מְלֵחָה
𐤌𐤋𐤇𐤄
mᵉlêchâh
H4420 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A region characterized by salinity, such as land encrusted or infiltrated with salt, typically inhospitable to agriculture or habitation. The term denotes a salt-affected area, most often a wasteland, arid or barren region, unsuited for cultivation due to its salt content. It also figuratively denotes desolation or barrenness in some contexts.
Semantic Range
salt-affected land, arid terrain, barren/desolate region, wasteland, land incapable of cultivation, land under divine curse
Root / Etymology
From the root מָלַח (to salt, to become salty). The noun מְלֵחָה is formed as a feminine derivative indicating a place or state associated with salt, i.e., a 'salty [place]' or 'saltiness.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מְלֵחָה occurs infrequently (e.g., Deut 29:22[23]), describing devastated or desolate lands, often as a consequence of divine judgment (cf. the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah). The most prominent example is the region south of the Dead Sea—later referred to as the 'Salt Sea'—associated with desolation and unfruitful terrain. The term designates geographical reality (saline land) and carries metaphorical overtones of lifelessness or accursed barrenness. English translations commonly render it as 'salt land' or 'barren land,' but these may understate its symbolic weight in biblical narrative. In later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew, the imagery continues to evoke the notions of sterility and divine curse, contrasting with fertile land. The word is distinct from אֶרֶץ (land/earth), emphasizing quality (salt-afflicted) rather than simple territory. In ancient Near Eastern context, salinization of land was well understood as a sign of environmental disaster, whether by over-irrigation, drought, or deliberate action (e.g., sowing salt).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מָלַח (in its denominative sense); understood as land (אֶרֶץ); properly, salted (i.e. land), i.e. a desert; barren land(-ness), salt (land).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מלח (m-l-ḥ) — to salt, become salty, season 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
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4420-02 |
מְלֵחָ֖ה | melechah | HNcfsa |
of salt | salty wasteland | 2 |
H4420-01 |
לִ/מְלֵחָ֑ה | limelechah | HR/Ncfsa |
into a salt waste | to a salt-wasteland | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4420-02 |
Jeremiah 17:6 | מְלֵחָ֖ה | melechah | HNcfsa |
of salt | salty wasteland |
H4420-01 |
Psalms 107:34 | לִ/מְלֵחָ֑ה | limelechah | HR/Ncfsa |
into a salt waste | to a salt-wasteland |
H4420-02 |
Job 39:6 | מְלֵֽחָה | melechah | HNcfsa |
salt land | salty wasteland |