שָׁפָל H8217
Low in position (physically); low in status or esteem (socially); humble or lowly in spirit (morally positive).
The adjective shaphal traces a semantic arc from the ground to the soul. At its most concrete, it describes things that are physically low — a vine spreading close to the earth (Ezek 17:6), a skin lesion recessed below the surrounding skin (Lev 13:20-26), or the sound of grinding growing faint (Eccl 12:4). From there it rises into social description: a kingdom kept deliberately 'low' so it cannot rebel (Ezek 17:14; 29:14-15), a king humiliated 'in his own eyes' (2 Sam 6:22). But its theological climax comes in Isaiah 57:15, where God declares he dwells 'with the lowly and contrite of spirit' — shaphal transformed from physical depression into spiritual virtue. Spanish humilde, French humble, and German demuetig all shift registers in this final sense, marking the transition from spatial lowness to spiritual humility that makes shaphal one of the Bible's most instructive adjectives.
3. humble in spirit — Humble, meek, or lowly in spirit — a positive moral and spiritual quality describing one who does not exalt himself but walks in dependence on God. Six occurrences culminate in one of Scripture's most beloved declarations: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit' (Isa 57:15). Proverbs commends the shaphal ruach ('lowly of spirit') as better than dividing spoil with the proud (Prov 16:19), and Psalm 138:6 affirms that the LORD 'regards the lowly.' Spanish humilde de espiritu, French humble d'esprit, and Korean 겸손한 all deploy dedicated humility vocabulary, confirming the ethical-spiritual transformation of a spatial root. 6×
AR["المُتَواضِعينَ","الْمُتَوَاضِعِينَ","مُتَواضِعُ-","وَ-مُتَواضِعُ-","وَ-مُتَوَاضِعِ-","وَالمُتَوَاضِعَ"]·ben["-এবং-নম্র","এবং-নম্রকে","কিন্তু-নম্র-","নম্র","নম্রদের"]·DE["[ושפל]","[שפל]","[שפלים]","und-der-lowly"]·EN["and-lowly-of-","and-the-lowly","but-lowly-of","lowly-of","lowly-ones","the-lowly"]·FR["[ושפל]","[שפלים]","et-humble","et-ושפל","שפל","שפלים"]·heb["ו-שפל","ו-שפל-","שפל־","שפלים"]·HI["और-दीन-को","और-नम्र-","और-नीचे","नीचा","नीचों","नीचोंकी"]·ID["dan-rendah","dan-yang-rendah","orang-orang-rendah","orang-orang-rendah-hati","rendah","tetapi-yang-rendah"]·IT["[ושפל]","basso","e-basso","e-ma-lowly-di","il-lowly","lowly-di"]·jav["andhap","ingkang-andhap","lan-andhap-","nanging-tiyang-andhap"]·KO["그러나-겸손한","그리고-낮은-","그리고-낮은-자-를","낮은-","낮은-자들을","낮은-자들의"]·PT["e-humilde-de-","humilde-de-","humildes","porém-o-humilde"]·RU["а-смиренного","а-смиренный-","и-смиренным-","низких","смиренный-","смиренных"]·ES["a-los-humildes","humilde-de","los-humildes","y-al-humilde","y-humilde-de-"]·SW["kuwa-mnyenyekevu","lakini-mnyenyekevu-wa","mnyenyekevu","na-mnyenyekevu","wanyonge","ya-wanyenyekevu"]·TR["alcaklarin","alçak-","alçakları","fakat-alçak-","ve-alcak-","ve-alçak-olanı"]·urd["اور-فروتن","اور-پست","اور-پست-کو","عاجز","نیچوں-کو","پستوں-کی"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
