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Salt

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Concordances
Nave Topical Bible
• Salt
Scofield Reference Index
• Salt
Thompson Chain Reference
• Salt, the
• Salt, Christians As, the
• Salt
The Topic Concordance
• Salt
Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
• Salt
• Dead or Salt Sea?
Torrey Topical Textbook
• Salt
Dictionaries
American Tract Society
• Salt
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
• Salt
Easton's Bible Dictionary
• Salt, Valley of
• Salt, the City of
• Salt Sea
•   (only first 3 shown)
Fausset Bible Dictionary
• Sea, the Salt
• Salt, Valley of
• Salt, City of
•   (only first 3 shown)
Holman Bible Dictionary
• Salt, Valley of
• Salt, Covenant of
• Salt, City of
•   (only first 3 shown)
Hastings' BibleDictionary
• Salt, Valley of
• Salt, City of
• Salt Sea
•   (only first 3 shown)
Hastings' NT Dictionary
• Salt (2)
• Salt
King James Dictionary
• Saltness
• Salted
• Salt
Morrish Bible Dictionary
• Salt, Valley of
• Salt, City of
• Salt Sea
•   (only first 3 shown)
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
• Salt, Robert, Blessed
• Salt, Liturgical Use of
• Salt of the Earth
•   (only first 3 shown)
Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary
• Salt
People's Bible Dictionary
• Sea the Salt
• Salt Valley of
• Salt (2)
•   (only first 3 shown)
Smith Bible Dictionary
• Sea The Salt
• Salt The Valley of
• Salt The City of
•   (only first 3 shown)
Vines' Expository Dictionary
• Salt, Saltness
Wilson's Bible Types
• Salt
Webster Dictionary
• Smelling Salts
• Sea Salt
• Saltness
•   (only first 3 shown)
Watson's Theological Dictionary
• Salt
Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Abraum Salts
• Epsom Salts
• George Salting
•   (only first 3 shown)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• City of Salt
• Covenant of Salt
• Pillar of Salt
•   (only first 3 shown)
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia
• Salt
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• City of Salt
• Covenant of Salt
• Pillar of Salt
•   (only first 3 shown)
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
• Attic Salt
• Great Salt Lake
• Salt Lake City
•   (only first 3 shown)
The Catholic Encyclopedia
• Diocese of Salt Lake
• Salt
The Jewish Encyclopedia
• Salt
• Salt Lake City
• Salt Sea
Lexicons
• ܡܠܰܚ
• ܡܰܠܳܚܶܐ
• ἅλα , ἅλας
• ἁλίζω
• ἅλς
•   (only first 3 shown)
• חָמִיץ
• מָלַח , מָלַח
• מְלַח
•   (only first 3 shown)

Apart from its obvious use in cooking, salt was widely used in the ancient world to keep perishable foods from decay (Leviticus 2:13; Job 6:6). Because of salt’s uses and characteristics, the Bible refers to it to illustrate aspects of the lives of Christians. Just as salt gives food a good taste, so the gracious qualities of their new life in Christ should make the speech of Christians wholesome and pleasant (Colossians 4:6). If they are living as they should, Christians will be a good influence in a world corrupted by sin (Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:50).

Because of its use in flavouring and preserving, salt symbolized a close and permanent relationship between people. It had a ceremonial use in making covenants, where it symbolized the unbroken loyalty that the two parties promised to the covenant (Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5; see COVENANT).

Sometimes, however, salt symbolized judgment and desolation. This was because salty land was useless for farming and became a barren waste. Therefore, a conqueror may have sprinkled salt over a destroyed city to symbolize that it was to be left in permanent desolation (Deuteronomy 29:23; Judges 9:45; Jeremiah 17:6; Zephaniah 2:9).

The Israelites obtained their salt mainly from the region around the Dead Sea, which was itself so rich in salt that it was sometimes called the Salt Sea (Genesis 14:3; Joshua 3:16; Joshua 15:5; Joshua 18:19). Somewhere to the south-west of the Dead Sea, in the dry region of Israel known as the Negeb, was a place called the Valley of Salt (2 Samuel 8:13; 2 Kings 14:7). (For further details of the Dead Sea and the Negeb see PALESTINE.)