Lexical Summary
shelach: weapon, defenses, Sheol
Original Word:שֶׁלַח
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:shelach
Pronunciation:sheh-lakh
Phonetic Spelling:(sheh'-lakh)
KJV: dart, plant, X put off, sword, weapon
NASB:weapon, defenses, Sheol, shoots, weapons
Word Origin:[fromH7971 (שָׁלַח - sent)]
1. a missile of attack, i.e. spear
2. (figuratively) a shoot of growth, i.e. branch
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
dart, plant, put off, sword, weapon
Fromshalach; a missile of attack, i.e. Spear; also (figuratively) a shoot of growth; i.e. Branch -- dart, plant, X put off, sword, weapon.
see HEBREWshalach
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
shalachDefinitiona missile, weapon, sprout
NASB Translationdefenses (1), Sheol (1), shoots (1), weapon (3), weapons (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (late); — absolute
Joel 2:8 +,
Nehemiah 4:11;
Job 33:18, suffix
Nehemiah 4:17; plural 2Chronicles 23:10, etc.; —
missile, weapon,Nehemiah 4:11 andNehemiah 4:17 (where corrupt; read probably or ; see Ryle BeRy Berthol), 2 Chronicles 23:10 (distinguished from , ); collective 2 Chronicles 32:5 andJob 33:18;Job 36:12 (perish by or <rush upon [and perish]),Joel 2:8 (see ).
sprout, shoot (compare [], and √Psalm 80:12;Jeremiah 17:8),Songs 4:13 (figurative; meaning ? PerlesAnal. 63 proposesthy two cheeks); + probablyEzekiel 31:5 (read Co Toy and others, or [withEzekiel 31:6] Krae).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Range of UsageShelach embraces two spheres of daily life in ancient Israel. In royal and military texts it denotes hand-held armaments—spears, javelins, or general “weapons.” In wisdom and poetic passages it surprisingly describes an “orchard,” a cultivated enclosure that shelters and nourishes precious fruit. The same consonants thus span both conflict and cultivation, reminding the reader that God orders every human endeavor, whether guarding life or tending life.
Occurrences in Scripture
1.2 Chronicles 23:10 – weapons distributed to protect the rightful king.
2.2 Chronicles 32:5 – Hezekiah’s manufacture of weapons for Jerusalem’s defense.
3.Nehemiah 4:17 – builders labor with weapon in one hand, tool in the other.
4.Nehemiah 4:23 – continual readiness; each worker keeps his weapon at his side.
5.Job 33:18 – divine mercy preserves a man “from perishing by the sword.”
6.Job 36:12 – refusal to listen brings death “by the sword.”
7. Song of Songs 4:13 – the bride’s garden likened to “an orchard of pomegranates.”
8.Joel 2:8 – invading army breaks through “the defenses” without disrupting formation.
Military Connotation: Instruments of Defense and Judgment
In the Chronicler’s record of Joash’s coronation the Levites ring the young king with shelach, forming a living shield at “the altar and the temple” (2 Chronicles 23:10). The episode highlights covenant faithfulness: the weapons are not for personal ambition but for preserving David’s lineage and the worship of the LORD.
Hezekiah, facing Assyrian aggression, “made weapons and shields in abundance” (2 Chronicles 32:5). Shelach appears amid a catalogue of fortifications, underlining prudent human action that complements unwavering trust in God (cf.2 Chronicles 32:7–8). Scripture shows no conflict between spiritual dependence and strategic preparation.
In Nehemiah’s memoirs, shelach becomes the emblem of watchful service. Builders are pictured “with one hand and held a weapon with the other” (Nehemiah 4:17). Ministry and vigilance intertwine; the wall rises because the people refuse to lay aside either the trowel or the spear. The text anticipates Paul’s call to “stand firm” while “always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58;Ephesians 6:10–18).
