes -- 'like a shadow' (ke-tsel) -- this sense pervades wisdom and lament poetry: days decline like a shadow (Ps 102:11), a person flees like a shadow (Job 14:2), and earthly wealth proves as insubstantial as shade that vanishes (1 Chr 29:15). German wie-ein-Schatten and Spanish como-sombra capture this simile structure faithfully. 9×
AR["كَ-الظِّلِّ", "كَ-الظِّلِّ-", "كَ-ظِلّ", "كَالظِّلِّ", "كَـ-ظِلٍّ", "كَـ-ظِلِّ", "وَيَعْمَلُهَا"]·ben["ছায়ার-মতো", "মতো-ছায়া", "সেই-ছায়ার-মতো"]·DE["Schatten", "[כצל]", "wie-ein-Schatten"]·EN["like-a-shadow", "like-shadow", "like-the-shadow", "of-a-great"]·FR["[כצל]", "comme-ombre", "ombre"]·heb["כ-ה-צל ׀", "כ-צל"]·HI["छाया-की-तरह", "जैसा-छाया", "जैसे-छाया"]·ID["seperti-bayangan", "seperti-naungan"]·IT["[כצל]", "come-il-ombra", "ombra"]·jav["Kados-wewayangan-", "kados-ayang-ayang", "kados-wayangan", "kados-wewayangan"]·KO["같이-그늘", "그림자-같고", "그림자-같다", "그림자-같으니라", "그림자-같이", "그림자-처럼", "처럼-그림자"]·PT["Como-sombra", "como-sombra", "como-sombra-de"]·RU["Как-тень-", "как-тень", "как-тень,", "как-тень-", "как-тень?"]·ES["Como-sombra", "como-sombra", "como-sombra-de", "como-sombra?"]·SW["kama-kivuli"]·TR["golge-gibi", "gölge-gibi", "gölge-gibi-"]·urd["سائے-کی-طرح", "سایہ-کی-طرح", "سایے-کی-طرح", "مثل-سایہ", "کی-طرح-سایے"]
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×)H4325 1. water, waters (582×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† צֵל n.m. ψ 144:4 shadow;—צ׳ abs. 2 K 20:9 +, cstr. Gn 19:8 +; sf. צִלְּךָ ψ 121:5, צִלּוֹ Ez 31:6 +, also צִלְלוֹ Jb 40:22, etc.; pl. צְלָלִים Ct 2:17; 4:6; cstr. צִלְלֵי Je 6:4;— 1. shadow on dial 2 K 20:9, 10(×2), 11 ‖ Is 38:8; צִלְלֵי־עָ֑רֶב Je 6:4, cf. Ct 2:17; 4:6; of mt. Ju 9:36. 2. shadow, shade, as protection (from sun): of branches, Ju 9:15 (in allegory), Ho 4:13; Jb 40:22; Jon 4:5, 6…