צֵלָע41 H6763
Rib, side, side-chamber; of the human body, structural sides of objects, temple side-rooms, planks, and hillsides.
Tsela is one of those Hebrew nouns whose concrete physical image — a rib — radiates outward into a surprising range of architectural and topographical meanings. It begins with Adam's rib in Genesis 2:21-22, the bone God took to build a woman, and from there the word extends to the 'sides' of the ark, altar, and tabernacle, the 'side-chambers' lining Solomon's and Ezekiel's temples, the 'planks' of cedar forming temple walls, and even the 'slope' of a hill. The architectural senses dominate numerically: the tabernacle's sides in Exodus, the temple chambers in Kings, and especially Ezekiel 41's elaborate vision account for most occurrences. French côte ('rib') and côté ('side') beautifully preserve the same polysemy that Hebrew encodes in this single word.
6. hillside, slope — A hillside or slope — 1 occurrence at 2 Samuel 16:13, where Shimei goes along the hillside (tsela) opposite David, cursing and throwing stones. The geographical extension from 'side' to 'ridge/slope of a hill' is natural and paralleled by BDB's gloss 'rib of hill, i.e. ridge, or terrace.' Spanish ladera ('hillside') and German Hang ('slope') both select dedicated topographical terms, confirming this as a semantically distinct use from the architectural or anatomical senses. 1×
AR["عَلى ضِلعِ-"]·ben["-পাশে"]·DE["auf-Seite-von"]·EN["on-side-of"]·FR["sur-côté-de"]·heb["ב-צלע"]·HI["ढलान-पर"]·ID["di-lereng"]·IT["su-lato-di"]·jav["wonten-sisih"]·KO["그-산의"]·PT["no-lado-de"]·RU["по-склону"]·ES["por-ladera-de"]·SW["kando-ya-mlima"]·TR["yamacında"]·urd["ڈھلوان-پر"]
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
1. side, flank — The side or flank of a constructed object — the dominant sense at 19 occurrences. This covers the sides of the ark of the covenant (Exod 25:12-14), the sides of the altar (Exod 27:7), the lateral walls of the tabernacle (Exod 26:20, 26-27, 35; 36:25-32), and similar structural elements. The word functions as a spatial-directional term indicating the lateral aspect of sacred furniture and buildings. Spanish lado, French côté, and German Seite all converge on the basic 'side/flank' meaning, with no semantic tension — this is the word's most productive architectural sense. 19×
AR["جانِبَي","جانِبَيهِ","جانِبِ","جانِبِ-","جانِبِهِ","جوانِبِ","جَانِبَيْ","ضِلعَي","ضِلعَيهِ","وَ-لِ-جانِبِ","وَ-لِجانِبِ"]·ben["এবং-পার্শ্বের-জন্য","এবং-সেই-পার্শ্বের-জন্য","এর-পার্শ্ব-গুলি","পার্শ্ব","পার্শ্বগুলিতে","পার্শ্বগুলিতে-তার","পার্শ্বে","পার্শ্বে-তার","পার্শ্বের","পাশগুলো"]·DE["Seite-von","Seiten-von","sein-Seite","sein-Seiten","und-fuer-Seite-von"]·EN["and-for-side-of","its-side","its-sides","side-of","sides-of"]·FR["côté-de","côtés-de","et-pour-côté-de","son-côté","son-côtés"]·heb["ו-ל-צלע","צלע","צלע-","צלעו","צלעות","צלעותיו"]·HI["उसकी-पसलियों","उसकी-पसली","उसकी-बाजुओं","और-पक्ष-के-लिए","और-पसली-के-लिए","पक्ष","पक्ष-","पक्षों","पसलियों","पसली","बाजुओं"]·ID["Dan-untuk-sisi","sisi","sisi-","sisi-sisi","sisinya"]·IT["e-per-lato-di","lato-di","sides-di","suo-lato","suo-sides"]·jav["Lan-kanggé-sisi","Lan-kanggé-sisih","sisi","sisi-nipun","sisi-sisi","sisih-","sisih-sisih","sisih-sisihipun,","sisihipun"]·KO["그-두-번째의","그-한줁의","그것의-면들에","그것의-옆","그것의-옆들에","그리고-면을-위한","그리고-에-쪽","면","옆들에","쪽","쪽-"]·PT["E-para-lado-de","E-para-lado-de-","lado-de","lado-de-","lado-dela","lados-de","lados-dele","seu-lado","seus-lados"]·RU["И-для-стороны","и-для-стороны","сторонам","сторонах","сторонах-его","стороне","стороне-его","стороны","стороны-"]·ES["Y-para-lado-de","lado-de","lados-de","su-lado","sus-lados"]·SW["na-kwa-upande","pande","pande-za","pande-zake","upande","upande-wa-","upande-wake","za-upande","za-upande-","za-upande-wake"]·TR["Ve-için-tarafının","Ve-tarafı-için","tarafı","tarafının","yanlarının","yanının"]·urd["اور-طرف-کے-لیے","اور-پہلو-کے-لیے","اُس-کی-بغلوں","اُس-کے-پہلو","اُس-کے-پہلوؤں","طرف","پہلو","پہلو-","پہلوؤں"]
