מְצֻלָּה
𐤌𐤑𐤋𐤄
mᵉtsullâh
H4699 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Deep place, particularly a deep body of water or watery abyss; usually denotes a profound depth such as the deep sea, ocean, or the bottom of the sea. In poetic and narrative contexts, can refer to the engulfing depths or the location where objects are irretrievably lost beneath water.
Semantic Range
deep waters, depths of the sea, deep abyss, place of sinking, bottom (of the ocean or sea), watery depths, engulfing waters
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root צָלַל (ts-l-l), meaning 'to sink, be submerged, be deeply shaded.' The form מְצֻלָּה (mᵉtsullâh) is a feminine noun formation with the mem prefix, sometimes signifying the place/area of an action, here indicating 'the place of sinking' or 'deep place.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מְצֻלָּה commonly denotes the depths of the sea or ocean, especially as a place into which things vanish from human sight—examples include Pharaoh's army (Exod 15:5) and sin metaphorically cast away (Mic 7:19). The term evokes imagery of inaccessibility and utter loss, playing both literal and figurative roles in poetic literature. Later translations (including the Septuagint and Vulgate) variously render it as abyss, deep, or sea-bottom. The word appears most often in poetry and high-stylistic narrative, rarely as a mundane term for 'bottom.' Distinct from יָם (yam, 'sea') or תְּהוֹם (tᵉhôm, 'deep, abyss'), מְצֻלָּה emphasizes impenetrable depth rather than expanse or primordial chaos. Standard English translations as 'depths' or 'deep waters' reflect its contextual usage, though sometimes the full sense of hopeless submersion may be missed.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from צָלַל; shade; bottom.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
צַלַל (mᵉtsullâh) — to sink, to be submerged, to be shaded
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6750 | צָלַל | they will cause to ring |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4699-01 |
בַּ/מְּצֻלָ֑ה | bametsulah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in the valley | in the deep abyss | in the valley | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4699-01 |
Zechariah 1:8 | בַּ/מְּצֻלָ֑ה | bametsulah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in the valley | in the deep abyss | in the valley |