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סָלַף

𐤎𐤋𐤐

çâlaph

H5557 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To twist, distort, or pervert, especially in the context of moral, ethical, or social standards; to overturn, overthrow, or subvert established order or integrity. Used both literally for physical twisting and figuratively for moral or legal corruption or subversion of justice.

Semantic Range

to twist physically, to turn aside, to pervert morally, to subvert or undermine justice, to overthrow integrity or order, to corrupt

Root / Etymology

Root is ס־ל־ף (סָלַף), from the Hebrew root meaning 'to twist, turn aside, pervert.' The verb formation suggests causative or intensive action relating to turning or twisting. The lexical meaning diverges from the mere physical act and overwhelmingly appears in figurative contexts, particularly regarding the twisting or perverting of justice, truth, or righteousness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, סָלַף is primarily used in wisdom literature (notably Proverbs) to describe someone who distorts moral order or perverts justice. Its usage underscores the idea of fundamentally undermining ethical standards or societal stability. While Strong’s gloss includes the notion of 'overthrow' or 'subvert,' the weight of evidence in biblical usage points more to moral and legal distortion than to political revolution. The root is relatively uncommon and does not directly overlap with more frequent terms for violence or rebellion (e.g., שָׁחַת for corruption/destruction or חָמָס for violence). Later Hebrew and post-biblical traditions continue to use derivatives of this root for ideas of distortion or perversion. English translations often render the verb as 'pervert,' 'subvert,' 'corrupt,' or 'overthrow,' but these sometimes miss the nuance of moral or legal twisting intended in the original context.

Translation Consistency

primary "pervert" 6 occurrences

Most occurrences in the dataset use "pervert/perverts," and the SILEX range centers on twisting or corrupting morally or legally. "Pervert" naturally covers literal twisting and the primary figurative senses (to corrupt, subvert, or turn aside justice), matching typical biblical usage and providing a consistent, natural English rendering.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"overthrew" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to wrench, i.e. (figuratively) to subvert; overthrow, pervert.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

סלף (çâlaph) — to twist, distort, pervert

Root סלף to twist, distort, pervert
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5558 סֶלֶף and distortion-of

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5557-02 תְּסַלֵּ֥ף tesalef HVpi3fs overthrows she perverts perverts 2
H5557-04 וִֽ/יסַלֵּ֖ף visalef HC/Vpi3ms and-subverts he perverts and he will pervert 2
H5557-01 מְסַלֵּ֖ף mesalef HVprmsa overthrows the one who perverts the one who perverts 1
H5557-03 וַ֝/יְסַלֵּ֗ף vayesalef HC/Vpw3ms but he overthrows and he perverted and he overthrew 1
H5557-05 יְסַלֵּֽף yesalef HVpi3ms overthrows he perverts he perverts 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5557-04 Exodus 23:8 וִֽ/יסַלֵּ֖ף visalef HC/Vpi3ms and-subverts he perverts and he will pervert
H5557-04 Deuteronomy 16:19 וִֽ/יסַלֵּ֖ף visalef HC/Vpi3ms and twists he perverts and he will pervert
H5557-02 Proverbs 13:6 תְּסַלֵּ֥ף tesalef HVpi3fs overthrows she perverts perverts
H5557-02 Proverbs 19:3 תְּסַלֵּ֣ף tesalef HVpi3fs perverts she perverts she perverts
H5557-01 Proverbs 21:12 מְסַלֵּ֖ף mesalef HVprmsa overthrows the one who perverts the one who perverts
H5557-03 Proverbs 22:12 וַ֝/יְסַלֵּ֗ף vayesalef HC/Vpw3ms but he overthrows and he perverted and he overthrew
H5557-05 Job 12:19 יְסַלֵּֽף yesalef HVpi3ms overthrows he perverts he perverts
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