Exod 25:12, Exod 25:12, Exod 25:14, Exod 26:20, Exod 26:26, Exod 26:27, Exod 26:27, Exod 26:35, Exod 26:35, Exod 27:7, Exod 30:4, Exod 36:25 (+7 more)
2. side-chamber, side-room — Side-chambers or side-rooms of the temple — 14 occurrences, concentrated in the temple descriptions of 1 Kings 6 and especially Ezekiel 41. These are the small rooms built along the outer walls of the temple, stacked in three stories and enclosing the sanctuary 'like ribs' around a body (1 Kgs 6:5-8; Ezek 41:5-11, 26). Spanish cámaras laterales and German Seitenkammern both create compound terms to express what Hebrew encodes in a single word. The architectural metaphor of ribs surrounding a central body may well be the etymological bridge connecting this sense to the anatomical one. 14×
AR["أَضْلَاعًا","الـ-أَضْلَاعِ","الـ-غُرْفَةِ","الْغُرَفِ-الْجَانِبِيَّةِ","الْغُرْفَةِ-الْجَانِبِيَّةِ","غُرْفَةٌ","غُرْفَةٍ","لِلْغُرَفِ-الْجَانِبِيَّةِ","لِلْغُرْفَةِ-الْجَانِبِيَّةِ","وَالْغُرَفُ-الْجَانِبِيَّةُ","وَالْغُرَفِ-الْجَانِبِيَّةِ"]·ben["-পাশের-কক্ষগুলির","-পাশের-কক্ষগুলির-জন্য","-পাশের-কক্ষের","এবং-পাশের-কক্ষগুলি","কক্ষ","পাশের-কক্ষ","পাশের-কক্ষগুলির"]·DE["Seite","Seite-rooms","der-Seite-chamber","der-Seite-chambers","und-Seite"]·EN["and-side-chambers-of","and-the-side-chambers","for-the-side-chamber","for-the-side-chambers","side-chamber","side-chambers","side-rooms","the-side-chamber","the-side-chambers"]·FR["côté","côté-rooms","et-côté","le-côté-chamber","le-côté-chambers"]·heb["ה-צלע","ה-צלעות","ו-ה-צלעות","ו-צלעות","ל-צלע","ל-צלעות","צלע","צלעות"]·HI["और-बगल-कमरे","कोठरियाँ","कोठरियों","कोठरी-का","बगल-कमरा","बगल-कमरे","बगल-कमरे-के-लिए","बगल-कमरों","बगल-कमरों-के-लिए"]·ID["dan-kamar-kamar-samping","kamar-kamar-samping","kamar-samping","ruang-ruang-samping","ruang-samping","untuk-kamar-kamar-samping","untuk-kamar-samping"]·IT["[הצלע]","[הצלעות]","[והצלעות]","[וצלעות]","[לצלע]","[לצלעות]","[צלע]","[צלעות]","il-lato-camera","il-lato-camere","lato-stanze"]·jav["Lan-kamar-kamar-pinggir","dhateng-kamar-kamar-pinggir","dhateng-kamar-pinggir","kamar","kamar-kamar-pinggir","kamar-pinggir","kamar-sampingan","lan-kamar-kamar-pinggir"]·KO["곡방","곡방들의","그-곁방이","그-곡방-에게","그-곡방들-에게","그-곡방들의","그-곡방의","그-측방들의","그-측방의","그리고-곁방들의","그리고-그-곡방들은","측방들을"]·PT["E-as-câmaras-laterais","a-câmara-lateral","as-câmaras","câmara","câmaras-laterais","da-câmara-lateral","das-câmaras-laterais","e-câmaras-laterais","para-as-câmaras-laterais"]·RU["боковой-комнаты","боковых-комнат","для-боковой-комнаты","для-боковых-комнат","и-боковые-комнаты","комната","комнатах","комнате","комнаты"]·ES["Y-las-cámaras-laterales","cámara","cámaras-laterales","de-la-cámara-lateral","la-cámara","la-cámara-lateral","las-cámaras","las-cámaras-laterales","para-las-cámaras-laterales","y-cámaras-laterales-de"]·SW["Na-vyumba-vya-pembeni","chumba","chumba-cha-pembeni","kwa-chumba-cha-pembeni","kwa-vyumba-vya-pembeni","mbavu","na-vyumba-vya-pembeni-vya","vyumba-vya-pembeni","wa-chumba-cha-pembeni"]·TR["oda","ve-yan-odalar","ve-yan-odaları","yan-odalar","yan-odalara-doğru","yan-odaların","yan-odalarına","yan-odanın","yan-odaya"]·urd["اور-پہلو-کمرے","پسلیاں","پہلو-کمروں-کا","پہلو-کمروں-کی","پہلو-کمروں-کے-لیے","پہلو-کمرہ","پہلو-کمرے","کمروں-","کوٹھری کا-"]
