Lexical Summary shalal: spoil, booty, plunder Original Word: שָׁלָל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance prey, spoil From shalal; booty -- prey, spoil. see HEBREW shalal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shalal Definition a prey, spoil, plunder, booty NASB Translation booty (11), gain (1), plunder (3), possessions (1), spoil (57), spoiler (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שָׁלָל75 noun masculine1Samuel 30:16 prey, spoil, plunder, booty; — absolute ׳שׁ Genesis 49:27 +; construct שְׁלַל Judges 5:30 +, suffix שְׁלָלֵךְ Zechariah 14:1, שְׁלַלְכֶם Isaiah 33:4, etc.; — 1 prey, of Benjamin as wolf Genesis 49:27 (poem in J; with חִלֵּק). 2 booty, spoil of war, of all kinds (often "" בַּז): including garments, gold and silver Joshua 7:21 (J), ornaments Judges 8:24,25, fabrics and women Judges 5:30 a, b, flocks and herds 1 Samuel 30:20; Jeremiah 49:32; 2Chronicles 15:11, + persons Deuteronomy 20:14 (twice in verse), garments, food and drink 2Chronicles 28:15, etc. (58 t.; among these) שְׁלַל הֶעָרִים Deuteronomy 2:25; 2 Samuel 12:30; 1 Chronicles 20:2 and (+ cattle in addition) Deuteronomy 3:7; Joshua 8:27; Joshua 11:14 (both RD), compare (also of city) Isaiah 8:4; Deuteronomy 13:17 (twice in verse); Zechariah 14:1 and (+ cattle) Joshua 8:2 (RD), but including person and cattle Deuteronomy 20:14, compare Deuteronomy 20:14; figurative of entire nation Jeremiah 50:10; Ezekiel 7:21; Zechariah 2:13; ׳שׁ in symbolic proper name ׳מַהֵר שָׁלָל וגו Isaiah 8:1,3, see above p.555:a; ׳שׁ in metaphor of future majesty of ׳עֶבֶד י Isaiah 53:12; ׳וְהֳיְתָהאלּוֺ נַפְשׁוֺ לְשׁ i.e. life shall be spared, Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 39:18, compare Jeremiah 45:5. 3 private plunder Isaiah 10:2 (אַלְמָנוֺת שְׁלָלָם), Proverbs 1:13 and (perhaps in current saying) Proverbs 16:19. 4 = gain Proverbs 31:11. — ׳לְצַוִּארֵי שׁ Judges 5:30 c is clearly wrong; meaning dubious (see especially GFM); plausible conjectures are ׳לְצַוָּארַי שׁ for my neck as spoil, ReussBr and others, and לְצַוְּארֵי שֵׁגָל for the neck of the queen Ew Be Kit and others (but שֵׁגָל elsewhere late); Now strike out שָׁלָל and reads לְצַוָּארָיו. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Conceptual ScopeAlthough often rendered “plunder” or “spoil,” שָׁלָל encompasses any movable wealth transferred from one party to another by force or divine decree—people, livestock, metals, garments, or produce. The term thus functions as a visible token of victory, judgment, or covenant faithfulness. Distribution Across the Canon Shalal appears roughly seventy-three times, concentrated in historical narratives (Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles) and prophetic oracles (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, minor prophets), with a few poetic uses (Psalms, Proverbs). Its span from Genesis 49:27 to Zechariah 14:14 allows it to narrate Israel’s past and foreshadow eschatological hope. Shalal in Israel’s Warfare 1. Divine Ownership Victory and its spoils belong first to the LORD. After Jericho’s fall, “The city and everything in it are devoted to the LORD” (Joshua 6:17). Achan’s appropriation of banned shalal (Joshua 7) illustrates how misusing consecrated plunder jeopardizes the nation. 