H4417 H4417
Salt; the mineral substance used for seasoning, preservation, and covenant symbolism, also frequent in geographic names (Dead Sea, Valley of Salt)
One of the most richly symbolic substances in Scripture. As a material, salt seasons food (Job 6:6), accompanies every grain offering (Lev 2:13), and seals covenants -- a 'covenant of salt' denotes permanence and inviolability (Num 18:19; 2 Chr 13:5). Lot's wife becomes a pillar of salt (Gen 19:26), a vivid image of judgment. Nearly half the occurrences appear in geographic compounds: the Sea of Salt (the Dead Sea, Gen 14:3), the Valley of Salt (2 Sam 8:13), and the City of Salt (Josh 15:62). Arabic 'milh,' Aramaic 'milcha,' and cognates across Semitic languages all preserve the same root, underscoring how fundamental this substance was to ancient Near Eastern life.
Senses
1. Salt (in geographic names) — Salt as a component of geographic place names -- the Sea of Salt (yam ha-melach, the Dead Sea), the Valley of Salt, and the City of Salt. These fixed expressions account for roughly half the occurrences. Gen 14:3 identifies the Salt Sea with the Valley of Siddim; Num 34:3, 12 and Josh 3:16; 15:2, 5 use it as a boundary marker. Spanish 'el Salado' and English 'the Salt [Sea]' reflect the toponymic function. 15×
AR["المِلحِ", "المِلْحِ", "الْ-مِلْحِ", "الْمَلحِ", "الْمِلْحِ", "ٱلْمِلْحِ"]·ben["(লবণ)", "-লবণের", "[লবণের]", "ও-রুপা", "লবণের", "সাগর-"]·DE["Salt", "[the-Salt]", "[המלח]", "der-Salt", "des-Salzes"]·EN["(Salt)", "Salt", "[the-Salt]", "the-Salt"]·FR["(Salt)", "Salt", "[the-Salt]", "[המלח]", "de-sel", "le-Salt", "le-Sel"]·heb["[המלח]", "ה-מלח", "מלח"]·HI["(नमक-की)", "-अराबा-के", "[हम्मेलख]", "खारे", "खारे-के", "नमक", "नमक-क", "नमक-की", "लवण-का"]·ID["Asin", "Asin-itu", "Garam", "[garam]"]·IT["(Salt)", "Salt", "[the-Salt]", "[המלח]", "[מלח]", "il-Salt"]·jav["(Sarem)", "Asin", "Uyah", "[sarem]", "uyah"]·KO["[그-소금]", "그-소금", "그-소금의", "소금", "소금의"]·PT["(Sal)", "Sal", "[Hamelach]", "o-Sal", "o-sal", "sal"]·RU["(соли)", "-Солёного", "-Солёное", "[соли]", "·-Соли", "Соли", "Солёного", "Солёное", "соли"]·ES["Sal", "[K]", "el-Salado", "la-Sal", "la-sal"]·SW["(chumvi)", "Chumvi", "[k]", "chumvi", "ha-Chumvi", "la-chumvi", "ya-Chumvi", "ya-chumvi"]·TR["(tuz)", "-Tuz'un", "-tuzun", "Tuz", "Tuzun", "[tuz]", "tuz", "tuzun"]·urd["(نمک)", "-نمک", "[نمک]", "نمَک", "نمک-کا", "نمک-کی", "نمک-کے", "نمکین-کا"]
Gen 14:3, Num 34:3, Num 34:12, Deut 3:17, Josh 3:16, Josh 12:3, Josh 15:2, Josh 15:5, Josh 18:19, 2 Sam 8:13, 2 Kgs 14:7, 2 Kgs 14:7 (+3 more)
2. salt (substance) — The mineral substance itself, used for seasoning food (Job 6:6), purifying water (2 Kgs 2:20-21), and especially in sacrificial ritual -- Lev 2:13 commands salt on every grain offering, establishing the 'covenant of salt' (berith melach) as a metaphor for permanence (Num 18:19; 2 Chr 13:5). Strewn over conquered Shechem (Judg 9:45), it symbolizes desolation. French 'avec le sel' and Spanish 'con la sal' capture the instrumental ritual usage. 14×
AR["بِ-المِلْحِ", "لِ-مِلْحٍ", "مِلحٍ", "مِلْحاً", "مِلْحًا", "مِلْحٍ", "مِلْحَ", "وَمِلْحًا"]·ben["এবং-লবণ", "লবণ", "লবণে", "লবণের", "লবণের-জন্য"]·DE["Salz", "Salz-von", "Seemann", "[למלח]", "[מלח]", "mit-der-Salz", "salt", "und-Salz", "von-Salz"]·EN["and-salt", "for-salt", "salt", "salt-of", "with-the-salt"]·FR["[למלח]", "[מלח]", "avec-le-sel", "et-sel", "salt", "sel", "sel-de", "מלח"]·heb["ב-ה-מלח", "ו-מלח", "ל-מלח", "מלח"]·HI["और-नमक", "को-नमक", "नमक", "नमक-क", "नमक-का", "नमक-की", "नमक-से"]·ID["dan-garam", "dengan-garam", "garam", "untuk-garam"]·IT["[למלח]", "[מלח]", "con-il-sale", "e-sale", "sale", "sale-di", "salt"]·jav["dhateng-uyah", "kaliyan-uyah", "lan-uyah", "uyah"]·KO["그-소금-으로", "그리고-소금", "소금", "소금-을", "소금-의", "소금의", "에게-소금의"]·PT["com-o-sal", "e-sal", "para-sal", "sal", "sal-de"]·RU["для-соли", "и-соль", "соли", "соль", "солью"]·ES["con-la-sal", "para-sal", "sal", "sal-de", "y-sal"]·SW["chumvi", "kwa-chumvi", "la-chumvi", "na-chumvi"]·TR["-da-tuz", "tuz", "tuz-için", "tuzun", "ve-tuz"]·urd["اور-نمک", "نمک", "نمک-سے", "نمک-کا", "نمک-کے", "نمک-کے-لیے", "نمک۔"]
Gen 19:26, Lev 2:13, Lev 2:13, Lev 2:13, Num 18:19, Deut 29:23, Judg 9:45, 2 Kgs 2:20, 2 Kgs 2:21, 2 Chr 13:5, Job 6:6, Ezek 43:24 (+2 more)
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
† II. מֶ֫לַח n.m. salt (NH id.; Arabic مِلْحٌ Aramaic ܡܶܠܚܳܐ, מִלְחָא);—מ׳ abs. Gn 19:26 +; cstr. Lv 2:13;—salt for seasoning food Jb 6:6; offering Lv 2:13(×3) cf. Ez 43:24; בְּרִית מֶ֫לַח Nu 18:19 2 Ch 13:5 (cf. Lv 2:13 v. Di); used in purifying waters 2 K 2:20, 21; strewn on site of devoted city Ju 9:45 cf. Zp 2:9 (מִכְרֵה־מ׳) Dt 29:22 (‖ גָּפְרִית); produced in marshes reserved for purpose Ez…