שְׂמֹאל, H8040
The left side or left hand; occasionally denoting the north (when facing east)
Cognate with Arabic shimal (which means both 'left' and 'north wind'), this Hebrew noun designates the left side, left direction, or left hand. It appears frequently in formulaic pairs with 'right' (yamin), especially in instructions not to turn aside 'to the right or to the left' (Josh 1:7). When ancient Israelites oriented themselves facing east, the left hand corresponded to north, a geographic usage preserved at Job 23:9. The Spanish 'izquierda' and German 'Linke' consistently track its directional meaning across translations.
Senses
1. left side, direction — The primary spatial sense covering 46 of 54 occurrences, indicating the left side or leftward direction. It regularly appears in merismus with yamin ('right') in phrases like 'to the right or to the left' (Gen 13:9; Num 20:17; 2 Sam 2:19). Prepositional constructions with min, 'al, and le specify location or movement relative to the left side of landmarks, armies, or persons. 46×
AR["الشِّمَالَ", "الشِّمَالِ", "الْيَسَارِ", "عَنِ-الشِّمَالِ", "وَ-شِمالاً", "وَ-شِمَالًا", "وَشِمَالًا", "وَلَا-شِمَالًا"]·ben["-বামে", "অথবা-বামে", "এবং-বামে", "ও-বামে", "বা-বামে", "বামে", "বামের"]·DE["Linke", "Linken", "[שמאול]", "der-linke", "links", "nach-links", "oder-linke", "oder-links", "und-Linke", "und-links"]·EN["all", "and-left", "left", "on-the-left", "or-left", "or-to-the-left", "the-left"]·FR["[ושמאול]", "[משמאול]", "[שמאול]", "et-gauche", "gauche", "le-gauche", "ou-gauche"]·heb["ה-שמאול", "ה-שמאל", "ו-שמאול", "ו-שמאל", "מ-שמאול", "שמאל"]·HI["ऊ-बाएँ", "और-बाएँ", "और-बाएँ।", "और-बाएं", "बय", "बाईं", "बाएं", "या-बाईं", "या-बाएँ", "या-बाएं", "से-बाएँ"]·ID["atau-ke-kiri", "dan-ke-kiri", "dan-kiri", "di-sebelah-kiri", "ke-kiri", "kiri"]·IT["[שמאול]", "e-sinistra", "il-sinistra", "o-sinistra", "sinistra"]·jav["kiwa", "lan-kiwa", "utawi-kiwa", "wareg", "wonten-ing-kiwa"]·KO["그-왼쪽", "그리고-왼쪽", "그리고-왼쪽-으로", "그리고-왼쪽으로", "또는-왼쪽으로", "에서-왼쪽", "왼쪽", "왼쪽이면", "왼편에서"]·PT["a-esquerda", "e-esquerda", "esquerda", "ou-esquerda", "ou-à-esquerda", "à-esquerda"]·RU["-налево", "и-влево", "и-налево", "лево", "ни-налево,", "слева"]·ES["a-la-izquierda", "e-izquierda", "izquierda", "la-izquierda", "ni-a-la-izquierda", "ni-izquierda", "o-izquierda"]·SW["au-kushoto", "kushoto", "upande-wa-kushoto", "wala-kushoto", "wּshmowl"]·TR["-sol", "sol", "sola", "soldan", "ve-sola", "veya-sola", "ya-da-sola"]·urd["اور-بائیں", "بائیں", "بائیں-طرف", "یا-بائیں"]
Gen 13:9, Gen 14:15, Gen 24:49, Gen 48:13, Exod 14:22, Exod 14:29, Num 20:17, Num 22:26, Deut 2:27, Deut 5:32, Deut 17:11, Deut 17:20 (+34 more)
