צלח
to prosper
‘to prosper’ is one of 2 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”).
- Hiphil
- The causative active stem (“he caused / brought about”). Here: ‘make prosperous’
Form
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
Gender
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Every verse where H6743 appears in the Book of Ezekiel — 5 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Ezekiel
- Ezekiel 15:4 הֲ/יִצְלַ֖ח ptcl inter + Qal impf 3ms Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned: is it profitable for any work?
- Ezekiel 16:13 וַֽ/תִּצְלְחִ֖י conj + Qal wimpf 2fs Thus was you decked with gold and silver; and your clothing was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work; you ate fine flour, and honey, and oil; and you were exceeding beautiful, and you did prosper to royal estate.
- Ezekiel 17:9 תִּצְלָ֑ח Qal impf 3fs Say you, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots of it, and cut off the fruit of it, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? and not by a strong arm or much people can it be raised from the roots of it.
- Ezekiel 17:10 הֲ/תִצְלָ֑ח ptcl inter + Qal impf 3fs Yes, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind touches it? it shall wither in the beds where it grew.
- Ezekiel 17:15 הֲ/יִצְלָ֤ח ptcl inter + Qal impf 3ms But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape who does such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape?
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
צלח — transliterated tsâlach — is a Hebrew verb carrying the sense “to prosper.” Where the King James Version says “prosper,” newer translations reach for “succeed” (unfoldingWord Literal Text); the renderings breakdown has the detail. It appears 64 verses across 18 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its moderately common vocabulary. Debuting at Genesis 24:21, it then recurs through the corpus. Different stems carry different senses — BDB groups them under 2 stems, among them Qal and Hiphil. Each statement above links to its evidence; the full detail follows below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H6743 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 64
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 64 distinct verses.
- 18 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 18 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #597
- by frequency
- Top 1000 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 597 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 64 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- 2 Chronicles 10 verses 16%
- Genesis 7 verses 11%
- Jeremiah 7 verses 11%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 64 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 30 verses · 47%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 25 verses · 39%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 9 verses · 14%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 2 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Prosper 9×, Shall prosper 6×, Came 5×
- American Standard Version†: Prosper 9×, Came 5×, Prospered 5×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Prosper 7×, Success 5×, Succeed 4×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Succeed 13×, Prosper 12×, And 7×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H6743 across 67† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 27 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H6743 across 67† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 33 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H6743 across 65† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 24 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H6743 across 99† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 37 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each.
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 5 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
צלח I rush
Qal
- Pf. 3 fs. וְצָֽלְחָה consec. 1 S 10:6; 3 pl. וְצָֽלְחוּ 2 S 19:18; Impf. 3 ms. יִצְלַח Am 5:6 (v. infr.), 3 fs. וַתִּצְלַח Ju 14:6 +;—rush, וְצ׳ הַיַּרְדֵּן 2 S 19:18 they rushed into the Jordan (dub., v. Dr HPS), יִצ׳ כָּאֵשׁ בֵּית יוֹסֵף Am 5:6 lest he rush like fire upon the house of Joseph (or O house, etc. GASm; Now conj. יַצִּית בָּאֵשׁ); especially of sudden possession by (אֱלֹהִים) רוּחַ י׳, c. עַל pers. Ju 14:6 the Spirit … rushed upon him, so v 19; 15:14 1 S 10:6, 10; 11:6; c. אֶל pers. 16:13 and (of רוּחַ א׳ רָעָה) 18:10. e.g. 1 Samuel 10:6
צלח II ance, prosper (NH id.
Qal
