H4416 H4416
salt (Aramaic)
An Aramaic noun for salt, appearing only in Ezra in contexts of Persian royal provisions. Salt is mentioned twice as a provision supplied for sacrifices (6:9, 7:22) and once metaphorically regarding obligation to the palace—'because we eat the salt of the palace' (4:14), an idiom for being in royal service and thus obligated to protect the king's interests. Salt's preservative and covenant-sealing associations in ancient culture underlie both uses.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The glosses uniformly identify the mineral 'salt' in Aramaic contexts. Ezra 6:9 and 7:22 list salt among provisions the Persian treasury supplies for temple sacrifices, showing royal support for Jewish worship. Ezra 4:14 uses the idiom 'eating the palace's salt' to express loyalty and obligation—adversaries claim duty to report anything dishonoring to the king. Salt symbolized covenant loyalty and preservation, making it appropriate both for offerings and for expressing binding obligations. 3×
AR["مِلْح", "مِلْحَ", "وَ-مِلْح"]·ben["আর-লবণ", "লবণ"]·DE["Seemann", "und-Seemann"]·EN["and-salt", "salt", "salt-of"]·FR["[ומלח]", "[מלח]"]·heb["ו-מלח", "מלח", "מלח ׀"]·HI["और-नमक", "नमक", "हम-लेते-हैं-सहायता"]·ID["dan-garam", "garam"]·IT["e-sale", "sale"]·jav["kawula-nedha", "lan-uyah", "uyah"]·KO["그리고-소금", "소금"]·PT["e-sal", "sal", "sal-de"]·RU["и-соли", "соль"]·ES["sal", "y-sal"]·SW["chumvi", "na-chumvi"]·TR["tuz", "tuzunu", "ve-tuz"]·urd["اور-نمک", "نمک"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מְלַח n.m. salt (v. BH);—מ׳ abs. Ezr 6:9; 7:22 (both for sacrifices), cstr. 4:14.