צָלַע (tsa.la)
tsa.la
to limp
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb tsala describes the physical act of limping or being lame. It appears in only three verses, primarily within the prophetic books of Micah and Zephaniah. In these contexts, the word serves as a stark metaphor for spiritual weakness or national instability. The imagery is not merely medical but theological, suggesting a people who are unable to stand firm in their covenant relationship with God.
While the Aramaic cognate tsela can mean "to pray," this Hebrew form retains its concrete sense of physical impairment. Translators often render it as "limp" or "lame," preserving the blunt reality of the original text. The sources highlight that this condition is presented not as a personal failing but as a symptom of deeper disorder, where the community’s inability to walk uprightly reflects their moral and spiritual decline.
Its rarity in Scripture underscores the gravity of the image. When prophets use tsala, they are not describing a minor inconvenience but a fundamental inability to proceed on the path of righteousness. The word forces the reader to confront the visible consequences of brokenness, making the call for restoration all the more urgent and necessary.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word tsala describes the physical act of limping or being lame. In Scripture, this image is not just about a body that struggles to walk; it points to a deeper spiritual weakness. When prophets use this term, they describe a people who cannot stand firm in their relationship with God. It is a stark picture of how sin and brokenness can leave us unable to move forward on the path of righteousness.
Yet, the message is not one of final rejection. In Micah 4, God promises to gather those who are lame. He does not discard them because of their weakness. Instead, He transforms them into a strong nation. This shows that our current struggles do not define our future. God’s power works through our fragility, turning what seems broken into something enduring and holy.
Similarly, Zephaniah 3:19 speaks of God saving those who are lame and gathering the outcasts. He gives them praise and honor where they once faced shame. This word reminds us that God sees our limitations clearly. He does not ask us to hide our limp; He invites us to rest in His strength until He restores us fully.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ lame [person]1×
- the/ [one who was] lame1×
- the/ [one who is] lame1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/צֹּלֵעָ֗ה1×
- הַ/צֹּֽלֵעָה֙1×
- הַ/צֹּ֣לֵעָ֔ה1×
Key Verses
-
Micah 4:6
“In that day,” says Yahweh, “I will assemble that which is lame, and I will gather that which is driven away, and that which I have afflicted;
This verse establishes God’s initiative to actively gather those who are lame, showing that restoration begins with His call rather than human effort.
-
Micah 4:7
and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.”
Here the word highlights a dramatic transformation where the weak remnant becomes a strong nation under God’s eternal reign on Mount Zion.
-
Zephaniah 3:19
Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you; and I will save those who are lame and gather those who were driven away. I will give them praise and honor, whose shame has been in all the earth.
This occurrence connects the state of being lame with divine intervention that replaces shame with honor and public praise for the afflicted.