Lexical Summary shelach: weapon, defenses, Sheol Original Word: שֶׁלַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dart, plant, put off, sword, weapon From shalach; a missile of attack, i.e. Spear; also (figuratively) a shoot of growth; i.e. Branch -- dart, plant, X put off, sword, weapon. see HEBREW shalach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shalach Definition a missile, weapon, sprout NASB Translation defenses (1), Sheol (1), shoots (1), weapon (3), weapons (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. שֶׁ֫לַח noun [masculine] missile, weapon, sprout (late); — absolute ׳שׁ Joel 2:8 +, שָׁ֑לַח Nehemiah 4:11; Job 33:18, suffix שִׁלְחוֺ Nehemiah 4:17; plural שְׁלָחִים2Chronicles 23:10, etc.; — 1 missile, weapon, Nehemiah 4:11 and Nehemiah 4:17 (where הַמַּיִם corrupt; read probably בִּימִינוֺ or בְּיָדוֺ; see Ryle BeRy Berthol), 2 Chronicles 23:10 (distinguished from חֲנִית, מָנֵן); collective 2 Chronicles 32:5 and ׳עָבַר בַּשׁ Job 33:18; Job 36:12 (perish by or < rush upon [and perish]), Joel 2:8 (see בְּעַד). 2 sprout, shoot (compare [שְׁלוּחָה], and √ Psalm 80:12; Jeremiah 17:8), שְׁלָחַיִךְ מַּרְדֵּס Songs 4:13 (figurative; meaning ? PerlesAnal. 63 proposes שְׁנֵי לְחָיָיִךְ thy two cheeks); + probably Ezekiel 31:5 (read בִּשְׁלָחָיו Co Toy and others, or בְּשִׁלְחֵי [with Ezekiel 31:6] Krae). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Range of Usage Shelach 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. 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. 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. Practical Ministry Application • Spiritual leaders, like the Levites of 2 Chronicles 23, must situate themselves between the flock and danger, armed with truth. 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 šilḥōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Chronicles 23:10 HEB: הָעָ֜ם וְאִ֣ישׁ ׀ שִׁלְח֣וֹ בְיָד֗וֹ מִכֶּ֨תֶף NAS: each man with his weapon in his hand, KJV: every man having his weapon in his hand, INT: the people each his weapon his hand side 2 Chronicles 32:5 Nehemiah 4:17 Nehemiah 4:23 Job 33:18 Job 36:12 Songs 4:13 Joel 2:8 8 Occurrences |