- Pf. 3 fs. צָלֵ֑חָה Je 12:1; Impf. 3 ms. יִצְלַח Je 13:7 +, etc.; Imv. ms. צְלַח ψ 45:5; prosper, of way of wicked Je 12:1, cf. Nu 14:41; Is 53:10; 54:17; Ez 17:9, 10; Dn 11:27; c. ל rei, = be good for anything Je 13:7, 10 Ez 15:4; subj. pers., abs., Je 22:30(×2) Ez 17:15, ψ 45:5 be successful! וַתִּצְלְחִי לִמְלוּכָה Ez 16:13 and thou didst prosper to royalty (dub.; del. 𝔊 Co Toy; > StaZAW vi (1886), 337 f. Krae לִמְלָאכָה i.e. harlotry). e.g. Jeremiah 12:1
Hiphil
- Pf. 3 ms. הִצְלִיחַ Gn 24:21, 2 ms. וְהִצְלַחְתָּ֫ 1 Ch 22:11, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יַצְלִיחַ Ne 2:20 +, וַיַּצְלַח 1 Ch 29:23; 2 Ch 32:30, etc.; Imv. ms. הַצְלַח 1 K 22:12 +, הַצְלִ֫יחָה Ne 1:11, יחָ֫ה—ִ ψ 118:25, etc.; Pt. מַזְלִיחַ Gn 24:42 +;— e.g. Genesis 24:21
- 1. make prosperous, bring to successful issue, of י׳, c. acc. of man’s way (דֶּרֶךְ), Gn 24:21, 40, 42, 56 (J), c. acc. rei Gn 39:3, 23 (J), c. acc. pers. 2 Ch 26:5, c. ל pers. Ne 1:11; 2:20; abs. send success ψ 118:25; human subj. c. acc. דֶּרֶךְ Dt 28:29; Jos 1:8 (D), Is 48:15 ψ 37:7, so prob. 1:3 (al. sub 2), 2 Ch 7:11; c. acc. מִרְמָה Dn 8:25. e.g. Genesis 24:21
- 2. shew, experience, prosperity, of men 1 K 22:12, 15 = 2 Ch 18:11, 14; Je 2:37 (+ ל pers. in ref. to whom) 5:28; 32:5; 1 Ch 22:11, 13; 29:23; 2 Ch 13:12; 14:6; 20:20; 24:20; 31:21; 32:30 (בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂהוּ), Pr 28:13; Dn 8:12 (of horn), v 24; 11:36; אִישׁ מַצְלִיחַ Gn 39:2 (J) a prosperous man; subj. דֶּרֶךְ Ju 18:5 (cf. ψ 1:3 supr.), י׳’s word Is 55:11. e.g. 1 Kings 22:12
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. rush;—(Thes al. cp. 𝔗 צְלַח, Syriac ܨܠܰܚ, cleave, penetrate, then advance, v. foll.);—
I. vb. advance, prosper (NH id.; Ph. Pi. causat. in n.pr.; Arabic صَلَحَ be in good condition, cf. Sab. הצלח Sab Denkm 93; Aramaic צְלַח, ܨܠܰܚ prosper);—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive root
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
צָלַח
- (b. h.) [to split, pass through,] to succeed, prosper. Ber. 46ᵃ ויִצְלַח מאוד וכ׳, v. נְכָסִים; a. e.
- 1. same. Ib. 64ᵃ עלה וה׳ he went and succeeded; M. Kat. 29ᵃ. Ab. Zar. 19ᵇ נכסיו מַצְלִיחִין לו his business enterprises will prosper. Y. R. Hash. III, end, 59ᵃ (ref. to Dan. VIII, 12) whenever Israel casts truth to the ground, המלכות … גוזרת ומַצְלַחַת that wicked (Roman) government decrees (persecution) and succeeds; Lam. R. introd. (R. Abba. Midr. Till. to Ps. I, 3 ומַצְלִיחוֹת, v. עֵצָה II; a. fr.—2) to cause to prosper. Sabb. 63ᵃ הקב"ה מַצְלִיחַ להם the Lord helps them to success.—Part. pass. מוּצְלָח; pl. מוּצְלָחִין. Ber. 46ᵃ ויהיו … מוצ׳ (Ms. M. נכסיו מצליחין), v. נְכָסִים; a. e. e.g. Daniel 8:12
צְלַח
- 1. to split, pass through. Targ. I Chr. II, 54. Ib. XI, 18 צ׳ ארחא (h. text ויבקעו).
- 2. to be successful, prosper; to become fit. Targ. Jer. XX, 11. Targ. Prov. XXVIII, 13; a. fr.
- to split. Targ. O. Gen. XXII, 3. Targ. I Chr. XXI, 23.—B. Mets. 79ᵃ נְצַלְּחֵיה לציבי וכ׳ let him chop it into chips and use it. B. Kam. 113ᵇ זבין … לצַלָּחָא bought a palm, in partnership with a gentile, to chop it up (and divide it). Sabb. 119ᵃ רבה … מְצַלְּחֵי וכ׳ Rabbah and R. J. used to chop wood themselves (in preparation for the Sabbath). Ib. 129ᵃ; a. e.
- 1. to pass through; to do a thing successfully; to prosper. Targ. O. Deut. XXVIII, 29. Targ. ib. XXIX, 8 (O. ed. Vien. Pe.). Targ. O. a. Y. I ib. XXXII, 15 אצ׳ תקוף succeeded in gaining strength. Targ. I Kings I, 34 (h. text יחי); a. fr.—Men. 43ᵃ וא׳ עיסקייהו and their business prospered. Erub. 45ᵃ אי מַצְלַח וכ׳ whether or not he shall succeed. Y. Snh. VI, 23ᶜ bot. ולא מַצְלְחָא מה דו עבדא (not מצלח) and she will not succeed in what she wants to do. B. Bath. 3ᵇ כל עבדא … מצלח any slave that will now rebel, shall succeed; Yalk. Deut. 913. R. Hash. 16ᵃ דמצלח זרעא וכ׳ that the winter seed thrives; a. fr.
- 2. to cause to succeed, prosper. Targ. Gen. XXIV, 21. Targ. Jer. III, 19 (h. text אשיתך); a. fr.—Gen. R. s. 13 תַצְלִיחַ, v. עֲבַד I.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 56 distinct written forms H6743 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H6743, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
- צלח tsᵉlach H6744 to prosper
- צלחה tsêlâchâh H6745 pot
- צלחית tsᵉlôchîyth H6746 bowl
- צלחת tsallachath H6747 dish
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 62 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 64 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 24:21
- Numbers 14:41
- Deuteronomy 28:29
- Joshua 1:8
- Judges 14:6
- 1 Samuel 10:6
- 2 Samuel 19:17
- 1 Kings 22:12
- 1 Chronicles 22:11
- 2 Chronicles 7:11
- Psalms 1:3
- Proverbs 28:13
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
