Lexical Summary
tselel: Shadow, shade
Original Word:צֵלֶל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:tselel
Pronunciation:tseh'-lel
Phonetic Spelling:(tsay'-lel)
KJV: shadow
Word Origin:[fromH6751 (צָּלַל - grew dark)]
1. shade
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
shadow
Fromtsalal; shade -- shadow.
see HEBREWtsalal
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originthe same as
tsel, q.v.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewצֵלֶל (ṣēlel) denotes a deep or intensified shadow. The term appears four times, each instance depicting shade that is either welcome or ominous, thereby enriching Scripture’s theology of light and darkness.
Occurrences and Narrative Settings
1.Job 40:22 – Creation’s grandeur: “The lotus plants conceal him in their shadow; the poplars of the brook surround him.”
2. Song of Songs 2:17 – Anticipated union: “Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved…”
3. Song of Songs 4:6 – Devoted pursuit: “Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh…”
4.Jeremiah 6:4 – Impending judgment: “Woe to us, for the day is fading; the evening shadows grow long.”
Shadows as Habitat and Provision
In Job, ṣēlel describes the luxuriant shade that shelters Behemoth. The picture of a massive creature resting securely under foliage underscores the Creator’s thoughtful provision. The depth of the shade magnifies divine care; even the mightiest beast depends on God-given cover.Psalm 91:1 echoes the motif: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Shade signifies safety amid overwhelming forces.
Shadows as Symbol of Transience and Romance
The Song of Songs uses the plural “shadows” to portray fleeting gloom. Dawn will dispel them, so the lovers’ separation is only temporary. The poetry thereby celebrates hope: night cannot endure before covenant love and approaching light. Transience teaches that present hardships—whether distance or spiritual darkness—will retreat before the Morning Star (2 Peter 1:19).
Shadows as Portent of Judgment
Jeremiah employs ṣēlel in the prophetic warning against Jerusalem. The “evening shadows” lengthen, signaling the sun’s decline and Babylon’s advance. What is tranquil in Job becomes threatening here, illustrating the moral dimension of shade. The same Creator who comforts can also darken the sky in righteous discipline (Amos 5:18).
Theological Themes
1. Dependence: All creatures, from Behemoth to human lovers, seek relief from scorching heat. Shade depicts humanity’s need for divine covering.
2. Ephemerality: Shadows flee before light, reminding believers that earthly life and its sorrows are momentary (James 4:14).
3. Moral polarity: Shade can nourish or herald doom, depending on the heart’s posture toward God (John 3:19-21).
Christological Reflection
Messiah embodies both refuge and sunrise. His cross is the place of shade—“the sun failed, and darkness came over the whole land” (Luke 23:45)—yet His resurrection is the dawn that makes shadows flee.Revelation 22:5 promises, “There will be no more night,” fulfilling the imagery of Song of Songs.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Pastoral Care: Encourage weary saints to find rest “in the shadow of the Almighty,” as Job’s Behemoth instinctively does.
• Preaching: UseJeremiah 6:4 to warn that continued rebellion lengthens evening shadows; repentance welcomes the sunrise of grace.
• Worship: Songs and liturgy may employ the language of fleeting shadows to cultivate anticipation of Christ’s return.
• Counseling: Couples struggling with separation can draw hope from the Song of Songs—periods of darkness are temporary under God’s sovereign timeline.
Conclusion
צֵלֶל masterfully portrays the ambivalence of shadow: comfort for the faithful, foreboding for the defiant. Each occurrence invites the reader to seek the true and everlasting Light while gratefully resting under His protective shade.
Forms and Transliterations
הַצְּלָלִ֑ים הצללים צִֽלֲל֑וֹ צִלְלֵי־ צללו צללי־ haṣ·ṣə·lā·lîm haṣṣəlālîm hatztzelaLim ṣi·lă·lōw ṣil·lê- ṣilălōw ṣillê- tzilaLo tzillei
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