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מַלָּח

𐤌𐤋𐤇

mallâch

H4419 noun

SILEX Entry

Root מַלַּח to salt, to make salty, to preserve with salt

Definition

A mariner, sailor—one who navigates or works aboard a ship. In biblical contexts, מַלָּח refers to a professional or hired individual responsible for the management, operation, or navigation of boats or sea vessels. This term is used in accounts of seafaring, especially where goods or passengers are transported by water, often as part of commercial or international trade.

Semantic Range

sailor, mariner, one who works on ships or boats, sea navigator, professional seafarer

Root / Etymology

From the root מָלַח (mlḥ), meaning 'to salt' or 'to become salty.' The derived noun מַלָּח draws metaphorically from the root, indicating one who is associated with salt, i.e., the sea, hence 'sailor' or 'mariner.' The semantic transfer from 'salt' to 'sailor' arises through the association of seawater as salty and the livelihood of sailors being directly tied to the sea.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַלָּח appears primarily in exilic and post-exilic biblical literature (notably Ezekiel 27:9, 27:29; Jonah 1:5). The term reflects an increasing familiarity with international trade and seafaring during the late First Temple and exilic periods. Earlier Hebrew texts lack specific terminology for professional sailors, reflecting a society less engaged with long-distance maritime activity. מַלָּח stands distinct from general terms for travelers or merchants, specifying ship-based transport. In ancient Israelite context, the term applied largely to foreigners or non-Israelite specialists employed in Phoenician or international shipping—see Ezekiel’s oracles regarding Tyre. Later usage (Second Temple and post-biblical literature) continues the association, and in modern Hebrew, מַלָּח remains the standard term for 'sailor.' The strong association with the sea ('by salt') is unique among Semitic languages and has no direct equivalent in earlier Hebrew until these later periods.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from מָלַח in its second. sense; a sailor (as following 'the salt'); mariner.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מלח (m-l-ḥ) — salt, salting, becoming salty, preservation with salt

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4408 מַלּוּחַ saltwort
H4414 מָלַח you were salted
H4415 מְלַח we have eaten salt
H4416 מְלַח salt
H4417 מֶלַח in the salt

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4419-03 מַלָּחִ֕ים malachim HNcmpa sailors salt-seafarers 1
H4419-01 הַ/מַּלָּחִ֗ים hamalachim HTd/Ncmpa the mariners the sailors 1
H4419-02 מַלָּחַ֖יִ/ךְ malachayikhe HNcmpc/Sp2fs your sailors your mariners 1
H4419-04 וּ/מַלָּֽחֵי/הֶם֙ umalacheyhem HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp and their mariners and their sailors 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4419-04 Ezekiel 27:9 וּ/מַלָּֽחֵי/הֶם֙ umalacheyhem HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp and their mariners and their sailors
H4419-02 Ezekiel 27:27 מַלָּחַ֖יִ/ךְ malachayikhe HNcmpc/Sp2fs your sailors your mariners
H4419-03 Ezekiel 27:29 מַלָּחִ֕ים malachim HNcmpa sailors salt-seafarers
H4419-01 Jonah 1:5 הַ/מַּלָּחִ֗ים hamalachim HTd/Ncmpa the mariners the sailors
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