מָלָח
a rag or old garment
Definition
The Hebrew noun מָלָח (mâlâch) refers specifically to a worn-out, tattered piece of cloth, best understood as a rag or an old, worthless garment. It appears only in the context of the prophet Jeremiah's rescue from a cistern in Jeremiah 38:11-12. There, the rags were used practically to pad Jeremiah's armpits before pulling him up with ropes, preventing injury. The word carries a strong connotation of something decayed, rotten, and of little value, as reflected in the KJV's translation 'rotten rag.' No other distinct biblical meanings are attested for this specific noun form.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the book of Jeremiah, in two consecutive verses describing the same event (Jeremiah 38:11, 38:12). Its usage is purely descriptive and practical, denoting the specific material—old, cast-off cloth rags—used in a rescue operation. There is no figurative or symbolic usage elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Etymology
מָלָח (mâlâch) is derived from the root מָלַח (mālach, H4414), which primarily means 'to salt' or 'to season.' In one of its derived senses, this root can imply 'to rub to pieces' or 'to wear away,' which fittingly gives rise to the noun meaning a rag or a garment worn to tatters. This connection highlights the idea of something being thoroughly used up and rendered worthless.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near East, cloth and garments were valuable commodities. The specific use of 'rotten rags' in Jeremiah 38:11 underscores the prophet's dire, humiliating circumstances—imprisoned in a muddy cistern and rescued with the cheapest, most worthless materials available. It visually contrasts his lowly state with his high calling as God's prophet, emphasizing God's deliverance often comes through humble means.
בֶּגֶד (beged, H899) — a general term for garment or clothing, without the connotation of worthlessness. שַׂק (śaq, H8242) — sackcloth, a coarse garment often associated with mourning or repentance, not necessarily worn-out.
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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