סָלַח (sa.lach)
sa.lach
to forgive
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 40 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb salach means to forgive or pardon, appearing forty times in the Old Testament with a heavy concentration in Leviticus and Jeremiah. It describes the act of releasing someone from the guilt of an offense. In the Qal stem, God is the subject who grants this pardon, while the Niphal passive form appears frequently in Leviticus to declare that a sin "shall be forgiven" after the proper ritual offering is made.
Etymologically, the word likely derives from a root meaning "to be light" or "to lift up." This suggests that forgiveness involves removing the heavy burden of guilt rather than merely ignoring the wrong. The sources note cognates in related Semitic languages that carry similar senses of gentleness or mercy, reinforcing the idea that salach is an act of gracious relief for the offender.
Translators typically render salach as "forgive" or "pardon," though it can occasionally appear as "spare." Its usage in passages like Exodus 34:9 and Numbers 14:18 highlights its theological weight: it is not automatic but a deliberate choice by God to withhold the full penalty deserved. This distinction separates simple forgetting from the active decision to restore relationship despite the breach.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word salach carries a sense of lifting a heavy burden from someone’s shoulders. It describes God’s deliberate choice to release us from the guilt we deserve, rather than simply ignoring the wrong that was done. This is not a casual dismissal but a profound act of grace where relationship is restored despite the breach.
In the Old Testament, this word often appears alongside rituals of atonement, showing that forgiveness requires a serious acknowledgment of sin and a path toward healing. When we read passages like Exodus 34:9, we see Moses asking for this very pardon, recognizing that only God can remove the weight of our iniquity. This reminds us that our standing before Him rests on His mercy, not our perfection.
For your life today, this means you are never too far gone for restoration. The same God who pardoned Israel in their failures is ready to lift the burden from your heart when you turn to Him. You can rest in the assurance that His forgiveness is real, complete, and rooted in His enduring love.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 40 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ it will be forgiven12×
- and/ you will forgive11×
- to/ forgive2×
- so/ I may forgive2×
- may he forgive2×
- forgive2×
- and/ I will forgive2×
- I will forgive2×
- you have forgiven1×
- will I forgive1×
- who/ forgives1×
- forgive/ !1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/נִסְלַ֥ח8×
- וְ/סָ֣לַחְתָּ֔3×
- וְ/נִסְלַ֣ח3×
- וְ/סָלָֽחְתָּ\׃2×
- וְ/סָ֨לַחְתָּ֜2×
- סָלָֽחְתָּ\׃\ \ס1×
- סָלַ֖חְתִּי1×
- סְלָ֔חָ/ה1×
- סְלַֽח\־1×
- סְֽלַֽח\־1×
- לִ/סְלֽוֹחַ\׃1×
- לִ/סְלֹֽחַ\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 34:9
He said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go among us, even though this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
Moses uses this term to ask God to actively pardon Israel’s stubbornness, highlighting that forgiveness is a personal appeal to divine mercy rather than an automatic right.
-
Leviticus 4:20
He shall do this with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so he shall do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
This verse shows the ritual context where the priest’s action leads to the people being forgiven, illustrating how God provided a structured way for guilt to be lifted.
-
Numbers 14:19
Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
Here the word is linked to God’s 'loving kindness,' showing that forgiveness flows from His character and past faithfulness rather than human merit.
-
II Kings 5:18
In this thing may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may Yahweh pardon your servant in this thing.”
Naaman’s servant asks for pardon in a moment of weakness, demonstrating that this word applies to individual struggles and the desire to remain faithful despite difficult circumstances.