שְׂמֹאל

Genesis 13:9 הַשְּׂמֹ֣אל the left

Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

Here: 'The left'. In Israel's way of giving directions you faced east, so 'left' also meant north. Standing near Bethel, that would most naturally be the land to the north.

Genesis 14:15 מִשְּׂמֹ֖אל [is] from [the] north

During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer’s army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

Genesis 24:49 שְׂמֹֽאל׃ left

Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.”

Genesis 48:13 מִשְּׂמֹ֣אל בִשְׂמֹאל֖וֹ from [the] left of, at left [hand] his

And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.

Genesis 48:14 שְׂמֹאל֖וֹ left [hand] his

But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

Exodus 14:22 וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃ and from left their

and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

Here: "And on their left." Right and left together mean 'on both sides': Israel is fully enclosed and fully protected.

Exodus 14:29 וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם and from left their

But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

Here: "And on their left." Right and left together mean enclosed on both flanks, guarded all the way along the route.

Numbers 20:17 וּשְׂמֹ֔אול and left

Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

Numbers 22:26 וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ and left [hand]

And the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or left.

Deuteronomy 2:27 וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ and left [hand]

“Let us pass through your land; we will stay on the main road. We will not turn to the right or to the left.

Deuteronomy 5:32 וּשְׂמֹֽאל׃ and left [hand]

So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.

Here: "Or left." Paired with "right", it covers every possible direction off the road. The point is total: no turning in any direction at all.

Deuteronomy 17:11 וּשְׂמֹֽאל׃ and left [hand]

according to the terms of law they give and the verdict they proclaim. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from the decision they declare to you.

Deuteronomy 17:20 וּשְׂמֹ֑אול and left [hand]

Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.

Here: 'Or left'. Together with 'right' it means no turning off the road in either direction, however small. The same phrase is used for the people in 5:32 and 28:14, so the king is bound by exactly the standard every Israelite is.

Deuteronomy 28:14 וּשְׂמֹ֑אול and left [hand]

Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.

Here: 'Or to the left.' The pair 'right and left' means any step off the road at all, in any direction.

Joshua 1:7 וּשְׂמֹ֑אול and left

Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.

Here: 'Or left.' Together with 'right' it means any deviation at all, in either direction.

Joshua 19:27 מִשְּׂמֹֽאל׃ from [the] left

then turned eastward toward Beth-dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el, and went north to Beth-emek and Neiel, passing Cabul on the left.

Here: Literally 'from the left'. Israelites took their bearings facing east, so 'left' regularly meant north. The phrase most likely means the line passes Cabul on its north side, not on a traveller's left hand.

Joshua 23:6 וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ and left [hand]

Be very strong, then, so that you can keep and obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, not turning aside from it to the right or to the left.

Here: "And left." Naming both sides is a way of saying "in any direction at all." No deviation of any kind is allowed.

Judges 3:21 שְׂמֹאל֔וֹ left his

And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.

Judges 7:20 שְׂמאוֹלָם֙ left their

The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

Judges 16:29 בִּשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ in left [hand] his

And Samson reached out for the two central pillars supporting the temple. Bracing himself against them with his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on the other,

1 Samuel 6:12 וּשְׂמֹ֑אול and left [hand]

And the cows headed straight up the road toward Beth-shemesh, staying on that one highway and lowing as they went, never straying to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

2 Samuel 2:19 הַשְּׂמֹ֔אול the left

and he chased Abner, not turning to the right or to the left in his pursuit.

2 Samuel 2:21 שְׂמֹאלֶ֔ךָ left your

So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

2 Samuel 16:6 וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ and from left his

He threw stones at David and at all the servants of the king, though the troops and all the mighty men were on David’s right and left.

1 Kings 7:39 מִשְּׂמֹאל֑וֹ from left its

He set five stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north, and he put the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple.

1 Kings 7:49 מִשְּׂמֹ֛אול from [the] left

the lampstands of pure gold in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right side and five on the left; the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs;

1 Kings 22:19 וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ and from left his

Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.

Here: Together with “right,” it means the throne is surrounded on every side: the whole court is assembled around the king.

2 Kings 22:2 וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ פ and left [hand]

And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Here: "And left": completes the pair. Not swerving right or left echoes Deuteronomy's commands, especially the law for kings (Deut 17:20).

