צַלַּחַת

𐤑𐤋𐤇𐤕

tsallachath

H6747 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צלח to advance, to succeed, to prosper

Definition

A shallow dish, plate, or bowl used for holding food, liquids, or offerings. In its biblical context, 'tsallachath' refers to a vessel typically made of clay or metal, used in domestic and ritual activities. The term may convey the idea of a broad, open container rather than a deep vessel. In rare figurative usage, it can denote a 'bosom' as a receptacle for something held close.

Semantic Range

shallow dish, broad bowl, plate, vessel for food or offerings, figuratively: bosom (receptacle)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root צלח, which generally means 'to advance, prosper, succeed.' The derivation is based on the notion of something broad or extended forward, although the connection between the root meaning and the form of a dish is not entirely certain. It may be a later or secondary development of the root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, 'tsallachath' is attested as a common utensil found in both everyday and cultic contexts (e.g., 2 Kings 2:20; Judges 6:38). Its specific form—shallow and wide—is supported by both comparative Semitic cognates and archaeological evidence from the region. English translations often obscure this nuance by rendering the word simply as 'dish' or 'bowl,' but the original term implies a type of vessel distinct from deeper bowls (e.g., קערה, qa'arah) or cups. In Judges 6:38, the context is a domestic vessel; in 2 Kings 2:20, it is part of a prophetic act. Rarely, by extension, the word is used in a figurative sense to mean a place where things are gathered or held close, as one would hold something in the bosom. This sense is not prominent in most occurrences. In later Hebrew, the word does not appear frequently and is largely limited to biblical and early post-biblical texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from צָלַח; something advanced or deep, i.e. a bowl; figuratively, the bosom; bosom, dish.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צלח (ts-l-ḥ) — advance, prosper, succeed

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6743 צָלַח in one causing to prosper
H6744 צְלַח he made prosper
H6745 צֵלָחָה and in the spread-out platters
H6746 צְלֹחִית pouring flask
H6766 צֶלְצַח in Tseltsach

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6747-01 בַּ/צַּלָּ֑חַת batsalachat HRd/Ncfsa in the dish in the broad dish 2
H6747-02 הַ/צַּלַּ֨חַת֙ hatsalachat HTd/Ncfsa the dish the broad dish 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6747-02 2 Kings 21:13 הַ/צַּלַּ֨חַת֙ hatsalachat HTd/Ncfsa the dish the broad dish
H6747-01 Proverbs 19:24 בַּ/צַּלָּ֑חַת batsalachat HRd/Ncfsa in the dish in the broad dish
H6747-01 Proverbs 26:15 בַּ/צַּלָּ֑חַת batsalachat HRd/Ncfsa in the dish in the broad dish