מֶ֫לַח (me.lach)
me.lach
Salt (Sea)
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 22 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun melach simply means salt, a substance essential for flavor and preservation in the ancient world. It appears frequently in the Old Testament, most notably when describing the geography of the region. The "Salt Sea" refers to the Dead Sea, whose waters are so saturated with minerals that they cannot support life, as seen in Genesis 14:3 and Numbers 34:12. This physical reality provides a stark backdrop for its symbolic uses.
Beyond geography, melach carries significant theological weight through the phrase "covenant of salt." Found in Numbers 18:19 and 2 Chronicles 13:5, this expression denotes a bond that is permanent and unbreakable. Just as salt preserves food from decay, this covenant was viewed as enduring and holy, requiring no renewal or expiration.
The word also appears in striking imagery, such as Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt in Genesis 19:26. This vivid detail underscores the consequences of disobedience by transforming a person into the very substance that signifies preservation and permanence, but in reverse. Translators consistently render melach as "salt," capturing its literal and metaphorical force without adding extra nuance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Salt in the ancient world was far more than a kitchen ingredient; it was a symbol of permanence and purity. When Scripture speaks of a 'covenant of salt,' it describes a bond that does not fade or decay. This imagery reminds us that God’s promises are stable and enduring, offering a steady foundation when life feels uncertain.
We also see salt used in moments of judgment and healing. Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt for looking back, while Elisha threw salt into a spring to make the water safe. These accounts show that salt carries weight. It preserves what is good and highlights the seriousness of turning away from God.
In your daily walk, this word invites you to trust in the lasting nature of God’s covenant with you. Just as salt seasons food, let faith bring flavor and purpose to your days. You can rest in the knowledge that His commitment to you is unbreakable and eternal.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 22 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ Salt11×
- salt8×
- Salt2×
- with <the>/ salt1×
- salt of1×
- [the] salt of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מֶ֑לַח4×
- הַ/מֶּ֔לַח3×
- הַ/מֶּ֑לַח3×
- מֶֽלַח\׃\ \ס2×
- הַ/מֶּ֙לַח֙2×
- הַ/מֶּ֖לַח2×
- מֶֽלַח\׃\ \פ1×
- מֶֽלַח\׃1×
- מֶ֨לַח1×
- מֶ֥לַח1×
- מֶ֚לַח1×
- מֶ֙לַח֙1×
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 salt must be present on every grain offering, linking the physical substance directly to the holiness of worship.
-
Numbers 18:19
All the wave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your offspring with you.”
Here the phrase 'covenant of salt' explicitly defines God’s promise to the priests as permanent and unbreakable.
-
Genesis 19:26
But Lot’s wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt serves as a stark warning against longing for a life left behind in disobedience.
-
II Kings 2:21
He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren wasteland.’”
Elisha throws salt into the Jericho spring to demonstrate God’s power to heal and restore barren land to productivity.