H5545 H5545
To forgive, pardon (always divine); to be forgiven (Nifal passive of divine pardon)
Salach is reserved exclusively for God's action of forgiving sin -- no human subject ever takes this verb in the Hebrew Bible. In the Qal stem, it appears in bold petitions like Moses' plea 'Pardon the iniquity of this people' (Num 14:19) and in God's gracious declarations 'I have forgiven' (Num 14:20). The Nifal passive appears repeatedly in Leviticus sacrificial law: after proper atonement, 'he shall be forgiven' (Lev 4:20, 26, 31). This divine exclusivity sets salach apart from other forgiveness vocabulary and underscores that true pardon originates with God alone. Isaiah 55:7 invites the wicked to return, 'for He will abundantly pardon.'
Senses
1. forgive, pardon (Qal active) — The Qal active: God pardons, forgives, or remits sin and iniquity. Always with God as subject, whether in direct speech ('I have forgiven,' Num 14:20), petition ('Forgive, O Lord,' Dan 9:19), or promise ('I will forgive their iniquity,' Jer 31:34). Multilingual evidence is consistent: Spanish perdonar, German vergeben, French pardonner all reflect the exclusively divine character of this act. 34×
AR["اِغْفِرْ", "وَ-أَصْفَحُ", "وَ-أَغْفِرُ", "وَ-اغْفِرْ", "وَ-اِغفِر", "وَ-تَغْفِرُ", "وَأَغْفِرُ", "وَاغْفِرْ", "يَغْفِرُ-"]·ben["আর-আমি-ক্ষমা-করব", "আর-ক্ষমা-করবে", "এবং-আপনি-ক্ষমা-করুন", "এবং-আমি-ক্ষমা-করব", "এবং-ক্ষমা-করব", "এবং-ক্ষমা-করবে", "এবং-ক্ষমা-করুন", "ও-ক্ষমা-করব", "ক্ষমা-কর-", "ক্ষমা-করবেন-"]·DE["soll-vergeben-", "und-du-forgive", "und-du-soll-vergeben", "und-pardon", "und-vergeben", "vergeben"]·EN["and-I-will-forgive", "and-I-will-pardon", "and-forgive", "and-pardon", "and-you-forgive", "and-you-shall-forgive", "forgive", "shall-forgive-"]·FR["devra-pardonner-", "et-pardonner", "et-tu---pardonner", "et-tu-pardonne", "pardonner"]·heb["ו-אסלח", "ו-סלח", "ו-סלחת", "ו-סלחתי", "נסלח"]·HI["और-क्षमा-कर", "और-क्षमा-करूँगा", "और-क्षमा-करेगा", "और-मैं-क्षमा-करूँ", "और-मैं-क्षमा-करूँगा", "और-मैं-क्षमा-करूंगा", "क्षमा-कर-", "क्षमा-करेगा"]·ID["ampunilah", "dan-Aku-akan-mengampuni", "dan-akan-mengampuni", "dan-ampunilah", "maka-Aku-akan-mengampuni", "mengampuni"]·IT["dovra-perdonare-", "e-hai-perdonato", "e-perdonare", "e-tu-perdona", "e-tu-shall-perdonare", "perdonare"]·jav["Mugi-ngapunten-", "badhe-ngapunten-", "lan-Kawula-badhé-ngapunten", "lan-Kula-badhé-ngapunten", "lan-mugi-ngapunten", "lan-ngapunten", "lan-ngapuntena", "saha-ngapuntena"]·KO["그리고-내가-용서하리라", "그리고-용서하겠다", "그리고-용서하소서", "그리고-용서하시고", "그리고-용서하십시오", "그리고-용서하옵소서", "그리고-용서할-것이다", "용서하소서", "용서하시니라"]·PT["E-perdoarás", "Perdoa", "e-perdoa", "e-perdoarei", "e-perdoarás", "perdoa", "perdoará-"]·RU["и-прости", "и-простишь", "и-простишь-Ты", "и-прощу", "прости-", "простит-"]·ES["Perdona-", "Y-perdonarás", "perdonará-", "y-perdonarás", "y-perdonaré"]·SW["Na-uwasamehe", "Samehe-", "atamsamehe-", "na-nitasamehe", "na-niwasamehe", "na-unisamehe", "na-usamehe", "na-utasamehe", "nami-nitasamehe"]·TR["bağışla-", "bağışlayacak-", "ve-bağışla", "ve-bağışladın", "ve-bağışlayacağım", "ve-bağışlayım"]·urd["اور-بخشوں-گا", "اور-معاف-فرما", "اور-معاف-کر", "اور-معاف-کروں-گا", "معاف-کر", "معاف-کرےگا"]
