שְׂמֹאול

semovl · left, north

Hebrew word · Strong’s number H8040 · appears 54 times in the Bible

What is the Strong number?

Strong’s number identifies this word: use it to find the same word in other study tools.

What it means

semovl (שְׂמֹאול) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “left, north”.

Left, left hand. Facing the east, the left is the north.

How to say it

se·movl

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

The side of the hand that is not the right.
The direction opposite the south, facing where the sun rises.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Left: the left side or hand. Since Hebrew orients itself facing the east, the left is also the north. Of the same family is שְׂמָאלִי, ‘left’ (adjective).

“Do not turn aside to the right or to the left” Deuteronomy 5:32 Joshua 1:7 2 Kings 22:2
On the right and on the left: on both sides Exodus 14:22 2 Samuel 16:6 Nehemiah 8:4
The left hand Genesis 48:14 Judges 3:21 Song of Songs 2:6
The north Genesis 14:15 Job 23:9

Historical and cultural background

Ehud kills Eglon with his left hand (Judges 3:21). Jacob crosses his hands and puts “his left hand on the head of Manasseh”, the firstborn (Genesis 48:14).

How we translate it

“Left” 52 times. In two places the word indicates the cardinal point and is rendered “north”: Hobah, “which is north of Damascus” (Genesis 14:15), and Job 23:9, where it goes with the south and a note recalls that the Hebrew says ‘left’.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

left ×52
north ×2

Related words

Words that come from it

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

Genesis 13:9
Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; and if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”
Genesis 14:15
He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
Genesis 24:49
So now, if you are going to show loyal love and faithfulness to my lord, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left.”
Genesis 48:13
Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them near to him.
Genesis 48:14
But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
Exodus 14:22
The sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.
Exodus 14:29
But the sons of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.
Numbers 20:17
Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, and we will not drink water from a well. We will go along the way of the king; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
Numbers 22:26
And the angel of YHWH went ahead again and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left.
Deuteronomy 2:27
“Let me pass through your land. By the road, by the road I will go; I will not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Deuteronomy 5:32
Be careful to do as YHWH your Elohim has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Deuteronomy 17:11
According to the instruction that they instruct you and according to the judgment that they tell you, you shall act; you shall not turn aside from the word that they announce to you, to the right or the left.
Deuteronomy 17:20
so that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and so that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, in order that he may prolong his days over his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel.
Deuteronomy 28:14
and do not turn aside from any of the words that I am commanding you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Joshua 1:7
Only be strong and very firm, being careful to do according to all the instruction that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, so that you may act wisely wherever you go.
Joshua 19:27
and it turned back toward the sunrise to Beth-dagon, and touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el to the north, Beth-emek and Neiel, and went out to Cabul on the left,
Joshua 23:6
And be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the instruction of Moses, not turning aside from it to the right or to the left,
Judges 3:21
Ehud reached out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
Judges 7:20
The three companies blew the horns and broke the jars; they held in their left hand the torches, and in their right hand the horns to blow, and they called out, “A sword for YHWH and for Gideon!”
Judges 16:29
And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he braced himself against them, one with his right hand and one with his left.
1 Samuel 6:12
And the cows went straight on the road, on the road to Beth-shemesh; along one highway they went, going and lowing, and they did not turn aside to the right or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines were walking after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.
2 Samuel 2:19
Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to go to the right or to the left from following Abner.
2 Samuel 2:21
Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left, and seize for yourself one of the young men and take for yourself what he is wearing.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.
2 Samuel 16:6
He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right and on his left.
1 Kings 7:39
And he put the bases, five on the side of the house on the right, and five on the side of the house on its left; and the Sea he put on the right side of the house, toward the east, facing south.
1 Kings 7:49
and the lampstands, five on the right and five on the left, before the inner sanctuary, of fine gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the snuffers, of gold;
1 Kings 22:19
He said, “Therefore hear the word of YHWH: I saw YHWH sitting on his throne, and all the army of the heavens standing beside him, on his right and on his left.
2 Kings 22:2
He did what was right in the eyes of YHWH and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
2 Kings 23:8
He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and made unclean the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he tore down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the chief of the city, which were on a man’s left at the gate of the city.
1 Chronicles 6:44
And the sons of Merari, their brothers, on the left: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
2 Chronicles 3:17
He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and one on the left; and he called the name of the right one Jachin, and the name of the left one Boaz.
2 Chronicles 4:6
He made ten basins, and put them, five on the right and five on the left, to wash in them; the things for the work of the burnt offering they rinsed in them; and the Sea was for the priests to wash in it.
2 Chronicles 4:7
He made the ten lampstands of gold according to their rule, and put them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left.
2 Chronicles 4:8
He made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left; and he made a hundred bowls of gold.
2 Chronicles 18:18
He said, “Therefore hear the word of YHWH: I saw YHWH sitting on his throne, and all the army of the heavens standing on his right and on his left.
2 Chronicles 34:2
He did what was right in the eyes of YHWH, and walked in the ways of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Nehemiah 8:4
And Ezra the scribe stood on a tower of wood that they had made for this; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, at his right; and at his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam.
Job 23:9
north, when he works, and I do not catch sight of him; he hides himself in the south, and I do not see him.
Proverbs 3:16
Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand, riches and honor.
Proverbs 4:27
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot from evil.

And 14 more times.