שֶׁלַח
𐤔𐤋𐤇
Shelach
H7974 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name referring to a postdiluvian ancestor in Genesis genealogies, commonly rendered as Shelach or Salah. The name designates the son of Arpachshad and ancestor in the line leading to Abraham. Its primary lexical sense is as a proper noun, with possible underlying connotations (deriving from the root) of being sent forth or an emissary, though as a personal name these connections are often opaque.
Semantic Range
proper name (postdiluvian ancestor, son of Arpachshad); in other contexts, possibly connected to meanings of sending, dispatching, or emitting (rarely applied to the personal name)
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root שׁלח (š-l-ḥ), meaning 'to send' or 'send forth.' שֶׁלַח (Shelach) is a proper noun personal name, possibly originally meaning 'shoot out, send forth,' but in biblical usage it functions solely as a name. Occasional attempts to connect it to other similarly spelled roots are speculative; the etymology is possible but not certain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שֶׁלַח (Shelach) appears primarily in the genealogical lists of Genesis (10:24, 11:12–15) and in 1 Chronicles 1:18, 24 as an Israelite ancestor between Arpachshad and Eber. In no place is it associated with the later religious or ethnic identities such as 'Jew' or 'Judean.' English Bible versions vary in transliteration, often rendering the name as Shelah or Salah, diverging from the original Hebrew pronunciation. The meaning of the name as a common noun (e.g., 'javelin, spear') is separate from its use as a personal name in genealogies. The connection to sending or being sent is primarily etymological and not explicit in the narrative use.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as שֶׁלַח; Shelach, a postdiluvian patriarch; Salah, Shelah. Compare שִׁלֹחַlemma שִׁלֹּחַ extra dagesh, corrected to שִׁלֹחַ.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁלח (š-l-ḥ) — to send, to send forth, to dispatch
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7977 | שִׁלְחִי | Descendant of Sent-out |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7974-01 |
שָׁ֑לַח | shalach | HNp |
Shelah | Shelach | 4 |
H7974-03 |
וְ/שֶׁ֖לַח | veshelach | HC/Np |
and Shelah | and Shelach | 3 |
H7974-02 |
שֶׁ֔לַח | shelach | HNp |
Shelah | Shelach | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7974-01 |
Genesis 10:24 | שָׁ֑לַח | shalach | HNp |
Shelah | Shelach |
H7974-03 |
Genesis 10:24 | וְ/שֶׁ֖לַח | veshelach | HC/Np |
and Shelah | and Shelach |
H7974-01 |
Genesis 11:12 | שָֽׁלַח | shalach | HNp |
Shelah | Shelach |
H7974-02 |
Genesis 11:13 | שֶׁ֔לַח | shelach | HNp |
Shelah | Shelach |
H7974-03 |
Genesis 11:14 | וְ/שֶׁ֥לַח | veshelach | HC/Np |
And Shelah | and Shelach |
H7974-02 |
Genesis 11:15 | שֶׁ֗לַח | shelach | HNp |
Shelah | Shelach |
H7974-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:18 | שָׁ֑לַח | shalach | HNp |
Shelah | Shelach |
H7974-03 |
1 Chronicles 1:18 | וְ/שֶׁ֖לַח | veshelach | HC/Np |
and Shelah | and Shelach |
H7974-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:24 | שָֽׁלַח | shalach | HNp |
Shelah | Shelach |