וְ/נִשְׁעַ֖ן — Numbers 21:15 Hebrew Word Study

וְ/נִשְׁעַ֖ן

𐤅/𐤍𐤔𐤏𐤍

venishean

and leans

a primitive root; to support one's self; lean, lie, rely, rest (on, self), stay.

Numbers 21:15 · Word #7

Lexicon `H8172`

Part of Speech	`V` — Verb — An action or state
Binyan	`N` — Niphal — Simple passive or reflexive
Conjugation	`q` — Sequential Perfect — Perfect with waw-consecutive, continuing a narrative
Person	`3` — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they")
Gender	`m` — Masculine — Masculine
Number	`s` — Singular — Singular

and he leans himself in reliance

Root	שען (sh-ʿ-n)
Core Meanings	leaning, support, reliance, resting upon
Semantic Range	to lean physically on an object, to rest upon for support, to rely upon for help or security, to place confidence in
Conceptual Significance	שָׁעַן often bridges physical posture and spiritual trust, portraying reliance on a person, power, or deity as the act of leaning one’s full weight upon them. It highlights the embodied nature of trust in biblical thought—dependence expressed as supported stability.
Morphological Notes	Conjunction וְ + Verb, Niphal perfect (qatal), 3rd person masculine singular of שָׁעַן. The Niphal gives a reflexive/passive nuance, here reflexive: "he leaned himself."
Rendering Rationale	The Niphal stem of שָׁעַן expresses a reflexive sense, "to lean oneself" or "to rely." Rendering it as "he leans himself in reliance" preserves the root imagery of physical leaning while conveying the reflexive nuance of the Niphal and accurately reflecting the 3rd person masculine singular form with the prefixed conjunction "and."

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

SILEX Code	Transliteration	SIBI-P1
`H8172-01`	behishaenekha	in your leaning-yourself for support
`H4938-01`	bemisheanotam	with their supports
`H4938-02`	hamisheenet	the support-staff
`H8172-02`	lehishaen	to lean oneself in reliance
`H4937-01`	lemishean	for a support-to-lean-on
`H4937-02`	masheen	a leaning-support
`H4937-03`	mishean	support
`H4938-03`	misheaneti	my support-staff
`H4938-04`	misheaneto	his support-staff
`H4938-05`	misheenet	support-staff of
`H8172-03`	nishean	one leaning himself
`H8172-04`	nisheaneta	you leaned yourself for support
`H8172-05`	nisheanu	they leaned themselves / we leaned ourselves
`H8172-06`	tishaen	you shall lean yourself (in reliance)
`H4938-06`	umasheenah	and a supporting-staff
`H4938-07`	umisheanetekha	and your support-staff
`H8172-07`	uvehishaanam	and in their leaning-themselves
`H8172-08`	uvehishaenekha	and in your leaning-yourself
`H8172-09`	vatishaanu	and you leaned yourselves in reliance
`H8172-10`	veeshaen	and I will lean myself
`H824-01`	veeshean	and Eshan (Support-Place)
`H8172-11`	vehishaanu	and lean yourselves
`H8172-13`	veyishaen	and he will lean himself
`H8172-14`	yishaen	he will lean himself for support
`H8172-15`	yishaenu	they will lean themselves (in reliance)

Location	Form	Transliteration	Meaning
Genesis 18:4	וְ/הִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ	vehishaanu	and rest
Numbers 21:15	וְ/נִשְׁעַ֖ן	venishean	and leans
Judges 16:26	וְ/אֶשָּׁעֵ֖ן	veeshaen	that I may lean
2 Samuel 1:6	נִשְׁעָ֣ן	nishean	was leaning
2 Kings 5:18	נִשְׁעָ֣ן	nishean	leans
2 Kings 7:2	נִשְׁעָ֨ן	nishean	leaned
2 Kings 7:17	נִשְׁעָ֤ן	nishean	hand he leaned
Isaiah 10:20	לְ/הִשָּׁעֵ֖ן	lehishaen	to lean
Isaiah 10:20	וְ/נִשְׁעַ֗ן	venishean	and will lean
Isaiah 30:12	וַ/תִּֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ	vatishaanu	and rely
Isaiah 31:1	יִשָּׁעֵ֑נוּ	yishaenu	rely
Isaiah 50:10	וְ/יִשָּׁעֵ֖ן	veyishaen	and let him rely
Ezekiel 29:7	וּ/בְ/הִֽשָּׁעֲנָ֤/ם	uvehishaanam	and when they leaned
Micah 3:11	יִשָּׁעֵ֣נוּ	yishaenu	they lean
Proverbs 3:5	תִּשָּׁעֵֽן	tishaen	lean
Job 8:15	יִשָּׁעֵ֣ן	yishaen	he leans
Job 24:23	וְ/יִשָּׁעֵ֑ן	veyishaen	and he relies
2 Chronicles 13:18	נִשְׁעֲנ֔וּ	nisheanu	they relied
2 Chronicles 14:10	נִשְׁעַ֔נּוּ	nisheanu	we rely
2 Chronicles 16:7	בְּ/הִשָּׁ֨עֶנְ/ךָ֜	behishaenekha	in your leaning
2 Chronicles 16:7	נִשְׁעַ֨נְתָּ֙	nisheaneta	you relied
2 Chronicles 16:8	וּ/בְ/הִשָּֽׁעֶנְ/ךָ֥	uvehishaenekha	because you relied