This is the 16665th most frequent Russian word.
сидел
"Sat" or "was sitting."
The word 'сидел' in this sentence implies the action of physically sitting down on a bench, expressing a past continuous action.
Он сидел на скамейке в парке.
He was sitting on a bench in the park.
Here, 'сидела' is used metaphorically to describe the position of the book as resting or being located on the top shelf.
Книга сидела на верхней полке.
The book was sitting on the top shelf.
In this sentence, 'сидел' highlights the state of staying or being present at home, coupled with the action of reading.