Salt of the Earth

:This is an article about a phrase. For the film, see Salt of the Earth.

Salt in the Old Testament

The Hebrew people harvested salt by pouring sea water into pits and letting the water evaporate until only salt was left. They used the mineral for seasoning and as a preservative. In addition, salt was used to disinfect wounds.

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Salt also had a significant place in Hebrew worship. Salt was included in the Levitical offerings, since salt was emblematic of permanence or loyalty. In Leviticus 2:13, God commanded that "every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt." Salt was cast on the burnt offering (Ezekiel 43:24) and was part of the incense (Exodus 30:35). Part of the temple offering included salt (Ezra 6:9).

Related Topics:
Leviticus - Ezekiel - Exodus - Ezra

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Salt was also used to ratify covenants. In Numbers 18:19, God promises to provide, through the offerings of His people, for His priests forever: "All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee." Salt cannot be burned or destroyed. Because of salt?s durability, God used it as a metaphor to indicate that as salt keeps its flavor, so the Lord?s covenant with the priesthood was durable.

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Another reference to the use of salt to ratify a covenant occurs at 2 Chronicles 13:5. At the beginning of this chapter, Abijah, King of Judah and rightful heir to David?s throne, is at war with King Jeroboam, who has taken control of Israel. Before Jeroboam?s destruction, Abijah speaks of the Davidic Covenant: "Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?" Here, salt refers to God?s irrevocable pledge and intended loyalty in fulfilling the Davidic covenant and God?s desire for the loyalty of David?s lineage to Him if the people are to enjoy the blessings of the covenant. The preservative quality of salt represents the fidelity or loyalty intended in keeping the covenant.

Related Topics:
2 Chronicles - Abijah - Judah - David - Jeroboam - Israel - Davidic Covenant

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Newborn babies (because of what the Lord commanded) were rubbed with salt to promote good health. A reference to this practice is in Ezekiel 16:4: "And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all."

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