Lexical Summary
atsal: To reserve, to withdraw, to separate, to set apart
Original Word:אָצַל
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:atsal
Pronunciation:aw-tsal'
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-tsal')
KJV: keep, reserve, straiten, take
NASB:refuse, reserved, set back, take, took
Word Origin:[a primitive root, properly, to join; used only as a denominative fromH681 (אֵצֶל - Beside)]
1. to separate
2. (hence) to select, refuse, contract
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
keep, reserve, straiten, take
A primitive root; properly, to join; used only as a denominative from'etsel; to separate; hence, to select, refuse, contract -- keep, reserve, straiten, take.
see HEBREW'etsel
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina denominative verb from the same as
etselDefinitionto lay aside, reserve, withdraw, withhold
NASB Translationrefuse (1), reserved (1), set back (1), take (1), took (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] —
PerfectGenesis 27:36;Ecclesiastes 2:10; consecutiveNumbers 11:17; —reserve,Genesis 27:36; (withdraw),set apartNumbers 11:17;withholdEcclesiastes 2:10.
PerfectEzekiel 42:6be withdrawn, i.e.shortened ornarrowed.
ImperfectNumbers 11:25 (Kö1. 390) = QalNumbers 11:17.
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Overviewאָצַל carries the idea of drawing something off, setting it apart, or holding it back. In Scripture this movement may be negative (withholding or depriving) or positive (delegating, reserving, or protecting). The word therefore speaks to purposeful separation—whether of blessing, Spirit, pleasure, or physical space.
Canonical Distribution
Genesis 27:36
Numbers 11:17
Numbers 11:25
Ecclesiastes 2:10
Ezekiel 42:6
Key Passages and Themes
1.Withholding or Taking Away (Genesis 27:36;Ecclesiastes 2:10)
•Genesis 27:36 depicts Esau’s lament: “He has taken away my blessing.” The verb underscores the painful experience of having something valuable drawn off and transferred to another.
•Ecclesiastes 2:10 reverses the idea: “I did not withhold from my heart any pleasure.” What the Preacher refuses to do is precisely what Esau grieves—holding something back. Together the texts illustrate how withholding can be either sinful deprivation or rightful restraint, depending on context and motive.
2.Delegation of the Spirit (Numbers 11:17, 25)
•Numbers 11:17: “I will take of the Spirit that is on you and will put it on them.”
•Numbers 11:25 repeats the same action.
The Lord does not diminish Moses; He simply separates and apportions. The root highlights a leadership principle: spiritual authority can be shared without loss to the original bearer. This event foreshadows later outpourings (Joel 2,Acts 2) and validates team ministry under divine initiative.
3.Architectural Setback (Ezekiel 42:6)
“Therefore the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and middle floors.” The temple chambers are literally “withdrawn.” Even in bricks and mortar the verb reinforces the holiness theme of separation—sacred space is guarded by measured distance.
Historical and Redemptive Significance
• In Patriarchal history the loss of blessing to Jacob shapes covenant lineage.
• In the Wilderness the separation of Spirit-equipped elders stabilizes Israel’s governance and anticipates prophetic hopes of a Spirit-filled people.
• Ezekiel’s vision locates this hope in a future temple where every dimension reflects ordered holiness.
Across these epochs the verb charts a course from personal deprivation to communal empowerment and finally to eschatological perfection.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Do not fear delegating responsibility; Spirit-led separation multiplies ministry rather than diluting it (compare2 Timothy 2:2).
• Guard against selfish withholding of resources or affection (cf.1 John 3:17).
• Respect sacred boundaries—physical, moral, and spiritual—that the Lord establishes for His dwelling among His people (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).
Summary
אָצַל portrays deliberate separation, whether of blessing, Spirit, pleasure, or structure. Scripture employs the term to reveal God’s sovereign right to redistribute gifts, man’s temptation to withhold, and the wisdom of respecting divine boundaries. In every case the underlying principle is stewardship: what God entrusts is never meant for hoarding but for holy and purposeful sharing.
Forms and Transliterations
אָצַ֖לְתִּי אָצַ֥לְתָּ אצלת אצלתי וְאָצַלְתִּ֗י וַיָּ֗אצֶל ואצלתי ויאצל נֶאֱצַ֗ל נאצל ’ā·ṣal·tā ’ā·ṣal·tî ’āṣaltā ’āṣaltî aTzalta aTzalti ne’ĕṣal ne·’ĕ·ṣal neeTzal vaiYatzel veatzalTi way·yā·ṣel wayyāṣel wə’āṣaltî wə·’ā·ṣal·tî
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
