שָׁלַף
to pull out, up or off
Definition
The Hebrew verb שָׁלַף (shâlaph) primarily means 'to draw out' or 'pull out,' often with force. It describes the action of unsheathing a sword from its scabbard, as seen when the angel of the Lord confronts Balaam (Numbers 22:23, 31) and when Joshua meets the commander of the Lord's army (Joshua 5:13). In other contexts, it can mean to pluck or tear something off, such as hair or clothing, or to pull up, as in uprooting. The sense of forceful removal is consistent across its uses.
Biblical Usage
This verb appears 24 times, predominantly in narrative books like Judges, Numbers, and Joshua. Its most frequent usage is in martial contexts, describing the drawing of a sword for battle or judgment (e.g., Judges 3:22, 8:20). It also appears in scenes of personal violence or symbolic action, such as Ehud drawing his sword to assassinate King Eglon (Judges 3:22) or a woman casting a millstone (Judges 9:53, where the verb is used for 'throwing'). The action is typically sudden and decisive.
Etymology
שָׁלַף is a primitive root in Hebrew. It is related to the Akkadian word 'salāpu,' meaning 'to draw out' or 'pull,' suggesting a common Semitic origin for this concept of extraction. The root conveys the basic idea of removing something from its contained or embedded position.
Semantic Range
The word is significant in narratives of divine intervention and human conflict. When used for drawing a sword, especially by divine agents (Numbers 22:23, 31; Joshua 5:13), it marks moments of God's direct judgment, protection, or the inauguration of holy war. Understanding this verb highlights the suddenness and decisiveness of God's actions in the biblical story, often serving as a turning point in a narrative.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, drawing a sword was a formal, deliberate act that initiated combat or signified a lethal threat. It was not done lightly. The act of 'drawing' (שָׁלַף) a weapon carried more ceremonial and definitive weight than in many modern contexts, representing an irreversible move toward violence or judgment.
לָקַח (lāqach, H3947) — a more general term for 'to take' or 'receive,' without the specific connotation of forceful extraction. יָצָא (yātsā', H3318) — means 'to go out' or 'come forth,' focusing on the movement itself rather than the act of pulling. שָׁלַח (shālach, H7971) — means 'to send' or 'stretch out,' often for releasing rather than drawing 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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