tsalach · prosper, succeed

What it means

tsalach (צָלַח) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “prosper, succeed”.

Go well, succeed; in the causative form, make something succeed. Also rush upon someone (of the Spirit).

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To go well, thrive.
2. To make something succeed.
3. For YHWH's spirit to come mightily.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

To go well, succeed; in the causative form, to make something succeed. With “the spirit of YHWH” as subject, to come mightily on someone. In Jeremiah 13:7 it has the sense of being useful: the waistband “was good for nothing”.

• YHWH makes someone's way succeed Genesis 24:21Genesis 39:23Joshua 1:8
• All that he does prospers Psalms 1:3Genesis 39:2
• The word that prospers in its mission Isaiah 55:11Isaiah 53:10
• The spirit came mightily on him Judges 14:61 Samuel 16:131 Samuel 10:10
• Being good for nothing Jeremiah 13:7

How we translate it

“Prosper” 29 times, “prospered” 7, “prospers” 2; “made successful” 4, “succeed” 4, “successful” 3 (“a successful man”, Genesis 39:2). When the subject is the spirit of YHWH, “came mightily” 4 or “came powerfully” 3 (1 Samuel 16:13; Judges 14:6), with “spirit” in lowercase. In Jeremiah 13:7 the ruined belt “was not good for anything”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• prosper ×29
• prospered ×7
• came mightily ×4
• made successful ×4
• succeed ×4
• came powerfully ×3
• successful ×3
• give success ×2
• good ×2
• prospers ×2
• others ×5

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×7
• Numbers×1
• Deuteronomy×1
• Joshua×1
• Judges×4
• 1 Samuel×5
• 2 Samuel×1
• 1 Kings×2
• 1 Chronicles×3
• 2 Chronicles×10
• Nehemiah×2
• Psalms×4
• Proverbs×1
• Isaiah×4
• Jeremiah×8
• Ezekiel×5
• Daniel×5
• Amos×1

• Genesis 24:21

  The man was gazing at her, keeping silent, to know whether YHWH had made successful his journey or not.

• Genesis 24:40

  He said to me, ‘YHWH, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make successful your journey, and you will take a wife for my son from my family and from the house of my father.

• Genesis 24:42

  I came today to the spring and said, ‘YHWH, the Elohim of my lord Abraham, if now you are making successful my journey on which I am going,

• Genesis 24:56

  He said to them, “Do not delay me, since YHWH has made successful my journey. Send me away so that I may go to my lord.”

• Genesis 39:2

  YHWH was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; and he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian.

• Genesis 39:3

  His lord saw that YHWH was with him and that all that he did, YHWH made successful in his hand.

• Genesis 39:23

  The chief of the prison did not look into anything in his hand, because YHWH was with him; and whatever he did, YHWH made successful.

• Numbers 14:41

  But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of YHWH? That will not succeed.

• Deuteronomy 28:29

  And you will be groping at noon, as the blind man gropes in the darkness, and you will not prosper your ways; and you will be only oppressed and robbed all the days, and there will be no one to save you.

• Joshua 1:8

  This book of the instruction shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosper, and then you will act wisely.

• Judges 14:6

  And the spirit of YHWH came powerfully upon him, and he tore it apart as one tears apart a young goat, and he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

• Judges 14:19

  Then the spirit of YHWH came powerfully upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck thirty men of them, took what they had on, and gave the changes of clothes to those who had explained the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.

• Judges 15:14

  He came as far as Lehi, and the Philistines shouted in triumph to meet him. And the spirit of YHWH came powerfully upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that has burned in fire, and his bonds melted from off his hands.

• Judges 18:5

  And they said to him, “Inquire, please, of Elohim, so that we may know whether our way on which we are going will prosper.”

• 1 Samuel 10:6

  And the spirit of YHWH will come mightily on you, and you will prophesy with them and be changed into another man.

• 1 Samuel 10:10

  When they came there, to Gibeah, look, a band of prophets came to meet him; and the spirit of Elohim came mightily on him, and he prophesied among them.

• 1 Samuel 11:6

  The spirit of Elohim came mightily upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger burned greatly.

• 1 Samuel 16:13

  Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the spirit of YHWH came mightily upon David from that day onward. Samuel rose and went to Ramah.

• 1 Samuel 18:10

  And it came about on the next day that an evil spirit of Elohim came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, while David was playing with his hand, as day by day; and the spear was in the hand of Saul.

• 2 Samuel 19:17

  With him were a thousand men from Benjamin, and Ziba, the young man of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed into the Jordan before the king.

• 1 Kings 22:12

  And all the prophets were prophesying so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for YHWH will give it into the hand of the king.”

• 1 Kings 22:15

  When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to war, or shall we refrain?” He said to him, “Go up and prosper, for YHWH will give it into the hand of the king.”

• 1 Chronicles 22:11

  Now, my son, may YHWH be with you, and you will prosper and build the house of YHWH your Elohim, as he has spoken concerning you.

• 1 Chronicles 22:13

  Then you will prosper, if you are careful to do the statutes and the rules that YHWH commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and firm; do not fear and do not be dismayed.

• 1 Chronicles 29:23

  Solomon sat on the throne of YHWH as king in place of David his father, and he prospered, and all Israel listened to him.

• 2 Chronicles 7:11

  Solomon finished the house of YHWH and the house of the king; and in all that came into Solomon’s heart to do in the house of YHWH and in his own house he prospered.

• 2 Chronicles 13:12

  And look, with us at the head is Elohim, and his priests with the trumpets of acclamation, to sound an acclamation against you. Sons of Israel, do not fight against YHWH, Elohim of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

• 2 Chronicles 14:7

  He said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with wall and towers, doors and bars; the land is still before us, because we have sought YHWH our Elohim; we have sought him, and he has given us rest all around.” So they built and prospered.

• 2 Chronicles 18:11

  And all the prophets were prophesying so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for YHWH will give it into the hand of the king.”

• 2 Chronicles 18:14

  When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to war, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Go up and prosper, for they will be given into your hand.”

• 2 Chronicles 20:20

  They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in YHWH your Elohim, and you will stand firm; believe in his prophets, and you will prosper.”

• 2 Chronicles 24:20

  The spirit of Elohim clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus says Elohim: ‘Why are you transgressing the commandments of YHWH? You will not prosper; because you have abandoned YHWH, he has abandoned you.’”

• 2 Chronicles 26:5

  He set himself to seek Elohim in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of Elohim; and in the days that he sought YHWH, Elohim made him prosper.

• 2 Chronicles 31:21

  And in every work that he began in the service of the house of Elohim, and in the law and in the commandment, to seek his Elohim, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

• 2 Chronicles 32:30

  This same Hezekiah stopped up the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his work.

• Nehemiah 1:11

  I beg you, Adonai, let your ear, I beg you, be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and give success, I beg you, to your servant today, and grant him mercy before this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.

• Nehemiah 2:20

  And I returned a word to them and said to them, “The Elohim of the heavens, he will give us success, and we his servants will arise and build; but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

• Psalms 1:3

  He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, that gives its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and all that he does prospers.

• Psalms 37:7

  Be silent before YHWH and wait longingly for him; do not get heated because of the one who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out plans.

• Psalms 45:4

  And in your majesty prosper, ride for the sake of truth and humility, righteousness; and your right hand will teach you fearsome things.

And 25 more times.