צָלִי
𐤑𐤋𐤉
tsâlîy
H6748 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A portion of food, especially meat, prepared by roasting over fire or coals; most commonly 'roasted' in a culinary context. It signifies a state resulting from the process of roasting, typically of sacrificial or celebratory foods. The form is a passive participle, highlighting the state of having been roasted rather than the act itself.
Semantic Range
roasted (of food, especially meat); roast (as a prepared state); roasted food; specifically of ritual meat (e.g. Passover lamb), as distinct from food that is boiled or stewed
Root / Etymology
From the root צָלָה (ṣ-l-h), which means 'to roast, to broil, to dry by heat.' צָלִי is the masculine singular passive participle form, so literally 'roasted' or 'that which is roasted.' The noun derives directly from the verbal idea and indicates something in a roasted state.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, צָלִי appears in the context of ritual and celebratory meals, especially the Passover lamb, which was required to be roasted (Exodus 12:8-9). Roasting was considered distinct from boiling or stewing, and the term marks a specific mode of preparation with ritual significance. In biblical practice, roasting over fire denoted thorough cooking and was occasionally contrasted with other forms such as boiling, reflecting not only culinary preference but also observance of religious instruction. English translations typically render צָלִי as 'roasted' or 'roast,' but some contexts stress the specific method and ritual importance of roasting, which can be obscured by general translation. The participle form means the word refers to the state of the food, not an action or imperative. The term does not appear widely outside the sacrificial and festal food context in biblical usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
passive participle of צָלָה; roasted; roast.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צלה (ṣ-l-h) — to roast, to broil, to cook by fire
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6740 | צָלָה | I will roast |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6748-02 |
צְלִי | tseli | HNcmsc |
roast | roasted meat | 2 |
H6748-01 |
צָלִ֖י | tsali | HNcmsa |
roast | roasted meat | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6748-02 |
Exodus 12:8 | צְלִי | tseli | HNcmsc |
roasted | roasted meat |
H6748-02 |
Exodus 12:9 | צְלִי | tseli | HNcmsc |
roast | roasted meat |
H6748-01 |
Isaiah 44:16 | צָלִ֖י | tsali | HNcmsa |
roast | roasted meat |