צְלִיל (tse.lul)
tse.lul
bun
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tse.lil refers to a specific type of baked good, described in the sources as a cake or a round loaf. Its meaning is closely tied to its shape and preparation; the associated glosses suggest something round or rolling, indicating a flat, circular bread rather than a tall, leavened loaf. This distinction matters because it paints a precise picture of the food being handled.
This word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Judges 7:13. The context is pivotal to understanding its significance. A Midianite soldier recounts a dream about a round loaf of barley bread tumbling into the camp and striking a tent so that it fell and collapsed. The unusual nature of this weapon—a humble, flat cake acting as a projectile—highlights how God uses the ordinary and unexpected to achieve His purposes.
The rarity of the term emphasizes its narrative function here. It is not a general word for bread but a specific detail that underscores the absurdity and power of the scene. The barley cake, likely coarse and dense, becomes an instrument of divine judgment against a vast army, demonstrating that strength does not always come from conventional military might.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tse.lil describes a simple, round loaf of barley bread. It appears only once in Scripture, in Judges 7:13. Here, it is not eaten but thrown as a projectile. This humble cake strikes a tent and collapses it, bringing down a mighty army through a seemingly absurd event.
This story reminds us that God often works through the ordinary. We might expect divine power to come through grand armies or impressive weapons. Instead, He uses a common food item to dismantle a fortress. Your daily life is filled with small, routine moments. These are not distractions from your faith but potential places where God meets you.
You do not need to be extraordinary to be used by Him. The same God who toppled tents with a barley cake walks with you in your quiet routines. Trust that He can bring peace and victory through the simple, faithful steps of your day.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a round loaf of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צְלִ֜יל1×
Key Verses
-
Judges 7:13
When Gideon had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. He said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream; and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.”
This verse uniquely uses the word to describe a barley cake tumbling into a camp, serving as the unexpected instrument that collapses a tent and signals divine judgment.