שֶׁ֫לֶג (she.leg)
she.leg
snow
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 19 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sheleg refers to snow, a natural phenomenon that appears nineteen times in the Old Testament. It is most frequently found in the poetic books of Job, Proverbs, and Psalms, where it serves as a vivid image for the writers. The word shares its root with the Aramaic term telag, reflecting a common Semitic linguistic heritage for this weather event.
In Scripture, snow is rarely just meteorological data; it carries significant symbolic weight. It often represents purity and cleansing, as seen in Psalm 51:7 where the psalmist asks to be washed whiter than snow. Conversely, it can signify overwhelming abundance or impossibility, such as when Proverbs describes heavy snow covering a full moon (Proverbs 25:13). The sources highlight its use in Job 37:6, where God commands it to fall on the earth, demonstrating His sovereign control over nature.
Translators consistently render sheleg as "snow," preserving the concrete reality of the image. Unlike abstract theological terms, this word grounds spiritual concepts in the physical experience of winter. Its recurrence in wisdom literature suggests that ancient Israelites observed the natural world closely to understand divine attributes like holiness and power.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sheleg appears nineteen times in the Old Testament, often carrying a weight far heavier than its meteorological reality. In the poetic books of Job and Psalms, snow is not just weather; it is a vivid image for God’s sovereign control over nature. When Job 37:6 records God commanding the snow to fall on the earth, it reminds us that the Creator speaks, and creation obeys. This concrete image grounds our understanding of divine power in the physical experience of winter.
Beyond power, sheleg serves as a profound symbol of purity and cleansing. In Isaiah 1:18, the promise that sins white as scarlet can become white as snow offers a tangible hope for restoration. The imagery suggests that no stain is too deep for God’s grace to wash away. This visual metaphor invites us to trust in the completeness of spiritual renewal.
While snow can also signify overwhelming abundance or impossibility, its primary resonance in Scripture points toward holiness and refreshment. Proverbs 25:13 compares a faithful messenger to the cold of snow at harvest time, bringing relief and refreshment to the soul. The natural world, therefore, becomes a classroom for understanding divine attributes like mercy and faithfulness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 19 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- snow7×
- like <the>/ snow5×
- the/ snow2×
- to the/ snow1×
- more than/ snow1×
- from/ snow1×
- and/ the/ snow1×
- [the] snow of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שֶׁ֣לֶג3×
- שָׁ֑לֶג2×
- הַ/שָּֽׁלֶג\׃2×
- שָֽׁלֶג\׃1×
- שֶׁ֨לֶג\׀1×
- שֶׁ֗לֶג1×
- מִ/שָּׁ֑לֶג1×
- מִ/שֶּׁ֔לֶג1×
- לַ/שֶּׁ֨לַג\׀1×
- כַּ/שָּֽׁלֶג\׃\ \ס1×
- כַּ/שָּֽׁלֶג\׃1×
- כַּ/שָּׁ֑לֶג1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
This verse uses sheleg as a powerful metaphor for total cleansing, contrasting the deep red of sin with the absolute whiteness of divine forgiveness.
-
Job 37:6
For he says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ likewise to the shower of rain, and to the showers of his mighty rain.
Here the word highlights God’s sovereign authority, showing that He directly commands natural phenomena like snow to fall upon the earth.
-
Psalms 147:16
He gives snow like wool, and scatters frost like ashes.
The imagery of snow falling like wool emphasizes the gentle yet precise manner in which God provides for His creation.
-
Exodus 4:6
Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
In this narrative context, the whiteness of snow illustrates the visible sign of leprosy, serving as a dramatic demonstration of God's power over life and disease.