Lexical Summary shalah: Prosperity, ease, security, tranquility Original Word: שָׁלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance take away A primitive root (rather cognate (by contraction) to the base of nashal, shalal and their congeners through the idea of extracting); to draw out or off, i.e. Remove (the soul by death) -- take away. see HEBREW nashal see HEBREW shalal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to draw out, extract NASB Translation requires (1). Topical Lexicon Overview שָׁלָה (shalah) appears one time in the Hebrew canon, at Job 27:8, where it functions as the verb “takes away” or “draws out.” Though the lexical data point is slight, the term sits at the heart of Job’s climactic speech on divine justice, and its thematic resonance echoes throughout Scripture’s teaching on the fragility of human life and the absolute sovereignty of God. Scriptural Usage Job 27:8: “For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?” Literary Context in Job 1. Placement. Job 27 stands near the end of the dialogue section, as Job asserts his integrity and surveys the moral order. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty over Life and Death שָׁלָה in Job 27:8 stands in continuity with these declarations, affirming that every life-span rests in God’s hand. 2. The Futility of Godless Hope 3. Moral Certainty amid Suffering Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near-Eastern cultures often attributed untimely death to capricious deities or fate. Job’s use of שָׁלָה affirms a markedly Hebrew conviction: the same God who grants breath has purposeful authority to reclaim it. This worldview nourished Israel’s counter-cultural ethics—honoring life, fearing the LORD, and rejecting fatalism. Ministry and Pastoral Applications 1. Comfort in Bereavement. Believers can rest in the knowledge that life’s conclusion is never meaningless; it is an intentional act of the Creator who “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). Canonical and Christological Trajectory While Job reveals the problem—God’s just extraction of life from the ungodly—the Gospel supplies the answer: Christ voluntarily lays down His life (John 10:17–18) so that those who believe “shall never perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The singular act of שָׁלָה in Job anticipates the decisive, redemptive action where the Father “did not spare His own Son” (Romans 8:32) yet raised Him, securing everlasting security for the redeemed. Summary of Key Points • שָׁלָה occurs only in Job 27:8 but speaks volumes about God’s prerogative over life. Forms and Transliterations יֵ֖שֶׁל ישל yê·šel yêšel YeshelLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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