6760. tsala
Lexical Summary
tsala: Rib, side

Original Word: צָלַע
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tsala`
Pronunciation: tseh-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-lah')
KJV: halt
NASB: lame, limping
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. used only as denominative from H6763, to limp (as if one-sided)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
halt

A primitive root: probably to curve; used only as denominative from tsela', to limp (as if one-sided) -- halt.

see HEBREW tsela'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to limp
NASB Translation
lame (3), limping (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. [צָלַע] verb limp (Arabic , Aramaic טלע Aph`el); —

Qal Participle צֹלֵעַ עַליְֿרֵכוֺ Genesis 32:32 (J; of Jacob); feminine הַצֹלֵעָה as substantive, of personified Judah as flock [צאֹן] Micah 4:6,7; Zephaniah 3:19.

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scope

צָלַע (tsālaʿ) conveys the idea of limping, being crippled, or rendered lame. The verb appears only four times, yet its contexts span patriarchal narrative and prophetic oracle, linking personal weakness with divine purpose and eventual restoration.

Biblical Occurrences

1. Genesis 32:31 – Jacob, having wrestled with the Angel of the LORD, “was limping because of his hip.” The limp becomes a lifelong reminder that blessing follows surrender, and weakness can become a mark of divine encounter.
2. Micah 4:6 – “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will assemble the lame; I will gather the outcasts and those whom I have afflicted.’”
3. Micah 4:7 – “I will make the lame a remnant, and the outcasts a strong nation.”
4. Zephaniah 3:19 – “At that time I will deal with all who oppress you. I will save the lame and gather the scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.”

Thematic Significance

Weakness as a Vehicle of Grace

Jacob’s limp turns apparent disadvantage into covenant testimony. His physical frailty parallels Paul’s later confession, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Scripture consistently exalts divine strength manifested through human limitation.

Divine Compassion for the Marginalized

The prophets use צָלַע metaphorically for the disenfranchised of Israel. God pledges to gather “the lame”—those economically, socially, or spiritually powerless—and transform them into a “strong nation.” The pattern anticipates Jesus Christ’s kingdom ethic, where “the last will be first” (Matthew 20:16).

Remnant Theology

Micah 4 announces that future blessing will center on those once crippled. The remnant is characterized not by prowess but by dependence on the LORD. Restoration thus becomes a sovereign act, not a human achievement.

Retribution and Reversal

Zephaniah 3:19 couples salvation of the lame with judgment on oppressors. The LORD’s deliverance is comprehensive: He heals the wounded, reverses shame, and executes justice, revealing His holiness and covenant fidelity.

Historical Background

Micah and Zephaniah prophesied during eras of social injustice and looming invasion (eighth–seventh centuries B.C.). In such times, the lame were emblematic of all who suffered under corrupt leadership and foreign threat. By promising to “assemble the lame,” the prophets counter prevailing societal norms that equated physical completeness with favor.

Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions

The promise to gather the lame intersects with broader messianic hope:
• Isaiah anticipates a day when “the lame will leap like a deer” (Isaiah 35:6).
• Jesus fulfills these hopes, healing the lame (Matthew 11:5) and commanding that the “blind, crippled, and lame” be invited to the banquet (Luke 14:21), signaling inclusion in the kingdom.
Acts 3 records the first apostolic miracle as the healing of a lame man, underscoring continuity between prophetic promise and church mission.
• Revelation envisions a consummated kingdom where all infirmity is abolished (Revelation 21:4).

Implications for Ministry

Pastoral Care

The texts urge the church to honor and serve those deemed weak—physically, socially, or spiritually. Ministry that prioritizes the marginalized aligns with the divine pattern of gathering the lame.

Preaching and Teaching

Jacob’s limp challenges triumphalism, reminding believers that authentic faith may bear visible scars. Prophetic passages demand proclamation of hope for the broken, anchoring encouragement in God’s future.

Mission and Outreach

Like the prophets, congregations are called to seek out the “lame” of their communities, confident that God builds His kingdom through unlikely vessels.

Christological Connections

Jesus embodies the role of Shepherd who gathers the lame. His healings authenticate messianic identity and prefigure eschatological wholeness. Moreover, His wounded body—bearing nail prints and pierced side—stands as eternal testimony that God redeems through apparent weakness.

Practical Application

• Embrace personal limitations as opportunities for God’s power to be displayed.
• Cultivate congregational spaces that welcome those with disabilities, reflecting God’s inclusive heart.
• Advocate for the oppressed, knowing divine justice will ultimately vindicate the lame.
• Hold fast to eschatological hope: every limp will be healed when the Lord reigns visibly in Zion.

צָלַע thus unites patriarchal narrative, prophetic promise, apostolic witness, and eschatological expectation, proclaiming that the God of Scripture consistently turns lameness into leverage for His glory and His people’s good.

Forms and Transliterations
הַצֹּ֣לֵעָ֔ה הַצֹּֽלֵעָה֙ הַצֹּלֵעָ֗ה הצלעה צֹלֵ֖עַ צלע haṣ·ṣō·lê·‘āh haṣṣōlê‘āh hatzTzoleAh ṣō·lê·a‘ ṣōlêa‘ tzoLea
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 32:31
HEB: פְּנוּאֵ֑ל וְה֥וּא צֹלֵ֖עַ עַל־ יְרֵכֽוֹ׃
NAS: Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh.
KJV: rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
INT: Penuel and he was limping on his thigh

Micah 4:6
HEB: יְהוָ֗ה אֹֽסְפָה֙ הַצֹּ֣לֵעָ֔ה וְהַנִּדָּחָ֖ה אֲקַבֵּ֑צָה
NAS: I will assemble the lame And gather
KJV: will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather
INT: the LORD will assemble the lame the outcasts and gather

Micah 4:7
HEB: וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י אֶת־ הַצֹּֽלֵעָה֙ לִשְׁאֵרִ֔ית וְהַנַּהֲלָאָ֖ה
NAS: I will make the lame a remnant
KJV: And I will make her that halted a remnant,
INT: will make the lame A remnant and the outcasts

Zephaniah 3:19
HEB: וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּ֣י אֶת־ הַצֹּלֵעָ֗ה וְהַנִּדָּחָה֙ אֲקַבֵּ֔ץ
NAS: I will save the lame And gather
KJV: thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather
INT: I will save the lame the outcast and gather

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6760
4 Occurrences


haṣ·ṣō·lê·‘āh — 3 Occ.
ṣō·lê·a‘ — 1 Occ.

6759
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