2. Rules of Distribution Numbers 31:27 divides spoils equally between combatants and the congregation; warriors then tithe one-five-hundredth to the LORD (Numbers 31:28–29). David expands the principle of shared reward—“The share of the one who stays with the supplies shall be the same as the share of the one who goes down to the battle” (1 Samuel 30:24)—establishing lasting precedent (1 Samuel 30:25). 3. Ethical Safeguards While Deuteronomy 20:14 permits taking goods, Deuteronomy 21:10–14 preserves the dignity of female captives, tempering ancient Near-Eastern practices with covenant compassion. Prophetic Imagery Isaiah’s son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz embodies Assyria’s rapid plunder (Isaiah 8:1–4). Later, Zion herself receives the nations’ spoils: “Then the plunder of an abundant harvest will be divided” (Isaiah 33:23). Habakkuk 2:8 and Zephaniah 1:13 promise poetic justice—the plunderer becomes the plundered. Zechariah 14:14 closes the Old Testament with Jerusalem’s ultimate triumph, gathering shalal in messianic victory. Theological Themes • Sovereignty: The LORD “delivers the plunder” (2 Kings 3:23) or “dries up the bounty” (Hosea 13:15), displaying absolute control. Ministry Significance • Celebrate victories as God’s, resisting self-glory. Representative References Genesis 49:27; Exodus 15:9; Numbers 31:11, 32; Deuteronomy 20:14; Joshua 7:21; Judges 5:19; 1 Samuel 14:30; 1 Samuel 30:16–24; 1 Chronicles 26:27; 2 Chronicles 14:13; Psalm 68:12; Proverbs 1:13; Isaiah 8:1–4; Isaiah 33:23; Jeremiah 30:16; Ezekiel 38:12–13; Hosea 13:15; Nahum 3:10; Habakkuk 2:8; Zephaniah 1:13; Zechariah 14:14. Forms and Transliterations בַשָּׁלָ֡ל בשלל הַשָּׁלָ֔ל הַשָּׁלָ֖ל הַשָּׁלָ֣ל הַשָּׁלָל֒ הַשָּׁלָ֔ל השלל וְ֝שָׁלָ֗ל וְשָׁלָ֛ל וְשָׁלָ֥ל וּמִשְּׁלַ֛ל וּמִשָּׁלָ֔ל וּשְׁלַ֥ל וּשְׁלַל֙ וּשְׁלָלָ֖ם ומשלל ושלל ושללם לְשָׁלָ֑ל לְשָׁלָ֔ל לְשָׁלָ֖ל לְשָׁלָֽל׃ לַשָּׁלָ֖ל לל לשלל לשלל׃ מִשְּׁלַ֖ל מִשְּׁלַ֥ל מֵֽהַשָּׁלָ֛ל מֵהַשָּׁלָ֖ל מֵהַשָּׁלָ֛ל מהשלל משלל שְׁלַ֞ל שְׁלַ֣ל שְׁלַ֤ל שְׁלַ֥ל שְׁלַלְכֶ֔ם שְׁלַל־ שְׁלָל֑וֹ שְׁלָלֵ֖ךְ שְׁלָלָ֔ם שְׁלָלָ֖הּ שְׁלָלָ֗הּ שְׁלָלָ֥הּ שְׁלָלָ֥ם שְׁלָלָהּ֙ שְׁלָלָם֒ שְׁלָלֽוֹ׃ שָׁ֝לָ֗ל שָׁלָ֑ל שָׁלָ֖ל שָׁלָ֗ל שָׁלָ֥ל שָׁלָֽל׃ שָׁלָל֒ שָׁלָל֙ שלל שלל־ שלל׃ שללה שללו שללו׃ שללך שללכם שללם ḇaš·šā·lāl ḇaššālāl haš·šā·lāl hashshaLal haššālāl Lal lāl laš·šā·lāl lashshaLal laššālāl lə·šā·lāl ləšālāl leshaLal mê·haš·šā·lāl mehashshaLal mêhaššālāl miš·šə·lal mishsheLal miššəlal šā·lāl šālāl šə·lā·lāh šə·lā·lām šə·lā·lêḵ šə·lā·lōw šə·lal šə·lal- šə·lal·ḵem šəlal šəlal- šəlālāh šəlālām šəlālêḵ šəlalḵem šəlālōw shaLal sheLal shelaLah shelaLam shelalChem shelaLech shelaLo ū·miš·šā·lāl ū·miš·šə·lal ū·šə·lā·lām ū·šə·lal umishshaLal umishsheLal ūmiššālāl ūmiššəlal ūšəlal ūšəlālām usheLal ushelaLam vashshaLal veshaLal wə·šā·lāl wəšālālLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 49:27 HEB: וְלָעֶ֖רֶב יְחַלֵּ֥ק שָׁלָֽל׃ NAS: he divides the spoil. KJV: he shall divide the spoil. INT: the evening divides the spoil Exodus 15:9 Numbers 31:11 Numbers 31:12 Deuteronomy 2:35 Deuteronomy 3:7 Deuteronomy 13:16 Deuteronomy 13:16 Deuteronomy 20:14 Deuteronomy 20:14 Joshua 7:21 Joshua 8:2 Joshua 8:27 Joshua 11:14 Joshua 22:8 Judges 5:30 Judges 5:30 Judges 5:30 Judges 5:30 Judges 8:24 Judges 8:25 1 Samuel 14:30 1 Samuel 14:32 1 Samuel 15:19 1 Samuel 15:21 73 Occurrences |
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