2. left hand — Specifically identifies the left hand as a body part, often with possessive suffixes. Jacob's left hand is placed on Manasseh's head in the crossed-hands blessing (Gen 48:13-14). Samson grasps a pillar with his left hand (Judg 16:29), and Lady Wisdom holds riches in her left hand (Prov 3:16). The French 'sa gauche' and Spanish 'su izquierda' consistently mark the possessive-bodily usage. 7×
AR["بِ-شِمَالِهِ", "بِشِمَالِهِ", "سْمُولُو", "شِمَالَهُ", "شِمَالُهُ", "فِي-شِمَالِهَا", "وَ-شِمَالَهُ"]·ben["ও-তার-বাম-হাত", "তাঁর-বাম-হাত", "তাঁর-বামে", "তার-বাম", "তার-বাম-হাতে", "তার-বামে"]·DE["Linke", "in-seiner-Linken", "mit-sein-links", "seine-Linke", "und-links"]·EN["and-his-left-hand", "his-left-hand", "in-her-left-hand", "in-left-his", "left-his", "with-his-left"]·FR["Sa-gauche", "avec-son-gauche", "dans-gauche-son", "dans-sa-gauche-elle", "et-gauche", "gauche-son"]·heb["ב-שמאולה", "ב-שמאלו", "ב-שמאלו-ו", "ו-שמאלו", "שמאלו", "שמאלו-ו"]·HI["अपने-बाएँ-से", "उसका-बायाँ", "और-बायाँ-हाथ", "बाईं-उसकी", "बाएँ-अपने", "बाएँ-उसके-में", "बाएँ-में-अपने"]·ID["Tangan-kirinya", "dan-tangan-kirinya", "dengan-tangan-kirinya", "di-tangan-kirinya", "tangan-kirinya"]·IT["[ושמאלו]", "con-suo-sinistra", "in-sinistra-sua", "in-sinistra-suo", "sinistra-suo"]·jav["Astanipun-kiwa", "ing-kiwa", "ing-tangan-kiwa", "kiwa-nipun", "lan-asta-kiwa-nipun", "wonten-kiwa-nipun"]·KO["그-왼손-이", "그녀-의-왼손-에", "그리고-그의-왼손을", "그의-왼손에", "그의-왼손을"]·PT["Sua-mão-esquerda", "e-sua-esquerda", "em-sua-esquerda", "sua-esquerda"]·RU["Левая-рука-его", "в-левой-руке-её -", "в-левую-руку-свою", "и-левую-руку-свою", "левой-рукой-своей", "левую-руку-свою"]·ES["Su-izquierda", "con-su-izquierda", "e-izquierda-su", "en-su-izquierda", "su-izquierda"]·SW["katika-mkono-wake-wa-kushoto", "kushoto-kwake", "kwa-mkono-wake-wa-kushoto", "mkono-wake-wa-kushoto", "na-mkono-wake-wa-kushoto"]·TR["-de-solunda", "sol-eli", "sol-elinde-onun", "soluna", "solunu", "ve-solunu"]·urd["اس-کا-بایاں-ہاتھ", "اور-اپنا-بایاں-ہاتھ", "اپنے-بائیں-میں", "بائیں-اپنے", "بائیں-اپنے-میں", "بائیں-ہاتھ-میں-اُس-کے"]
3. sense 3 — A rare geographic extension where 'left' denotes the north, following the ancient Near Eastern convention of orienting oneself by facing east. Job 23:9 says God works 'on the left' (i.e., in the north) but Job cannot perceive Him. The English gloss 'north' and Spanish 'al norte' confirm this directional mapping. 1×
AR["شَمَالًا"]·ben["বামে"]·DE["Linke"]·EN["north"]·FR["gauche"]·heb["שמאל"]·HI["उत्तर-को"]·ID["ke-utara"]·IT["sinistra"]·jav["kiwa"]·KO["왼쪽으로"]·PT["À-esquerda"]·RU["на-север"]·ES["Al-norte"]·SW["Kaskazini"]·TR["kuzeyde"]·urd["بائیں-طرف"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
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.…