H7926 H7926
Shoulder, the body part used for bearing burdens; also the city Shechem and figuratively a stubborn turning away.
Shekhem is the shoulder -- the strong, load-bearing ridge of the upper body where bundles rest and yokes sit. Scripture's earliest uses show it literally: Rebekah lowers her water jar from her shoulder (Gen 24:15, 45), the Israelites carry dough on their shoulders at the Exodus (Exod 12:34), and Issachar is pictured as a donkey bending his shoulder to the load (Gen 49:15). The city of Shechem likely takes its name from the saddle-like 'shoulder' of the ridge between Gerizim and Ebal (Gen 48:22). In prophetic idiom, 'turning the shoulder' becomes a metaphor for stubborn refusal to listen -- an image of someone literally turning their back on the speaker (Neh 9:29; Zech 7:11).
Senses
1. shoulder (body part) — The physical shoulder used for carrying loads, bearing yokes, or supporting burdens. Genesis 21:14 pictures Abraham placing bread and a skin of water on Hagar's shoulder; Genesis 9:23 has Shem and Japheth laying a garment on their shoulders. Isaiah 10:27 and 14:25 use the shoulder figuratively for the burden of oppression. Spanish 'hombro,' French 'epaule,' and German 'Schulter' all map this sense directly. The dual or construct forms appear throughout narrative and poetry. Key passages: Genesis 24:15, 49:15; Exodus 12:34; Psalm 81:6. 19×
AR["أَكْتَافِهِمْ","كَتِفًا","كَتِفَهُ","كَتِفَيْ","كَتِفِكَ","كَتِفِهَا","كَتِفِهِ","كَتِفِي","مِنْ-كَتِفِهِ"]·ben["-তার-কাঁধের","আমার-কাঁধে","কাঁধ","কাঁধে","কাঁধে-তার","তাঁর-কাঁধ-থেকে","তাঁর-কাঁধকে","তাঁর-কাঁধে","তাদের-কাঁধ","তাদের-কাঁধে","তার-কাঁধ","তার-কাঁধে","তার-কাঁধের","তোমার-কাঁধ"]·DE["Schulter","[שכם]","[שכמי]","die-Schulter","ihr-shoulders","ihre-Schulter","ihrer-Schulter","sein-Schulter","sein-shoulder","seine-Schulter","von-sein-Schulter"]·EN["from-his-shoulder","her-shoulder","his-shoulder","my-shoulder","shoulder-his","shoulder-of","their-shoulders","with-shoulder","your-shoulder"]·FR["de-son-épaule","leur-épaules","mon-שכמי-moi","sa-épaule","son-shoulder","son-épaule","épaule","épaule-de","épaule-son"]·heb["מ-שכמו","מִ-שִּׁכְמוֹ","שִׁכְמוֹ","שיכמי","שכם","שכם-ה","שכם-ו","שכמו","שכמך","שכמם"]·HI["अपना-कंधा","अपने-कंधे","अपने-कंधे-से","उसका-कंधा","उसके-कंधे","उसके-कंधे-की","उसके-कंधे-पर","कंधा","कंधा-अपना","कंधे-अपने","कनधे","तेरे-कंधे","से-कंधे-अपने"]·ID["bahu","bahu-mereka","bahuku","bahumu","bahunya","dari-bahunya"]·IT["[שכם]","che-come","da-suo-spalla","loro-shoulders","mio-spalla-mio","shoulder-di","shoulder-suo","spalla","suo-shoulder","suo-spalla"]·jav["pamidhang-nipun","pamidhangan","pamikulipun","pundhak","pundhak-ipun","pundhak-kula","pundhak-nipun","pundhak-panjenengan","pundhakipun","saking-pundhakipun"]·KO["그-어깨","그녀의-어깨","그들의-어깨","그의-어깨","그의-어깨-에서","그의-어깨를","그의-