2 Kings 23:8 שְׂמֹ֥אול [the] left [side] of

Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which was to the left of the city gate.

1 Chronicles 6:44 הַשְּׂמֹ֑אול the left [hand]

On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,

2 Chronicles 3:17 מֵֽהַשְּׂמֹ֑אול from the north

Then he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south and one on the north. The pillar on the south he named Jachin, and the pillar on the north he named Boaz.

2 Chronicles 4:6 מִשְּׂמֹאול֙ from [the] left

He also made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them, but the priests used the Sea for washing.

2 Chronicles 4:7 מִשְּׂמֹֽאול׃ ס from [the] north

He made ten gold lampstands according to their specifications and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

2 Chronicles 4:8 מִשְּׂמֹ֑אול from [the] north

Additionally, he made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold bowls.

2 Chronicles 18:18 וּשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ and left [hand] his

Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.

2 Chronicles 34:2 וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ and left

And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Here: "Or left": with "right" it means he swerved in no direction whatever. The words echo Deuteronomy's charge to the king and to Israel (Deut 17:20; 5:32).

Nehemiah 8:4 וּמִשְּׂמֹאל֗וֹ and from left his

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Job 23:9 שְׂמֹ֣אול [the] left [side]

When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.

Proverbs 3:16 בִּ֝שְׂמֹאולָ֗הּ [are] in left [hand] her

Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

Here: 'In her left (hand)'. Paired with the right hand, it pictures Wisdom with both hands full: everything she holds is offered to the person who finds her.

Proverbs 4:27 וּשְׂמֹ֑אול and left

Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.

Here: "And left." Right and left together cover every possible way of leaving the road. Neither side is safer than the other.

Ecclesiastes 10:2 לִשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ [is] to left [hand] his

A wise man’s heart inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.

Song of Songs 2:6 שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ left [hand] his

His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.

Song of Songs 8:3 שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ left [hand] his

His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.

Isaiah 9:20 שְׂמֹ֖אול [the] left [side]

They carve out what is on the right, but they are still hungry; they eat what is on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring.

Here: 'The left,' and by the east-facing orientation also the north. With 'right', it shows the grabbing reaching in every direction. The text spells it here with an extra vowel letter (ו), a variant spelling with no difference in meaning.

Isaiah 54:3 וּשְׂמֹ֖אול and left

For you will spread out to the right and left; your descendants will dispossess the nations and inhabit the desolate cities.

Here: "And left" (also the north when facing east). Put with "right", the pair means "in every direction, on both sides". The extra vowel letter in the spelling changes nothing.

Ezekiel 1:10 מֵֽהַשְּׂמֹ֖אול from the left [side]

The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.

Here: 'From the left', i.e. on the left side. The Hebrew is unusual: the preposition is written out before the article, and 'left' is spelled with an extra letter.

Ezekiel 16:46 שְׂמֹאולֵ֑ךְ north your

Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to your north; and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to your south.

Here: Literally 'your left hand'. In Hebrew orientation you face east, the sunrise, so your left is north. Samaria lies north of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 39:3 שְׂמֹאולֶ֑ךָ left your

Then I will strike the bow from your left hand and dash down the arrows from your right hand.

Daniel 12:7 וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ and left [hand] his

And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, and times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been shattered, all these things will be completed.”

Here: An oath was normally sworn with one hand raised. Raising both makes this oath unusually solemn.

Jonah 4:11 לִשְׂמֹאל֔וֹ and left his

So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”

Here: 'And his left' (literally 'to his left', a usual way to finish a 'between' phrase). The whole phrase pictures people with no means of telling one way from the other: helpless, unknowing, unable to steer themselves.

Zechariah 4:3 שְׂמֹאלָֽהּ׃ left [side] its

There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left.”

Zechariah 4:11 שְׂמֹאולָֽהּ׃ left [side] its

Then I asked the angel, “What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?”

Zechariah 12:6 שְׂמֹ֛אול [the] left [side]

On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around them on the right and on the left, while the people of Jerusalem remain secure there.

Here: 'The left'. 'Right and left' is a Hebrew way of saying everywhere around, with nothing spared.