Job’s dialogues shift shelach from the hands of God’s servants to the potential tool of His discipline. Elihu declares that the LORD “spares his soul from the Pit, his life from perishing by the sword” (Job 33:18), yet warns that stubbornness leads to death “by the sword” (Job 36:12). The weapon here is neither Asherite nor Israelite but a metonym for divine judgment. The military nuance stresses accountability: the same Sovereign who can restrain the sword can also release it.
Joel 2:8 presents the terrifying efficiency of the locust-like army. They surge through “the defenses” (shelach) of human cities. Weapons forged by sinners cannot thwart the day of the LORD; only repentance (Joel 2:12–14) provides refuge.
Agricultural Connotation: Orchards and Fruitfulness
Song of Songs 4:13 turns the meaning toward delight and fertility: “Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest of fruit.” The bride, portrayed as a well-watered garden, yields fragrance and nourishment for her beloved. Within the canon this image anticipates the eschatological restoration when Israel will “blossom and bud and fill the whole world with fruit” (Isaiah 27:6). The semantic leap from weapon to orchard teaches that peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of cultivated abundance.
Historical Setting of the Eight References
• Judah under Athaliah and Joash (ninth century BC) — weapons defend covenant monarchy.
• Judah under Hezekiah (late eighth century BC) — Assyrian threat spurs military innovation.
• Post-exilic Jerusalem (mid-fifth century BC) — returned exiles rebuild with weaponry at hand.
• Patriarchal era dramatized in Job — wisdom literature wrestles with suffering and divine justice.
• Early monarchic love song — agricultural prosperity embodies covenant blessing.
• Late pre-exilic prophecy — impending locust-army signals national reckoning.
Despite varied settings, shelach consistently illustrates God’s overarching governance: He equips, restrains, or overturns human strength according to His redemptive purposes.
Integrated Biblical Themes
1. Protection of Promise: From Joash to Nehemiah, weapons safeguard the unfolding messianic line.
2. Prepared Yet Dependent: Believers act responsibly (forge and carry weapons) while trusting the LORD.
3. Consequences of Disobedience: Job and Joel link the sword to divine chastening against sin.
4. Fruitfulness After Conflict: The orchard motif proclaims that peace culminates in life-giving abundance.
5. Eschatological Hope: Ultimately, swords will become plowshares (Isaiah 2:4); the orchard hints at the final garden city ofRevelation 22:1–2.
Practical Ministry Application
• Spiritual leaders, like the Levites of2 Chronicles 23, must situate themselves between the flock and danger, armed with truth.
• Hezekiah’s example encourages churches to pair intercession with practical security—policies, accountability, and stewardship.
• Nehemiah invites every believer to labor for kingdom advancement without relinquishing spiritual vigilance; prayer and action remain inseparable.
• Elihu’s warning calls for humble responsiveness to divine correction; ignoring God’s voice courts the sword.
• The orchard scene urges disciples to cultivate inner holiness so that relationships and communities might taste the fruit of the Spirit.
Conclusion
Shelach binds together war and garden, judgment and joy. Through eight carefully placed occurrences the Holy Spirit weaves a tapestry of protection, discipline, and flourishing. The word finally directs the reader to the Messiah who both wields the sharp two-edged sword of His mouth (Revelation 19:15) and invites His own into the paradisal orchard where He walks “among the pomegranates.”
Forms and Transliterations
בְּשֶׁ֣לַח בַּשָּֽׁלַח׃ בשלח בשלח׃ הַשֶּׁ֛לַח הַשָּֽׁלַח׃ השלח השלח׃ שְׁלָחַ֙יִךְ֙ שִׁלְח֣וֹ שִׁלְח֥וֹ שֶׁ֛לַח שלח שלחו שלחיך baš·šā·laḥ bashShalach baššālaḥ bə·še·laḥ bəšelaḥ beShelach haš·šā·laḥ haš·še·laḥ hashShalach hashShelach haššālaḥ haššelaḥ šə·lā·ḥa·yiḵ še·laḥ šelaḥ šəlāḥayiḵ Shelach shelaChayich shilCho šil·ḥōw šilḥōw
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