צֶלַע
𐤑𐤋𐤏
tselaʻ
H6761 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Adversity, hardship, or affliction—often in the sense of an unfavorable situation or state, especially one that hinders normal movement or progress. The term can carry the connotation of 'limping' or being 'halted' due to distress or impairment, and is used figuratively for personal or communal misfortune.
Semantic Range
limping, being crippled, adversity, misfortune, affliction, hardship, being impeded
Root / Etymology
Hebrew root צלע (ts-l-ʿ), meaning 'to limp, to be lame, to be hindered in walking.' The noun form draws from the root sense of limping or being physically impaired and extends figuratively to encompass situations of adversity or affliction.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צֶלַע appears primarily in the book of Job (e.g., Job 30:24) and is rare in the Hebrew Bible. Its usage is distinctly figurative, referring not to the physical act of limping but to states of hardship or suffering, likely drawing metaphorically from the experience of being crippled or restrained. It contrasts with other Hebrew terms for suffering or trouble (e.g., צָרָה), which more often denote distress in general, without this metaphor of physical impairment. The meaning does not denote sin, moral deficiency, or purely medical conditions but focuses on social or existential adversity. In later tradition and in Rabbinic Hebrew, the term does not retain wide usage. English translations such as 'adversity,' 'affliction,' or 'calamity' capture only the abstract sense, while the original metaphorical nuance of limping or being physically impeded is often lost.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from צָלַע; a limping or full (figuratively); adversity, halt(-ing).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צלע (ts-l-ʿ) — to limp, to be lame, to be physically hindered
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5967 | עֲלַע | ribs |
| H6760 | צָלַע | the limping one |
| H6762 | צֶלַע | in Tselaʻ |
| H6763 | צֵלָע | in side-panels of |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6761-01 |
לְ/צֶ֣לַע | letsela | HR/Ncmsa |
ready to fall | limping affliction | 1 |
H6761-02 |
צַלְעִ֑/י | tsalei | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
for my stumbling | my limping hardship | 1 |
H6761-03 |
וּ/בְ/צַלְעִ/י֮ | uvetsalei | HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
but in my limping | and in my limping | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6761-02 |
Jeremiah 20:10 | צַלְעִ֑/י | tsalei | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
for my stumbling | my limping hardship |
H6761-03 |
Psalms 35:15 | וּ/בְ/צַלְעִ/י֮ | uvetsalei | HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
but in my limping | and in my limping |
H6761-01 |
Psalms 38:18 | לְ/צֶ֣לַע | letsela | HR/Ncmsa |
ready to fall | limping affliction |