שָׁפֵל
shâphêl · H8213 · Hebrew · 31 occurrences
Meanings
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to become low
Process by which an elevated place loses its elevation
ExamplesIsaiah 40:4 “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the uneven ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
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to be low
Process by which an event takes place at a relatively low level of elevation
ExamplesIsaiah 29:4 Then you will be brought low; From the earth you will speak, And from the dust where you are prostrate Your words will come. Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the ground, And your speech will whisper from the dust.
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Causative process by which humans or deities cause an event to take place at a relatively low level of elevation (to do (something) low)
ExamplesPsalm 113:6 Who looks far down to The heavens and the earth?
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to be brought down, to be humbled
Literally: to be brought low; hence: process by which human pride is brought to an end, which often becomes visible in their attitude and appearance
ExamplesProverbs 16:19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the needy Than to divide the spoils with the proud.
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to be brought down
To be brought low, used of high and imposing things that fall or collapse, associated with a loss of status
ExamplesIsaiah 10:33 Behold, the Lord, the GOD of armies, will lop off the branches with terrifying power; Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down, And those who are lofty will be brought low.
Ezekiel 17:24 “All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”
1 Samuel 2:7 “The LORD makes poor and rich; He humbles, He also exalts.
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to step down, to take a lower position
Literally: bring low sit; hence: action by which humans give up their status and their privileges, described as coming from one's high throne and taking a seat at a lower level
ExamplesJeremiah 13:18 Say to the king and the queen mother, “Take a lowly seat, For your beautiful crown Has come down from your head.”
Ecclesiastes 12:4 and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly.
How it’s used In 7 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
29 occurrences in 17 groups
- Not stated: you (one person) 5
- Not stated: he, she or it 5
- Not stated (participle) 3
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (17) 17
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
12 occurrences in 9 groups
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
7 occurrences in 6 groups
- עַדto, as far as, until+ אֶרֶץland, earth, ground 2
- עַדto, as far as, until+ שְׁאוֹלworld of the dead 1
- עִםwith+ אׇרֳבָהstruggle of hands 1
- בin/on/with+ שִׁפְלָהbrought low 1
- לto/for+ פָּנִיםface, presence, before 1
- לto/for+ רָאָהto see 1
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- רוּחַspirit, wind 1
What is done to itIt is the object
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- יָדַעto know 1
What it is said to bePredicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- טוֹבgood 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- מִןfrom 1
- עַלon, upon, over, against 1
- בin/on/with 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 5 words
- קָלַל qâlal · H7043 · light, fast, swift
- Both share semantic space around diminishment or reduction. קָלַל (qâlal, H7043) has a broad range, including "make light" in weight or significance, "ease" and "despise" or "curse," whereas שָׁפֵל (shâphêl, H8213) focuses more narrowly on "abase, bring down, humble, make low." Both can express making something less significant or less weighty, though קָלַל (qâlal, H7043)'s range is considerably broader.
- צָעַר tsâʻar · H6819 · little, young, to be small
- Both lexemes denote being or becoming small, low, or insignificant, functioning as near-synonyms for lowering or humbling in status or condition.
- דָּלַל dâlal · H1809 · to become low, to dwindle, to grow weak
- Both lexemes occupy overlapping semantic space around being or bringing low in status, height, or condition — דָּלַל (dâlal, H1809) covers "bring low, be impoverished, be made thin" while שָׁפֵל (shâphêl, H8213) covers "abase, bring down, humble, be low." The shared sense of lowering makes them near-synonyms.
- שָׁקַע shâqaʻ · H8257 · to sink, to press down
- Both lexemes denote downward motion or lowering — שָׁפֵל (shâphêl, H8213) means "abase, bring down, make low" and שָׁקַע (shâqaʻ, H8257) means "let down, sink, make deep." These are distinct verbs with overlapping lowering or downward senses, making them near-synonyms.
- שָׁחַח shâchach · H7817 · to become low, to be in distress
- Both lexemes denote bringing down, abasing, or humbling, with overlapping glosses of "bring down," "humble," "abase," and "make low" — a near-synonym pairing of verbs describing lowering or humbling.
Contrasting words 1 word
- רוּם rûwm · H7311 · to be high, to become high, to mount up
- The direct lexical opposite of רוּם, denoting being brought low or humbled in contrast to being exalted or lifted up.
Semantic domains 5 entries
- Low002001001040
- This verb denotes bringing something down in position or status, as in Job 22:29's assurance that when a person has been brought low, they will speak with confidence again.
- End002003003010
- שָׁפֵל (shâphêl, H8213) means "to become low, be brought low, sink down," as in occurrences glossed "[he is] bringing low"/"it will become low." This sense does not independently attest the "End" domain; that classification is bundle-shared with שְׁפַל (shᵉphal, H8214) in the source data and is not confirmed by this lexeme's own occurrences.
- Impact002001001024
- The verb also denotes forcefully subduing the proud, as in Job 40:11's challenge to let out one's anger and humble everyone who is arrogant.
- Insignificant002001002015
- The verb also describes making someone insignificant or humiliated, as in 2 Samuel 22:28's declaration that the LORD's eyes are on the haughty, whom He humiliates.
