5546. callach

Lexical Summary

callach: Vessel, polished item

Original Word: סַלָּח
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: callach
Pronunciation: kal-lakh
Phonetic Spelling: (saw-lawkh')
KJV: ready to forgive
Word Origin: [from H5545 (סָלַח - forgive)]

1. forgiving

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

placable, ready to forgive

From calach; placable: ready to forgive.

see HEBREW calach

Brown-Driver-Briggs

סַלָּח adjective ready to forgive, forgiving; — ׳אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי טוֺב וְס Psalm 86:5 thou Lord art king and forgiving.

Topical Lexicon

Root and Conceptual Background

The adjective סַלָּח conveys not simply the act of forgiving but the enduring disposition of being “ready to forgive.” It grows out of the wider Old Testament vocabulary for atonement and mercy, enriching the portrait of the covenant LORD whose steadfast love is matched by an eagerness to pardon repentant people.

Canonical Usage and Context

The single occurrence in the Hebrew canon appears in Psalm 86:5. David, surrounded by adversity (Psalm 86:14), anchors his plea for deliverance in divine character: “For You, O LORD, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You” (Psalm 86:5). The psalmist roots his confidence in the self-revelation of God declared at Sinai (Exodus 34:6-7) and carried through Israel’s history.

Theological Significance

1. God’s Forgiving Nature: This term highlights that forgiveness is not a reluctant concession but an essential attribute of the LORD.
2. Covenant Assurance: Israel’s sacrificial system anticipated atonement, yet סַלָּח assures the worshiper that divine forgiveness meets genuine repentance (Isaiah 55:7; Micah 7:18).
3. Comprehensive Mercy: “To all who call” shows no ethnic or social limits—foreshadowing the universal offer of grace later proclaimed in Acts 10:43 and Romans 10:12.

Christological and Redemptive Foreshadowing

The Old Testament’s “ready to forgive” finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. His prayer, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34), and His commissioning of the apostles to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47) embody the disposition expressed by סַלָּח. Paul echoes the same readiness in God “who has forgiven us all our trespasses” (Colossians 2:13).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Emphasize that repentance is met by God’s eagerness to forgive, encouraging sinners to approach Him without fear (Hebrews 4:16).
• Counseling: Offer hope to the guilt-laden by grounding assurance in God’s character, not human merit (1 John 1:9).
• Discipleship: Model the divine pattern—“forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32)—cultivating a community reflecting God’s own readiness.

Worship and Devotional Implications

• Confession in Corporate Liturgy: Reading Psalm 86 responsively reinforces confidence in divine pardon.
• Personal Prayer: Believers may echo David’s words when seeking restoration, knowing the LORD is predisposed to forgive.

Related Hebrew and Greek Terms

• Verb סָלַח (to forgive) underscores the act corresponding to the adjective’s disposition.
• Greek ἄφεσις (aphesis, “release”) and χαρίζομαι (charizomai, “to freely bestow”) carry the same gracious impulse in the New Testament, showing continuity in God’s redemptive plan.

Questions for Further Study

1. How does the singular use of סַלָּח sharpen the message of Psalm 86 within the Psalter’s overall theology of forgiveness?
2. In what ways does the New Covenant amplify the readiness of God to forgive portrayed here?
3. How can congregations embody this attribute in church discipline and reconciliation practices?

Forms and Transliterations

וְסַלָּ֑ח וסלח vesalLach wə·sal·lāḥ wəsallāḥ

Englishman's Concordance

Psalm 86:5
HEB: אֲ֭דֹנָי ט֣וֹב וְסַלָּ֑ח וְרַב־ חֶ֝֗סֶד
NAS: are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant
KJV: [art] good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous
INT: Lord are good and ready and abundant lovingkindness

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5546
1 Occurrence

wə·sal·lāḥ — 1 Occ.