Lexical Summary melechah: Work, occupation, craftsmanship, service Original Word: מְלֵחָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance barren land, salt land From malach (in its denominative sense); properly, salted (i.e. Land ('erets being understood)), i.e. A desert -- barren land(-ness), salt (land). see HEBREW malach see HEBREW 'erets NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as melach Definition saltiness, barrenness NASB Translation salt (1), salt land (1), salt waste (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְלֵחָה noun feminine saltness, barrenness; — Job 39:6 ("" עֲרָבָה) as dwelling-place of wild ass, salt-plain; אֶרֶץ מְלֵחָה Jeremiah 17:6 ("" לֹא תֵשֵׁב); Psalm 107:34 (opposed to אֶרֶץ מְּרִי). Topical Lexicon Semantic Scope and Imageryמְלֵחָה portrays a stark landscape where salt dominates soil and air, rendering the ground sterile and inhospitable. Physically it evokes the white‐crusted flats surrounding the Dead Sea; poetically it communicates barrenness, judgment, and the futility of self-reliance. Within Israel’s broader “salt” vocabulary—where salt can picture covenant fidelity (Numbers 18:19), preservation (Matthew 5:13), or cleansing (Ezekiel 16:4)—מְלֵחָה stays fixed on the destructive facet of salt’s power. Occurrences and Contexts Of the wild donkey the Lord declares, “I made the wilderness his home and the salt land his dwelling.” Here salt land is the creature’s natural habitat, heightening the contrast between untamed freedom and cultivated fields. God’s sovereignty extends even to places humans deem worthless; He assigns purpose to every corner of creation. In a hymn tracing God’s reversals, “a fruitful land [He] turns into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.” The verse links moral corruption with environmental desolation, showing that sin’s ripple effects reach soil and sky. מְלֵחָה thus becomes a visible token of divine retribution. The prophet warns that the man who trusts in flesh “will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.” Salt land frames the antithesis to covenant blessing: rather than flourishing like “a tree planted by the waters” (Jeremiah 17:8), the faithless person languishes in sterile isolation. Historical and Geographical Insight The Dead Sea depression lies over 400 meters below sea level, surrounded by mineral‐rich hills. Periodic flooding dissolves salts, then intense heat wicks moisture away, leaving glistening crusts that choke plant life. To ancient observers the region embodied unrelenting desolation, a perfect stage for illustrating curse. Archaeological surveys around Khirbet Qumran and the Plains of Moab confirm sparse vegetation to this day. Theological Reflections 1. Divine Sovereignty over Creation Each occurrence credits the Lord with transforming land into מְלֵחָה or assigning creatures to it. The salt land is not a random accident; it is a servant of God’s purposes, whether for judgment (Psalm 107:34) or providence (Job 39:6). 2. Moral Causality Psalm 107 and Jeremiah 17 explicitly tie spiritual rebellion to environmental consequence. The curse motif recalls Deuteronomy 29:23, where the ruined territory of Sodom and Gomorrah becomes “a burning waste of salt and sulfur.” Scripture consistently links covenant infidelity with agricultural failure (Leviticus 26:19–20). 3. Contrast with Blessing Jeremiah’s juxtaposition of salt land with a watered tree underscores the two‐ways theme saturating wisdom literature (Psalm 1; Proverbs 3:33–35). Salt land is the negative pole against which divine blessing shines brighter. Intertextual Connections • Deuteronomy 29:23 – reinforces salt land as emblem of covenant curse. Christological and Eschatological Resonance Salt land’s figurative barrenness throws into relief the Messiah’s restorative work. Isaiah foresees deserts rejoicing and blossoms bursting forth (Isaiah 35:1–2), a reversal only fully realized in the reign of Christ. Revelation 22:1–2 depicts the river of life healing the nations, eliminating every trace of מְלֵחָה for those written in the Lamb’s book. Practical and Homiletical Applications • Self-reliance leads to barrenness. Preaching Jeremiah 17:5–8 can counsel believers to examine where they place ultimate trust. Summary מְלֵחָה encapsulates the Bible’s theology of curse and renewal. Its three appearances depict salt-scorched wastelands as tangible proof that turning from the Lord breeds sterility, while trust in Him brings fruitfulness. The motif threads through redemptive history, culminating in a future where even the legacy of salt land is eclipsed by the life-giving presence of God. Forms and Transliterations לִמְלֵחָ֑ה למלחה מְלֵֽחָה׃ מְלֵחָ֖ה מלחה מלחה׃ lim·lê·ḥāh limleChah limlêḥāh mə·lê·ḥāh meLechah məlêḥāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 39:6 HEB: בֵית֑וֹ וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו מְלֵֽחָה׃ NAS: for a home And the salt land for his dwelling place? KJV: the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings. INT: A home his dwelling and the salt Psalm 107:34 Jeremiah 17:6 3 Occurrences |
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