Exod 34:9, Num 14:19, Num 14:20, Num 30:5, Num 30:8, Num 30:12, Deut 29:20, 1 Kgs 8:30, 1 Kgs 8:34, 1 Kgs 8:36, 1 Kgs 8:39, 1 Kgs 8:50 (+22 more)
2. be forgiven (Nifal passive) — The Nifal passive: to be forgiven, to receive divine pardon. Concentrated in the Levitical sacrificial regulations (Lev 4:20-5:18), this form appears in the recurring formula 've-nislach lo' -- 'and he shall be forgiven.' It presupposes proper atonement ritual and priestly mediation. The passive construction keeps God as the implicit agent of forgiveness even when not named. 13×
AR["وَ-يُغْفَرُ"]·ben["এবং-ক্ষমা-করা-হবে", "এবং-ক্ষমা-হবে"]·DE["und-er-soll-sein-forgiven", "und-es-soll-sein-forgiven", "und-soll-sein-forgiven"]·EN["and-he-shall-be-forgiven", "and-it-shall-be-forgiven", "and-shall-be-forgiven"]·FR["et-cela-devra-être-forgiven", "et-devra-être-forgiven", "et-il-devra-être-forgiven"]·heb["ו-נסלח"]·HI["और-क्षमा-किया-जाएगा", "और-क्षमा-हो"]·ID["dan-diampuni", "maka-diampunilah"]·IT["e-dovra-essere-forgiven", "e-egli-dovra-essere-forgiven", "e-esso-dovra-essere-forgiven"]·jav["Lan-badhe-dipun-apunten", "lan-badhe-dipun-apunten", "lan-dipunapunten"]·KO["그리고-용서되리라", "그리고-용서될-것이다", "그리고-용서를-받으리라", "그리고-용서함-을-받으라"]·PT["E-será-perdoado", "e-será-perdoado"]·RU["и-будет-прощено", "и-простится"]·ES["Y-será-perdonado", "y-será-perdonado"]·SW["Na-watasamehewa", "na-atasamehewa", "na-watasamehewa"]·TR["ve-bağışlanacak"]·urd["اور-معاف-کیا-جائے", "اور-معاف-کیا-جائےگا", "اور-معاف-ہو", "اور-معاف-ہوگا"]
3. prepositional suffix (to you) — A single occurrence at Jeremiah 5:7 where the text form appears to be a prepositional phrase (lamed + 2fs suffix) rather than the verb salach. This is likely a parsing artifact in the data; the Qere reading supports a verbal form. It does not represent a genuine semantic sense of the root. 1×
AR["لَـ-كِ"]·ben["তোমাকে"]·DE["vergeben"]·EN["you"]·FR["pardonner"]·heb["לך"]·HI["को-तुझे"]·ID["kamu"]·IT["a-te"]·jav["dhateng-panjenengan"]·KO["너를"]·PT["a-ti"]·RU["тебе"]·ES["a-ti?"]·SW["wewe"]·TR["sana"]·urd["تجھے"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [סָלַח] vb. forgive, pardon (𝔗 סְלַח id., NH סְלִיחָה forgiveness);— Qal Pf. 2 ms. סָלַחְתָּ Ex 34:9 + 9 times, סָלָ֑חְתָּ La 3:42 + 2 times; 1 s. סָלַחְתִּי Nu 14:20 + 2 times; Impf. 3 ms. יִסְלַח 30:6 + 4 times; 1 s. אֶסְלַח Je 31:34 + 3 times + 5:7 Qr (Kt אֶסְלוֹח); Imv. סְלַח Nu 14:19 Am 7:2; סְלָ֑חָה Dn 9:19; Inf. סְלֹחַ Dt 29:19; 2 K 24:4; סְלוֹחַ Is 55:7; Pt. act. סֹלֵחַ ψ…