Lexical Summary tsalal: sank Original Word: צָלַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sink A primitive root; properly, to tumble down, i.e. Settle by a waving motion -- sink. Compare tsalal, tsalal. see HEBREW tsalal see HEBREW tsalal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to sink, be submerged NASB Translation sank (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. [צָלַל] verb sink, be submerged (Late Hebrew id.; Assyrian ƒalâlu, sink down, sink to rest, II. launch (HptProl. Assyr. Gr. 1iii; BAS i. Ball, Gen. 53); Ethiopic  float, compare NesMar. x: Aramaic צְלַל,  , are filter, clarify); — Qal Perfect3plural צָֽלְלוּ כַּעוֺפֶרֶת בְּמַיִם Exodus 15:10. Topical Lexicon Root Imagery and Poetic Color צָלַל evokes the vivid picture of an object driven downward until it disappears from sight. In Scripture the verb functions less as a mere description of gravity and more as a poetic testimony to the irresistibility of divine power: when God acts, enemies do not simply fall—they are forced beneath the surface, lost from view, and rendered powerless. Canonical Occurrence Exodus 15:10 is the sole attestation: “But You blew with Your breath, and the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters”. The Lord’s “breath” (רוּחַ) reverses the earlier east wind that had parted the waters (Exodus 14:21), completing the narrative arc from deliverance to judgment. צָלַל supplies the climactic verb of ruin; the same sea that had stood at attention for Israel becomes the grave of Pharaoh’s forces. Historical Setting: Triumph at the Sea The Song of Moses (Exodus 15) was likely sung antiphonally on the eastern shore of the Red Sea immediately after Israel’s deliverance. Archaeological debate about the exact route does not diminish the central truth affirmed here: Yahweh publicly shattered the world’s dominant military power without Israel lifting a weapon. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, chariotry symbolized invincibility; Israel’s God made it sink like scrap metal. The verb therefore served Israel’s collective memory, reminding subsequent generations that covenant faithfulness, not human strength, secures victory (Deuteronomy 11:2–4). Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty in Judgment. The downward plunge of Egypt’s army proclaims that the Lord alone determines destinies. What He elevates cannot be lowered, and what He sinks cannot be retrieved (Job 12:23). Literary and Prophetic Echoes Hebrew poetry frequently intensifies meaning through concrete verbs. By choosing צָלַל instead of a more generic “fall,” Moses underscores the irreversible nature of Egypt’s defeat. Prophets later adopt similar imagery: the wicked become “like chaff that the wind blows away” (Psalm 1:4) or “like stone cast into the sea” (Jeremiah 51:63–64). Though different roots, the conceptual thread remains—opposition to God inevitably ends in utter submersion. Christian Ministry Applications • Worship: Incorporating Exodus 15 into corporate praise anchors modern congregations in the historical acts of God, fostering confidence amid present threats. Christological Reflection Just as Egypt’s strength vanished beneath the waves, so the principalities and powers were “disarmed” at the Cross (Colossians 2:15). The burial of the tyrant in Exodus prefigures the burial of the greater tyrant—sin itself. Yet unlike Pharaoh’s army, Jesus descended into death voluntarily and rose in triumph, guaranteeing that all who trust Him will never be “sunk” by judgment but will stand on the shore of victory singing the song of Moses and the Lamb (Revelation 15:3). Forms and Transliterations צָֽלֲלוּ֙ צללו ṣā·lă·lū ṣālălū tzalaLuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 15:10 HEB: כִּסָּ֣מוֹ יָ֑ם צָֽלֲלוּ֙ כַּֽעוֹפֶ֔רֶת בְּמַ֖יִם NAS: covered them; They sank like lead KJV: covered them: they sank as lead INT: covered the sea sank lead waters 1 Occurrence |
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