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סֹלֶת

𐤎𐤋𐤕

çôleth

H5560 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain to strip, to remove coverings (hypothetical)

Definition

Finely milled flour, especially of wheat, characterized by its high quality and purity. Used primarily for sacrificial offerings and as a high-status food in daily life. The term denotes the finest grade of ground grain, in distinction from coarser meal or unrefined flour.

Semantic Range

finest wheat flour, refined flour for offerings, high-quality flour for food preparation; technical term for purity in cultic context

Root / Etymology

Root: uncertain; Strong's suggests an unused root meaning 'to strip,' but the exact root is not attested elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew. Related Northwest Semitic cognates are lacking, and the term appears to be a technical or specialized noun in Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

סֹלֶת refers almost exclusively to the finest wheat flour used in food preparation and, especially, in religious contexts for grain offerings (minḥah) in the tabernacle and temple cult. Its usage is particularly common in Priestly and ritual texts (e.g., in Leviticus and Numbers), indicating its association with purity and selectivity, and thus suitability for sacral purposes. While standard English translations often render it as 'fine flour,' this does not always capture the specific sense of high-quality, carefully prepared wheat product in Israelite context. In contrast to קֶמַח (qemaḥ, 'meal, flour' in general, sometimes of barley or lower-quality grain), סֹלֶת always denotes wheat flour of a refined grade, free from bran and impurities. Over time, the term continued to denote elite flour for cultic and culinary use into later Jewish tradition. The word is not used for barley flour or ordinary bread-making flour.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to strip; flour (as chipped off); (fine) flour, meal.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סלת (s-l-t) — stripping, refining, removing coverings (hypothetical)

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5560-04 סֹ֔לֶת solet HNcfsa fine flour finely refined flour 47
H5560-01 הַ/סֹּ֑לֶת hasolet HTd/Ncfsa the fine flour the finest flour 2
H5560-05 וּ/לְ/סֹ֤לֶת ulesolet HC/R/Ncfsa and-for-fine-flour finest flour 1
H5560-03 מִ/סֹּ֤לֶת misolet HR/Ncfsc from-flour finest flour of 1
H5560-02 מִ/סָּלְתָּ/הּ֙ misaletah HR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs of its fine flour from her finest flour 1
H5560-06 וְ/סֹ֣לֶת vesolet HC/Ncfsa and-flour finest flour 1

Occurrences in Scripture

53 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5560-04 Genesis 18:6 סֹ֔לֶת solet HNcfsa fine flour finely refined flour
H5560-04 Exodus 29:2 סֹ֥לֶת solet HNcfsc fine flour finely refined flour
H5560-04 Exodus 29:40 סֹ֜לֶת solet HNcfsa fine-flour finely refined flour
H5560-04 Leviticus 2:1 סֹ֖לֶת solet HNcfsa fine flour finely refined flour
H5560-02 Leviticus 2:2 מִ/סָּלְתָּ/הּ֙ misaletah HR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs of its fine flour from her finest flour
H5560-04 Leviticus 2:4 סֹ֣לֶת solet HNcfsc fine flour finely refined flour
H5560-04 Leviticus 2:5 סֹ֛לֶת solet HNcfsa fine flour finely refined flour
H5560-04 Leviticus 2:7 סֹ֥לֶת solet HNcfsa fine flour finely refined flour
H5560-04 Leviticus 5:11 סֹ֖לֶת solet HNcfsa fine flour finely refined flour
H5560-03 Leviticus 6:8 מִ/סֹּ֤לֶת misolet HR/Ncfsc from-flour finest flour of
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