tooth
shen denotes physical teeth, and in some contexts ivory or a rocky crag.
The term most often denotes physical teeth, whether in bodily description, eating, injury, or hostile imagery. It also occurs in clauses concerning ivory furnishings or trade goods, and in a small group of passages describing a rocky crag.
Senses in use
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Physical teeth in bodily and hostile scenes · dominant
The dual and construct forms commonly refer to teeth in bodily, eating, and hostile settings: in Exodus 21:27 the APB renders a servant's tooth being knocked out, while in Numbers 11:33 it renders flesh still between the people's teeth. In Job 16:9 and Psalm 37:12, the clauses describe gnashing teeth in anger; Joel 1:6 depicts a threatening nation's teeth as those of a lion.
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Ivory as a costly material · occasional
In singular absolute form, the term occurs in clauses about costly objects and materials. In 1 Kings 10:18 the APB renders the king's throne as made of ivory, and Ezekiel 27:15 includes “horns of tooth and ebony” among returned merchandise.
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Rocky crag · rare
In 1 Samuel 14:4 and 1 Samuel 14:5, singular forms occur in the account of the two rocky crags beside Jonathan's crossing; the APB calls each a “rocky crag.” Job 39:28 likewise places the singular construct form in a clause about dwelling and lodging on a rock and crag.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the term as “tooth” or “teeth” in bodily, legal, eating, and hostile clauses. In other contexts it renders the surrounding expression with “ivory” or “rocky crag”; These renderings reflect the verse-level clauses rather than a fixed English equivalent.