הַצָּלָה (hats.tsa.lah)
hats.tsa.lah
deliverance
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun hats.tsa.lah denotes a decisive act of deliverance or escape from danger. It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Esther 4:14, where Mordecai urges Queen Esther to approach the king. In this context, the word carries the weight of physical rescue and political salvation, emphasizing that survival depends on divine intervention rather than human power alone.
Its root suggests pulling away or rescuing from a perilous situation. The singular usage in Esther highlights the precarious position of the Jewish people. Translators typically render it as "deliverance" or "rescue," capturing the sudden shift from imminent destruction to safety that defines the narrative arc of the book.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word hats.tsa.lah captures a moment of decisive rescue when escape seems impossible. In Esther 4:14, Mordecai uses it to describe a sudden shift from danger to safety. This reminds us that deliverance often comes in ways we do not expect or control.
When you face situations where your own strength feels insufficient, this word points to a larger reality. Relief can arrive from another place entirely. Trusting in divine intervention allows you to release the weight of trying to save yourself when the odds seem stacked against you.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ deliverance1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/הַצָּלָ֞ה1×
Key Verses
-
Esther 4:14
For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
This is the only occurrence of the word, where it signifies political and physical rescue that Mordecai says will come from another source if Esther remains silent.