מָלַח (ma.lach)
ma.lach
to dissipate; to salt
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb malach carries two distinct meanings that appear in only three biblical verses. In its primary usage, it means to salt or season food, specifically referring to the ritual requirement that grain offerings be seasoned with salt (Leviticus 2:13). This act preserved the covenant symbol of permanence and flavor in worship.
A second, figurative sense means to dissipate or tear apart. In Isaiah 51:6, this meaning describes how the heavens will vanish like smoke and the earth wear out like a garment. Here, the word conveys fragmentation and dispersal, contrasting sharply with the enduring nature of God’s salvation.
These two senses—one of preservation through salting, the other of dissolution through scattering—create a striking theological tension. The same root can signify both the binding covenant and its eventual undoing in the natural order. Translators must carefully distinguish between these contexts to preserve the original Hebrew nuance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word malach appears in Scripture with two distinct meanings that might seem unrelated at first glance. In Leviticus 2:13, it refers to seasoning grain offerings with salt. This was not merely about taste but served as a sign of the permanent covenant between God and His people. Salt preserves food from decay, symbolizing a relationship that endures through time.
Yet in Isaiah 51:6, the same root describes something dissipating or tearing apart. Here, it illustrates how the heavens will vanish like smoke and the earth wear out like an old garment. This usage highlights the temporary nature of the physical world. It stands in sharp contrast to God’s salvation, which remains forever unchanged.
These two images remind us that while created things fade, God’s promises hold firm. Whether we are called to preserve what is holy or to trust in His eternal righteousness when everything else crumbles, we find stability in Him alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you will salt1×
- they will be dispersed1×
- salted1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תִּמְלָח֒1×
- נִמְלָ֙חוּ֙1×
- מְמֻלָּ֖ח1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 2:13
Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt. You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
This verse commands that every meal offering be seasoned with salt, explicitly linking the physical act to the 'salt of the covenant' to signify its permanence.
-
Isaiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish away like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment. Its inhabitants will die in the same way, but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not be abolished.
Here the word describes the heavens vanishing like smoke, illustrating the temporary nature of creation in contrast to God's everlasting righteousness.
-
Exodus 30:35
You shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
This instruction for making holy incense specifies it must be seasoned with salt, reinforcing the requirement for purity and covenantal faithfulness in worship.