סָלָא
to suspend in a balance, i.e. weigh
Definition
The Hebrew verb סָלָא (çâlâʼ) means 'to weigh' or 'to suspend in a balance.' It specifically refers to the act of measuring weight, often in a metaphorical sense of evaluating worth or value. In its sole biblical occurrence in Lamentations 4:2, it is used figuratively to describe how the precious people of Zion, once valued like pure gold, are now regarded as worthless, like common pottery. This usage emphasizes a dramatic shift in perceived value and status.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Lamentations 4:2. It appears in a poetic, lament context where the prophet Jeremiah contrasts the former exalted state of Jerusalem's inhabitants with their current degraded condition. The usage is metaphorical, employing the imagery of weighing precious metal to convey a theological point about judgment and loss of honor.
Etymology
סָלָא is a primitive root. Its core meaning relates to weighing or balancing. Cognates in other Semitic languages, such as Akkadian, support the sense of 'lifting' or 'weighing.' The semantic development likely moved from the physical act of suspending something in scales to the conceptual act of assessing value.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this word carries significant theological weight in its context. It vividly illustrates the theme of divine judgment and the reversal of fortune for God's people. The metaphor of weighing gold versus pottery underscores the profound loss of covenant blessing and status due to sin. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Lamentations by highlighting the precise imagery of devaluation and God's severe evaluation of His people's faithfulness.
In the ancient Near East, weighing precious metals on scales was a common practice for commerce and assessing treasure. Gold was the standard of high value and purity, while common pottery was cheap and disposable. The metaphor in Lamentations 4:2 would have been immediately understood by the original audience as a shocking demotion from the highest to the lowest social and material worth.
שָׁקַל (shâqal, H8254) — the more common general verb for 'to weigh' something. סָלָא is rarer and carries a more specific nuance of suspending or balancing in the scales for evaluation.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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