1. physically low in position — Physically low in position — describing something spatially close to the ground, recessed below a surrounding surface, or diminished in height. Seven occurrences include the levitical skin-disease diagnosis where a lesion appears 'lower than the skin' (Lev 13:20, 21, 26; 14:37), the low-growing vine of Ezekiel 17:6, and the fading sound of grinding in old age (Eccl 12:4). Spanish bajo and French bas use basic spatial vocabulary here. The medical precision of the Leviticus usage — repeatedly checking whether the affliction is 'deeper than the skin' — shows shaphal functioning as a clinical-spatial term. 7×
AR["أَسْفَلُ","الْوَاطِئَةَ","بِ-شْفَل","مُنْخَفِضَةِ","وَ-أَسْفَلُ"]·ben["এবং-নিচু","নিচু","নিম্ন","নীচু","নীচু-হলে"]·DE["[בשפל]","[שפל]","[שפלת]","niedrig","und-niedrig"]·EN["and-low","low","low-of","when-is-low"]·FR["bas","dans-בשפל","et-bas","humble"]·heb["ב-שפל","ו-שפלה","שפל","שפלת"]·HI["धीमी-होने-पर","नीची","नीचे","सफेद"]·ID["dan-lebih-rendah","ketika-rendah","lebih-rendah","pendek","rendah"]·IT["basso","e-basso","in-quando-è-basso"]·jav["asor","cendhek","lan-langkung-endhap","langkung-endhap","nalika-suda"]·KO["그리고-낮지","낮다","낮으면","낮은","낮은-","낮음-에서"]·PT["ao-baixar","baixa","baixa-de-","e-baixa"]·RU["глубже","и-ниже","когда-утихнет","ниже","низкое","низкой-"]·ES["baja-de","bajo","cuando-baje","más-baja","y-más-baja"]·SW["chini","mfupi","na-chini","yanaposhuka"]·TR["alçak","icinde-alcalik","ve-alçak"]·urd["اور-نیچی","دھیمی-ہونے-پر","نیچی","نیچے-کو"]
2. low in status or esteem — Low in social status, rank, or esteem — describing a person, kingdom, or entity that is base, brought low, or kept in a subordinate position. Six occurrences include Ezekiel's prophecy that Egypt shall be 'the lowliest of kingdoms' (Ezek 29:14-15), the kingdom kept 'low' to prevent rebellion (Ezek 17:14), Ezekiel's reversal oracle where the low is exalted and the high brought low (Ezek 21:26), David declaring he will be even more 'lowly in his own eyes' (2 Sam 6:22), and the contemptible priests of Malachi 2:9. Spanish bajo/humilde and French humble/bas mark social degradation. 6×
AR["الْوَضِيعَ","حَقِيرًا","وَضِيعَةً","وَمُتَضِعِينَ"]·ben["এবং-নীচ","নিচু","নিচুকে","নীচু","নীচু।"]·DE["[השפלה]","[ושפלים]","[שפלה]","lowly"]·EN["and-lowly","lowly","the-low"]·FR["et-humble","humble","lowly"]·heb["ה-שפלה","ו-שפלים","שפל","שפלה"]·HI["और-नीच","नीचा","नीचे"]·ID["dan-rendah","rendah","rendah,","yang-rendah","yang-rendah."]·IT["basso","e-basso","il-basso","lowly"]·jav["andhap","andhap.","asor","ingkang-andhap","lan-andhap"]·KO["그-낮은-자를","그리고-낮은","낮은","비천한-자"]·PT["baixo","e-baixos","humilde","o-humilde"]·RU["возвысь","и-низкими","низким","самым-низким"]·ES["Al-bajo","bajo","humilde","y-humillados"]·SW["aliye-chini","duni","mdogo","na-wa-chini","ndogo"]·TR["alçak","alçak-olanı","ve-alçaklar"]·urd["اور-پست","نیچے-کو","پست"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
שָׁפָל adj. low;—abs. שׁ׳ 2 S 6:22 +, cstr. שְׁפַל ψ 29:23 +; fs. שְׁפָלָה Ez 17:14 +, cstr. שִׁפְלַת v 6; pl. שְׁפָלִים Jb 5:11;— 1. low, in height, of vine Ez 17:6, tree v 24 (opp. גָּבֹהַּ); שׁ׳ מִן־הָעוֹר Lv 13:20 lower (deeper) than the skin (around it), so v 21, 26, cf. 14:37. 2. of a modest, unambitious kingdom Ez 17:14; 29:14, 15; low in station Jb 5:11 (opp. שָֽׂגְבוּ), Ez 21:31 (Ges§ 90…