- Lax002001003012
- שָׁפֵל (shâphêl, H8213) means "to become low, be brought low, sink down," as in occurrences glossed "[he is] bringing low"/"it will become low." This sense does not independently attest the "Lax" domain; that classification is bundle-shared with שְׁפַל (shᵉphal, H8214) in the source data and is not confirmed by this lexeme's own occurrences.
Word family 8 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H8213. shaphel שָׁפֵל verb be or become low, be abased (Late Hebrew, derived species;…
שָׁפֵל verb be or become low, be abased (Late Hebrew, derived species; Assyrian šapâlu, derived species and derivatives; Sabean ספל noun humility or lowland DHMxxix (1875), 604; Arabic , , be low (LagBN 48); Aramaic שְׁפַל, (derived species)); —
Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳שׁ Isa 2:11; Isa 2:2feminine singular וְשָׁפַלְתְּ Isa 29:4, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִּשְׁמַּל Isa 2:9; Isa 5:15; Isa 5:3feminine plural תִּשְׁמַּלְנָה Isa 5:15, etc.; Infinitive construct שְׁפַל Ecc 12:4; Pro 16:19, see below; —
1 all Isaiah: become (be brought, laid) low, of trees Isa 10:33 (|| גְּדֻעִים), mountains Isa 40:4 (opposed to נִשָּׂא), of כָּלנִֿשָּׂא Isa 2:12 (but read, for נִשְׂגָּב ׳שׁ, [Kohler], or גָּבֹהַּ [Lag], so Du CheHpt Di-Kit Marti); figurative be humiliated, of man Isa 2:9; Isa 5:15, his loftiness Isa 2:17, haughty eyes Isa 2:11 (all || שָׁחַח), Isa 5:15; of city Isa 32:19; as helping verb (= adverb) תְּדַבֵּ֑רִי ׳וְשׁ מֵאֶרֶץ Isa 29:4 thou shalt speak low out of the ground (Ges§ 120g; || אִמְרָתֵךְ תִּשַׁח מֵעָפָר).
2 שְׁפַלרֿוּחַ Pro 16:9 to be lowly of spirit, so Buhl SS Toy and others; Thes Rob Ges and others below שָׁפָל.
3 of sound Ecc 12:4.
Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular הִשְׁמִּיל Isa 25:12, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יַשְׁמִּיל Psa 75:8, suffix יַשְׁמִּילָהּ יַשְׁמִּילֶנָּה Isa 26:5 (but 2nd verb probably doublet), etc.; Imperative masculine plural (suffix) (הוּׅ הַשְׁמִּילֵ Job 40:11; Jer 13:18; Infinitive construct suffix הַשְׁמִּילְךָ Pro 25:7 (Eze 21:31 read absolute הַשְׁמֵּיל, || הַגְבֵּהַּ, so Co Krae Ges§ 113bb R. 3); Participle מַשְׁמִּיל 1Sa 2:7; Psa 147:6; מַשְׁמִּילִי (Ges§ 90l) Psa 113:6; —
1 usually figurative, ׳י subject, lay low, tree Eze 17:24 (opposed to הִגְבַּהְתִּי); city Isa 26:5 (|| הֵשַׁח); fortress Isa 25:12 (+ הֵשַׁח; Du thinks doublet of Isa 26:5); humiliate pride Isa 26:11; Isa 13:11, compare Job 40:11; object רָמוֺת עֵינַיִם Psa 18:28, so read also || 2Sa 22:28, אַףמְֿרוֺמֵם׳מַשׁ׳י 1Sa 2:7, רְשָׁעִים Psa 147:6; יַשׁ ׳זֶה יָרִים וְזֶה Psa 75:8, compare Eze 21:31.
2 hum. subject set one in a lower place Pro 25:7; subject hum. pride Pro 29:23; declar. Isa 57:9 thou didst shew abasement עַדשְֿׁאוֺל.
3 as helping verb: + verb coordinate, ׳הַשׁ שֵׁ֑בוּ Jer 13:18 make low, sit down = take a low seat (Ges§ 120g); + infinitive ׳מַשׁ לִרְאוֺת Psa 113:6 he who maketh low to look upon heaven and earth (i.e. ׳י; || לָשָׁ֑בֶת הַמַּגְבִּיתִי Psa 113:5; Ges§ 114m). — גֵּוָה֑ וַתּאֹמֶר הִשְׁמִּילוּ Job 22:29 is dubious; || יוֺשִׁעַ favours אֱלוֺהַּ as subject, which Bu conjecture For ׳וַתּאֹ, read then ׳א הִשְׁמִּיל, hath abased pride, so (in part) Du; > they cast (thee) down (RV); men are cast down (׳הִשׁ intransitive; AV, compare LagBN 121); (thy ways) are brought low (Ew De Di).
[שְׁפֵל] verb be low (see Biblical Hebrew); —
Haph`el bring low, humble: Perfect2masculine singular לִבְבָח הַשְׁמֵּלְתְּ Dan 5:22 thou hast not humbled thine heart; Imperfect3masculine singular יְהַשְׁמִּ֑ל Dan 7:24, Infinitive לְהַשְׁמָּלָה Dan 4:34, Participle מַשְׁמִּ֑ל Dan 5:19, all with accusative of person bring low, put down.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 5 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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