Lexical Summary malach: Angel, messenger Original Word: מָלָח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rotten rag From malach in its original sense; a rag or old garment -- rotten rag. see HEBREW malach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom malach Definition a rag NASB Translation rags (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [מֶ֫לַח or מָלָח] noun [masculine] rag; only plural מְלָחִים Jeremiah 38:11,12 ("" סְחָבוֺת). II. מלח (√ of following; meaning dubious). Topical Lexicon מָלָח (Strong’s 4418)Core Sense and Imagery The term points to scraps of cloth so deteriorated that they were consigned to storage as refuse, “old rags and worn-out clothes” (Jeremiah 38:11-12). It evokes worthlessness from a human perspective—fabric past usefulness, no longer fit for honorable service. Occurrences in Scripture Jeremiah 38:11, 12 record both uses. The prophet has been lowered into a miry cistern by political enemies; Ebed-Melech the Cushite petitions King Zedekiah, gathers מְלָחִים from an unused storeroom, pads the ropes, and draws Jeremiah out. The whole episode stands in deliberate contrast: royal intrigue versus the unnoticed kindness of a Gentile courtier and a handful of rags. Historical Background 1. Setting: 587 B.C. siege of Jerusalem. The cistern was a vaulted water-storage chamber cut into bedrock—dry except for sludge. Prolonged contact with the mire would have meant slow death. Theological Reflections • Divine Providence through Humble Means: Rags become instruments of rescue, illustrating the pattern of the Lord’s salvation—an unnoticed Cushite, not Israel’s princes, preserves the prophet. Compare Judges 7:7; 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Creative Mercy: Believers are called to find whatever resources are at hand—even “worthless” ones—to alleviate suffering. Hospital chaplaincy, refugee relief, or inner-city outreach often hinge on such improvisation. Christological Echoes The pierced Savior was wrapped first in ordinary swaddling cloths (Luke 2:12) and, after death, in linen wrappings (John 19:40). He identifies with the lowly and rejected, yet through Him “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22). The incident with מָלָח forecasts the gospel paradox: discarded things become instruments of redemption. Reflection for Today Whenever the church retrieves the neglected and counts them worthy of care, she reenacts Ebed-Melech’s gesture. God who worked deliverance with frayed rags still magnifies His power through seemingly insignificant means, assuring His people that no resource is too humble and no servant too obscure for the purposes of His kingdom. Forms and Transliterations וְהַמְּלָחִים֙ והמלחים מְלָחִ֑ים מלחים mə·lā·ḥîm melaChim məlāḥîm vehammelaChim wə·ham·mə·lā·ḥîm wəhamməlāḥîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 38:11 HEB: ק) וּבְלוֹיֵ֖ מְלָחִ֑ים וַיְשַׁלְּחֵ֧ם אֶֽל־ NAS: and worn-out rags and let them down KJV: and old rotten rags, and let them down INT: cast clout and worn-out rags and let to Jeremiah 38:12 2 Occurrences |