어깨의","나의-어깨","네-어깨","어깨","어깨-그의"]·PT["de-ombro-dele","meu-ombro","ombro","ombro-de","ombro-dele","ombro-seu","ombro-teu","ombros-deles","seu-ombro"]·RU["от-плеча-его","плеча-его","плеча-твоего","плечах-их","плече-его","плече-её","плече-моём","плечо","плечо-его","плечо-её","плечо-своё","плечом","плечом-своим"]·ES["desde-su-hombro","hombro","hombro-de","hombro-de-el","mi-hombro","su-hombro","sus-hombros","tu-hombro"]·SW["bega","bega-lake","bega-lako","bega-langu","bega-lao","kamba-yake","kutoka-mabega-yake","mabega-ya","mabega-yao","na-mtoto","ya-bega-lake"]·TR["-omzundan","omuz","omuzlarının","omuzundan","omuzunun","omzumun","omzuna","omzunu","omzunun"]·urd["اُس-کا-کندھا","اُس-کے-کندھے","اُس-کے-کندھے-کی","اپنا-کندھا","اپنے کندھے پر","اپنے-کندھوں-سے","اپنے-کندھے-پر","تیرے-کندھے","کندھا","کندھوں-اپنے","کندھے","کندھے-اُس-کے","کندھے-اپنے","کندھے-سے"]
Gen 9:23, Gen 21:14, Gen 24:15, Gen 24:45, Gen 49:15, Exod 12:34, Josh 4:5, Judg 9:48, 1 Sam 9:2, 1 Sam 10:9, 1 Sam 10:23, Job 31:36 (+7 more)
2. Shechem (place name) — The proper noun Shechem, the ancient city in the hill country of Ephraim between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Genesis 48:22 records Jacob giving Joseph 'one shekhem above your brothers,' a wordplay linking the city name to its topographical 'shoulder' or 'ridge.' Multilingual glosses preserve the name: Spanish 'Shejem,' French 'Sichem,' German 'Schechem.' 1×
AR["شَكَمَ"]·ben["শিখেম"]·DE["Schechem"]·EN["Shechem"]·FR["Sichem"]·heb["שכם"]·HI["शेकेम"]·ID["Sikhem"]·IT["Sichem"]·jav["Sikhem"]·KO["세걜을"]·PT["Shekhem"]·RU["Шехем"]·ES["Shejem"]·SW["Shekemu"]·TR["Şekem'i"]·urd["شکم"]
3. back turned in stubbornness — A figurative extension where 'turning the shoulder' means presenting one's back in stubbornness or rebellion. Psalm 21:12 speaks of making enemies 'turn shoulder' -- that is, flee in retreat. Nehemiah 9:29 and Zechariah 7:11 use the idiom for Israel's refusal to heed the prophets: they gave a 'stubborn shoulder' and would not listen. English 'turn their back' and German 'wenden ihr zuruck' capture the embodied metaphor of deliberate, defiant withdrawal. 1×
AR["ظَهْرًا"]·ben["কাঁধ"]·DE["wenden-ihr-zurück"]·EN["turn-their-back"]·FR["Sichem"]·heb["שכם"]·HI["पीठ"]·IT["Sichem"]·jav["pundhak"]·KO["등-을"]·PT["dar-as-costas"]·RU["спиною"]·ES["hombro"]·SW["wakimbie"]·TR["ense"]·urd["کندھا"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. שְׁכֶם n.m.Zp 3:9 shoulder;—abs. שׁ׳ Gn 48:22 +, שְׁכֶ֑ם 33:19 +, שֶׁ֑כֶם ψ 21:13 (whence orig. *šakm inferred Ol§ 147 a ad fin. Sta§ 199 a; but—ֶ der. from—ִ before ב, BaNB 104 Köii. 1, 67, 506); cstr. שְׁכֶם Gn 9:23; sf. שִׁכְמוֹ 49:15 +, שִׁכְמָה (for שִׁכְמָהּ Ges§ 91 e) Jb 31:22, etc.;— 1. shoulder (sometimes incl. back of neck; כתף = shoulder-blade): a. as bearing burdens, וַיֵּט שׁ׳…