H5400 H5400
to kindle, burn; set fire to or cause to burn
This verb means to kindle or burn, appearing in both passive (Niphal: be kindled) and causative (Hiphil: make burn) stems. Psalm 78:21 describes God's wrath: 'a fire was kindled against Jacob'—divine anger igniting like flame. Isaiah 44:15 speaks of using part of a tree 'he kindles a fire' for warmth, contrasting with carving the rest into an idol. Ezekiel 39:9 prophesies that Israel 'will kindle fires' with the weapons of defeated Gog—seven years of fuel from the instruments of war. The verb captures both spontaneous combustion (wrath kindling) and deliberate fire-starting (burning weapons or warming oneself).
Senses
1. sense 1 — The Psalm uses Niphal passive for divine wrath igniting spontaneously against sin—fire as metaphor for God's fierce anger. Isaiah's Hiphil active describes ordinary fire-starting for domestic warmth, contrasting practical burning with idolatrous folly. Ezekiel's prophecy turns swords into kindling—the ultimate reversal where implements of death become fuel for survival. Cross-linguistic glosses distinguish passive kindling ('se-encendió,' 'was-kindled') from active burning ('enciende,' 'he-kindles'). The common thread is fire as purifying judgment or consuming force, whether divine wrath or human need. 3×
AR["اشْتَعَلَتْ", "وَيُوقِدُونَ", "يُوقِدُ"]·ben["আর-জ্বালাবে", "জ্বলে-উঠেছিল", "জ্বালায়"]·DE["Krieg-kindled", "[והשיקו]", "[ישיק]"]·EN["and-kindle", "he-kindles", "was-kindled"]·FR["[ישיק]", "allumer", "et-allumer"]·heb["ו-השיקו", "ישיק", "נישקה"]·HI["और-सुलगाएंगे", "जलाता-है", "भड़की"]·ID["dan-menyalakan", "ia-menyalakan", "menyala"]·IT["[והשיקו]", "[ישיק]", "accese"]·jav["lan-ngubung", "murub", "piyambakipun-ngurubaken"]·KO["그리고-때것이다", "불을-지피고", "지펴졌나이다"]·PT["acende", "acendeu-se", "e-farão-fogo"]·RU["возгорелся", "и-разожгут", "разжигает"]·ES["enciende", "se-encendió", "y-encenderán"]·SW["anawasha", "uliwaka", "watateketeza"]·TR["tutuştu", "ve-ateşleyecekler", "yakti"]·urd["اور-آگ-لگائیں-گے", "بھڑکی", "وہ-جلاتا-ہے"]
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
† [שָׂלַק] vb. kindle, burn (Ecclus 43:4margin הִסִּיק, v 21, 23 הִשִּׂיק, burn; Aramaic (also Biblical Aramaic) סְלַק ascend, Aph. cause to go up (in flame), offer sacrifice; ܣܠܶܩ, Palm. סלק, ascend);— Niph. Pf. 3 fs. אֵשׁ נִשְּׂקָה בְיַעֲקֹב ψ 78:21 a fire was kindled against Jacob. Hiph. make a fire, burn: Pf. 3 pl. consec. וְהִשִּׂיקוּ, c. ב rei Ez 39:9; Impf. 3 ms. abs. יַשִּׂיק Is 44:15 (both ‖ בִּעֵר).