סִלּוֹן
a prickle (as if pendulous)
Definition
The Hebrew word סִלּוֹן refers to a sharp, thorny plant, specifically a 'prickle' or 'thorn.' It describes a type of brier that is painful and obstructive, often growing in wild or uncultivated land. In Ezekiel 2:6, it symbolizes the hostile and rebellious nature of the prophet's audience, portraying them as dangerous and resistant. In Ezekiel 28:24, it represents a source of pain and annoyance for the house of Israel, illustrating how neighboring nations cause continual distress.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, both times in the book of Ezekiel. It appears in prophetic contexts to metaphorically describe people or nations that cause pain, hostility, or obstruction to God's people. In Ezekiel 2:6, the prophet is warned that his audience will be like 'thorns' and 'briers,' emphasizing their defiance. In Ezekiel 28:24, it describes how no 'pricking brier' will remain to hurt Israel, symbolizing the removal of oppressive enemies.
Etymology
Derived from the root סָלָה (H5541), meaning 'to hang up' or 'weigh,' which suggests something pendulous or dangling. This likely refers to the hanging, thorny branches of a brier plant. The alternate form סַלּוֹן appears to be a variant. The connection to 'hanging' emphasizes the plant's physical structure, with thorns that can catch and cause injury.
Semantic Range
סִלּוֹן carries theological significance as a metaphor for sin, rebellion, and opposition to God's purposes. In Ezekiel, it illustrates how human defiance creates painful barriers to prophetic ministry and communal peace. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches Bible reading by highlighting the tangible, hurtful nature of spiritual resistance, reminding readers that God ultimately promises to remove such 'thorns' to restore His people, as seen in Ezekiel's prophecies of future restoration.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, thorny plants like סִלּוֹן were common hazards in agricultural and wilderness settings, symbolizing desolation, danger, and curse. They differed from modern ornamental thorns by being pervasive nuisances that hindered farming and travel, making them potent symbols of adversity and divine judgment in biblical imagery.
חוֹחַ (chowach, H2336) — a general term for thorn or brier, often used for various prickly plants. שָׁמִיר (shamiyr, H8068) — a harder, diamond-point thorn or brier, sometimes symbolizing extreme hardness or judgment.
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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