3. plank, board, leaf of door — Planks, boards, or door-leaves — 4 occurrences in 1 Kings 6:15-16, 34, describing the cedar and cypress boards lining the interior walls and floor of Solomon's temple, and the two leaves of the olive-wood doors. BDB connects these to 'ribs of cedar and fir,' suggesting flat planks were perceived as rib-like in their long, thin shape. Spanish tablones ('planks') and French planches distinguish this clearly from the side/flank sense, treating the referent as worked timber rather than spatial orientation. 4×
AR["بِ-أَلْوَاحِ","مِصْرَاعَانِ"]·ben["তক্তায়","পাতা"]·DE["leaves-von","mit-planks-von"]·EN["leaves-of","with-planks-of"]·FR["avec-planks-de","leaves-de"]·heb["ב-צלעות","צלעים"]·HI["तख्तों-से","पटरे"]·ID["dengan-papan","papan-papan"]·IT["con-assi-di","leaves-di"]·jav["daun","mawi-papan"]·KO["판들이","판자들로"]·PT["com-tábuas-de","folhas-de"]·RU["досками","створки"]·ES["con-tablones-de","hojas-de"]·SW["kutoka-sakafu","kwa-mbao-za","na-mbao-mbili","za-mierezi"]·TR["levhalarıyla","parça"]·urd["سے-تختوں","پٹ"]
4. rib (body part) — A rib of the human body — only 2 occurrences, both in Genesis 2:21-22, where God takes one of Adam's ribs (or 'sides') and builds it into a woman. This is the word's most famous use and arguably its etymological core. Spanish costilla, French côte, and German Rippe all use dedicated anatomical 'rib' vocabulary. The ancient versions and modern scholarship have debated whether tsela here means a single rib bone or an entire 'side' of Adam's body — the Sumerian wordplay with ti ('rib' and 'life') adds another layer of resonance. 2×
AR["الضِّلْعَ","مِنْ-أَضْلَاعِهِ"]·ben["তার-পাঁজর-থেকে","পাঁজর"]·DE["die-Rippe","von-seinen-Rippen"]·EN["from-ribs-his","the-rib"]·FR["de-ribs-son","le-côte"]·heb["ה-צלע","מ-צלע-ו"]·HI["पसली","से-उसकी-पसलियों"]·ID["dari-tulang-rusuknya","tulang-rusuk"]·IT["da-ribs-suo","il-rib"]·jav["ing-iga","saking-igan-iganipun"]·KO["그-갈비뜻","에서-그의-갈비뜻들"]·PT["a-costela","das-costelas-dele"]·RU["-ребро","из-рёбер-его"]·ES["de-sus-costillas","la-costilla"]·SW["ubavu-","ubavu-wake"]·TR["-kaburgayı","kaburgalarından"]·urd["پسلی-کو","پسلیوں-میں-سے-اُس-کی"]
5. side of the body — The side of a person's body — 1 occurrence at Job 18:12, where calamity stands 'at his side' ready to strike. Some read this as 'stumbling' (from a different root), but the spatial 'at his flank' reading aligns with the word's architectural use and is supported by Spanish a su lado ('at his side'). This bridges the anatomical and spatial senses, applying the body's lateral surface as a proximity marker for impending disaster. 1×
AR["لِ-جَنْبِهِ"]·ben["-তার-পাশে"]·DE["[לצלעו]"]·EN["for-his-stumbling"]·FR["à-son-לצלעו-lui"]·heb["ל-צלעו"]·ID["di-sampingnya"]·IT["per-per-suo-stumbling-suo"]·jav["dhumateng-sisihipun"]·KO["그의-옆에"]·PT["a-seu-lado"]·RU["для-бока-его"]·ES["a-su-lado"]·SW["kwa-ubavu-wake"]·TR["yanında"]·urd["پہلو-اُس-کے-لیے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
צֵלָע41 n.f.(m. 1 K 6:34, and appar. Ex 26:26) rib, side;—abs. צ׳ Gn 2:22 +, cstr. צֶ֫לַע Ex 26:26 +, also צֵ֫לַע 2 S 16:13; sf. צַלְעוֹ Ex 25:12 +; pl. צְלָעִים 1 K 6:34, צְלָעוֹת v 3 +; cstr. צַלְעֹת Ez 41:26 +; sf. צַלְעֹתָיו Gn 2:21 +;— 1. rib of man Gn 2:21, 22 (J). 2. rib of hill, i.e. ridge, or terrace 2 S 16:13. 3. side-chambers or cells (enclosing temple like ribs) 1 K 6:5, 6 (read הַצּ׳…