Lexical Summary shalag: To snow Original Word: שָׁלַג Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be as snow A primitive root; properly, meaning to be white; used only as denominative from sheleg; to be snow-white (with the linen clothing of the slain) -- be as snow. see HEBREW sheleg NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origindenominative verb from sheleg Definition to snow NASB Translation snowing (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׁלַג] verb denominative Hiph`il snow; — Imperfect3feminine singular תַּשְׁלֵג (Ges§ 109k), impersonal Psalm 68:15 it snows on almon (meaning obscure). Topical Lexicon Range of Meaning and Imagery The verb carries the notion of becoming snow-white, an image that Scripture frequently associates with purity, cleansing, fresh beginnings, and the unmistakable evidence of God’s activity. Because snow instantaneously alters a landscape, “whitening” is a vivid metaphor for both divine victory and moral transformation. Singular Canonical Occurrence Psalm 68:14 provides the only appearance: “When the Almighty scattered the kings there, it was like snow falling on Zalmon”. The psalm celebrates the LORD’s triumphant march from Sinai to Zion, picturing the rout of enemy kings as a sudden, dazzling whitening of the battlefield. Literary Setting in Psalm 68 1. Military Triumph. The scattering of kings follows a catalog of God’s victories (Psalm 68:1-13). The whitening underscores complete rout: leadership is not merely defeated but dissolved, erased from view as a fresh snowfall erases footprints. Geographical and Historical Note on Zalmon Zalmon is likely the wooded slope south of Shechem (compare Judges 9:48). Dark evergreens would provide a striking backdrop against which a sudden snowfall—or the whitening effect of scattered armor, bones, or even ash—would stand out. The psalmist leverages that topography to etch God’s victory in the mind’s eye of worshipers. Biblical Theology of Whiteness and Cleansing • Purification: “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). Psalm 68:14 sits within this broader scriptural trajectory: the God who conquers is the God who cleanses. Foreshadowings of New-Covenant Victory The sudden whitening anticipates the decisive, once-for-all triumph achieved at the cross (Colossians 2:15). As enemy kings flee before the Almighty in Psalm 68, so “the rulers and authorities” are openly put to shame in Christ. The apostle Paul cites Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8 to describe Christ’s ascension, linking the psalm’s victory march to the giving of spiritual gifts. Ministry and Devotional Implications • Preaching: Use the imagery of instantaneous whitening to illustrate the completeness of salvation. Summary The lone occurrence of the verb at Psalm 68:14 paints God’s triumph in brilliant, snow-white hues. Within the single stroke lies a seamless biblical story: the Lord who conquers enemy kings is the same Lord who cleanses repentant sinners and will finally present a spotless bride. Forms and Transliterations תַּשְׁלֵ֥ג תשלג taš·lêḡ tashLeg tašlêḡLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 68:14 HEB: מְלָ֘כִ֤ים בָּ֗הּ תַּשְׁלֵ֥ג בְּצַלְמֽוֹן׃ NAS: the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon. KJV: kings in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon. INT: the Almighty the kings snowing Zalmon 1 Occurrence |
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