Saltness, in biblical terms, often refers to the quality or condition of being salty, which carries both literal and metaphorical significance throughout Scripture. Salt, a vital mineral for life, is frequently mentioned in the Bible, symbolizing preservation, purification, and covenantal faithfulness.

Literal Uses of Salt:

In the ancient Near East, salt was a valuable commodity, essential for preserving food and enhancing flavor. The Bible reflects this practical use in several passages. For instance, in Leviticus 2:13, God commands, "You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant of your God. You are to add salt to each of your offerings." Here, salt is integral to the offerings, symbolizing the enduring nature of God's covenant with His people.

Metaphorical and Symbolic Uses:

1. Covenant and Faithfulness:
Salt is emblematic of the eternal and unbreakable nature of God's covenant. In Numbers 18:19, the Lord declares, "All the holy contributions that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and your offspring." The "covenant of salt" signifies a perpetual and binding agreement, underscoring the faithfulness and permanence of God's promises.

2. Purification and Sacrifice:
Salt's purifying properties are highlighted in Ezekiel 43:24, where it is used in the consecration of offerings: "You are to present them before the LORD, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to the LORD." This act symbolizes the purification and sanctification necessary for acceptable worship.

3. Judgment and Desolation:
Saltness also conveys judgment and desolation. In the account of Lot's wife, who turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26), saltness represents the consequences of disobedience and the irreversible nature of divine judgment. Similarly, Deuteronomy 29:23 describes a land of judgment as "a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it."

4. Discipleship and Witness:
In the New Testament, Jesus uses salt metaphorically to describe the role of His followers. In Matthew 5:13, He states, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Here, saltness represents the preserving and purifying influence Christians are to have in the world. The loss of saltness implies a failure to fulfill one's purpose and mission.

5. Peace and Fellowship:
Salt also symbolizes peace and fellowship. In Mark 9:50, Jesus advises, "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another." This exhortation encourages believers to maintain their distinctiveness and to live in harmony with one another, reflecting the peace that comes from a life seasoned with grace and truth.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In biblical times, salt was not only a seasoning but also a symbol of hospitality and loyalty. Sharing salt in a meal was a sign of friendship and alliance. This cultural understanding enriches the biblical metaphor of saltness, emphasizing the relational and covenantal aspects of faith.

Conclusion:

Saltness in the Bible encompasses a range of meanings, from the practical to the deeply spiritual. It serves as a powerful symbol of God's covenant, the call to purity and holiness, the reality of judgment, and the mission of believers to influence the world positively. Through these varied uses, the concept of saltness underscores the enduring and transformative power of God's word and presence in the lives of His people.(n.) The quality or state of being salt, or state of being salt, or impregnated with salt; salt taste; as, the saltiness of sea water.358. analos -- saltless
... without saltiness. From a (as a negative particle) and hals; saltless, ie Insipid --
X lose saltness. see GREEK a. see GREEK hals. (analon) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/358.htm - 7k4408. malluach -- mallow
... mallows. From malach; sea-purslain (from its saltness) -- mallows. see HEBREW
malach. 4407, 4408. malluach. 4409 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4408.htm - 6k

The Salt and the Light of the World.
... For the whole worth of salt lies in its being salt; and all the saltness
of the moral salt lies in the will to be salt. To lose ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/hope of the gospel/the salt and the light.htm

False Ambition Versus Childlikeness.
... point many ancient authorities add, "and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt."]
50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxxiii false ambition versus childlikeness.htm

Offenses
... For every one shall be salted with fire. Salt is good: but if the salt
have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 9 38-50 offenses.htm

The World Compared to the Sea.
... sea, if it had not had the influx and supply of the rivers and fountains to nourish
it, would long since have been parched by reason of its saltness; so also ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xiv the world compared to.htm

Of the Praise of Solitary Life and of the First Lovers Thereof ...
... he adds: to her he gave a house in the wilderness.' Fourth, the desire of endless
bliss, when he says: and his tabernacle in the land of saltness,' for salt ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter xiv of the praise.htm

Concerning Sensation.
... The so-called gustatory qualities of the humours are these:"sweetness, pungency,
bitterness, astringency, acerbity, sourness, saltness, fattiness, stickiness ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter xviii concerning sensation.htm

The Greatest Disciple.
... For every one shall be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt
have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/the greatest disciple.htm

Description of the Desert Where Ch??remon, Nesteros, and Joseph ...
... "He hath turned rivers into a wilderness; and the springs of waters into a thirsty
land: a fruitful land into saltness for the wickedness of them that dwell ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter iii description of the.htm

Influence of the Members of the Kingdom of God in Renewing the ...
... fresh and undecayed. But if the salt lose its saltness"becomes stale and
worthless"wherewith shall it be salted? Wherewith shall ...
/.../ii influence of the members.htm

Concerning Reptiles and Flying Creatures (Ver. 20), --The ...
... all things are fair that Thou hast made, but behold, Thou art inexpressibly fairer
who hast made all things; from whom had not Adam fallen, the saltness of the ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter xx concerning reptiles and flying.htm

Saltness (3 Occurrences)
...Saltness (3 Occurrences). Matthew 5:13 "*You* are the salt of the earth; but if
salt has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? ...
/s/saltness.htm - 7k

Tasteless (4 Occurrences)
... Tasteless (4 Occurrences). Matthew 5:13 "*You* are the salt of the earth; but if
salt has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? ...
/t/tasteless.htm - 7k

Exploration
... two fountains from which the Jordan rises, and continually report the most absurd
stories about the Dead Sea and about its supernatural saltness never noticing ...
/e/exploration.htm - 38k

Longer (373 Occurrences)
... Longer (373 Occurrences). Matthew 5:13 "*You* are the salt of the earth; but if
salt has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? ...
/l/longer.htm - 36k

Wherewith (182 Occurrences)
... Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye
season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. ...
/w/wherewith.htm - 38k

Thrown (126 Occurrences)
... WEY). Matthew 5:13 "*You* are the salt of the earth; but if salt has become
tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? It ...
/t/thrown.htm - 37k

Regain (12 Occurrences)
... Regain (12 Occurrences). Matthew 5:13 "*You* are the salt of the earth; but if salt
has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? ...
/r/regain.htm - 10k

Marsh (4 Occurrences)
... mortar"; (5) ma`abheh ha-'adhamah (1 Kings 7:46), and `abhi ha-'adhamah (2 Chronicles
4:17), "clay ground"): In the vision of Ezekiel the saltness of the Dead ...
/m/marsh.htm - 9k

Passers (3 Occurrences)
... Passers (3 Occurrences). Matthew 5:13 "*You* are the salt of the earth; but if salt
has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? ...
/p/passers.htm - 7k

Anything (462 Occurrences)
... Anything (462 Occurrences). Matthew 5:13 "*You* are the salt of the earth; but if
salt has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? ...
/a/anything.htm - 34k

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