Lexical Summary tselach: To prosper, to succeed, to advance, to make progress Original Word: צְלַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance promote, prosper (Aramaic) corresponding to tsalach; to advance (transitive or intransitive) -- promote, prosper. see HEBREW tsalach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to tsaleach Definition to prosper NASB Translation enjoyed success (1), prosper (1), succeeding (1), successful (1). Topical Lexicon Overviewצְלַח portrays forward movement that results in visible success. Whether the work is an architectural project, a prophetic ministry, or the life of a captive exile in a hostile empire, the verb emphasizes progress that cannot be hindered because God Himself is behind it. Every occurrence appears in the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel, underscoring a period when the covenant people lived under foreign rule yet experienced unmistakable blessing. Occurrences in Redemptive History 1. Ezra 5:8 – Persian officials report that the temple project “is being built with large stones… This work is being done diligently and progressing in their hands.” Taken together, the scenes move from corporate rebuilding (Ezra) to individual advancement (Daniel), revealing a consistent divine pattern: God causes His people and His purposes to flourish even within pagan systems. Divine Agency in Human Prosperity צְלַח never depicts merely human ingenuity. In Ezra 6:14 the elders prosper “under the preaching” of Haggai and Zechariah. The prophetic word energizes the work, turning external opposition into accelerated progress. Likewise, Daniel’s elevation follows a miraculous deliverance from the lions’ den; the verb frames his success as the outcome of God’s vindication, not political maneuvering. Temple Restoration and the Prosperity of God’s Work The rebuilding narratives emphasize that God’s house will be completed on schedule because His word has gone forth (compare Isaiah 55:11). צְלַח therefore becomes a theological affirmation: the prophetic promise attached to the second temple cannot fail. The term connects the physical structure in Jerusalem to the larger biblical motif of an indestructible dwelling place for God among His people, foreshadowing both the incarnate Christ (John 2:19–21) and the living temple made of believers (1 Peter 2:5). Exile, Witness, and the Prosperity of the Faithful In Daniel 3 and 6, the verb marks decisive moments when uncompromising faith meets imperial power. The fiery furnace and the lions’ den end not in martyrdom but in promotion. Outsiders witness the supremacy of Israel’s God and respond with decrees that honor Him (Daniel 3:29; 6:26). Thus צְלַח functions evangelistically: the prosperity granted to the faithful becomes a testimony that “the Most High rules the kingdom of mankind” (Daniel 4:17). Christological and Eschatological Trajectory Isaiah foresees the Servant who “will prosper” (52:13, a cognate form). The post-exilic occurrences of צְלַח anticipate that ultimate Servant. Just as temple builders advanced under prophetic impulse and exiles rose in foreign courts, so Jesus Christ would accomplish His mission against all opposition, culminating in the resurrection—the supreme vindication and prospering of God’s plan. Subsequently, the gospel advances “swiftly and triumphantly” (2 Thessalonians 3:1) in the church age, echoing the unstoppable progress signified by this verb. Pastoral and Practical Implications • Confidence in God’s promises. When Scripture assigns a task, believers may labor expectantly, knowing that true prosperity comes from divine initiative. צְלַח therefore stands as a concise testimony that the purposes of God, whether in rebuilding a temple, vindicating His witnesses, or establishing the kingdom of His Son, move forward irresistibly and prosper in His hand. Forms and Transliterations הַצְלַ֖ח הַצְלַ֛ח הצלח וּמַצְלְחִ֔ין וּמַצְלַ֥ח ומצלח ומצלחין haṣ·laḥ haṣlaḥ hatzLach ū·maṣ·laḥ ū·maṣ·lə·ḥîn ūmaṣlaḥ ūmaṣləḥîn umatzLach umatzleChinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 5:8 HEB: אָסְפַּ֥רְנָא מִתְעַבְדָ֖א וּמַצְלַ֥ח בְּיֶדְהֹֽם׃ ס NAS: on with great care and is succeeding in their hands. KJV: fast on, and prospereth in their hands. INT: great is going succeeding their hands Ezra 6:14 Daniel 3:30 Daniel 6:28 4 Occurrences |
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