### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsâlâh**, represented by `{{H6740}}`, is a primitive root that means **to roast**. It appears **3 times** across **3 unique verses** in the Bible. Its use is specific and literal, referring to the act of cooking meat over a fire.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H6740}}` is used to describe the preparation of food in contexts that highlight both everyday life and moral failings. In Isaiah, it is used twice to illustrate the folly of idolatry. A man takes a piece of wood and uses part of it as fuel, with which he "roasteth roast, and is satisfied" [[Isaiah 44:16]]. He later reflects on this act, stating, "I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination?" [[Isaiah 44:19]]. In 1 Samuel, the word appears in a scene depicting the corruption of the priesthood, where a servant demands meat "to roast for the priest" before the fat was properly burned as an offering to God [[1 Samuel 2:15]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for the act of cooking and consumption:
* `{{H6748}}` **tsâlîy** (roasted): This is the passive participle of `{{H6740}}`, meaning something that is **roasted**. It is used in combination with its root in [[Isaiah 44:16]], where one "roasteth roast."
* `{{H644}}` **ʼâphâh** (to cook, especially to bake): This term for baking is used in parallel with roasting in [[Isaiah 44:19]], where the same fire is used to have "baked bread" and "roasted flesh."
* `{{H8313}}` **sâraph** (to be... on fire; burn): This word describes the general act of burning wood for fuel, which enables the specific act of roasting. In [[Isaiah 44:16]], a man "burneth part thereof in the fire" to cook his food.
* `{{H6999}}` **qâṭar** (to smoke, i.e. turn into fragrance by fire (especially as an act of worship)): This term for burning a sacrifice is contrasted with roasting for consumption in [[1 Samuel 2:15]], where the demand for roast meat comes "before they burnt the fat."
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H6740}}` is found not in a complex theological definition, but in the contexts where this simple act of roasting occurs.
* **The Folly of Idolatry:** The act of roasting is used in Isaiah to expose the absurdity of idol worship. By using a piece of wood for the mundane task of cooking food to satisfy hunger, it becomes illogical to then worship the remaining part of the same common object [[Isaiah 44:19]].
* **Contempt for Sacred Ritual:** In 1 Samuel, the demand for meat to roast signifies a grave sin. It shows the priests' sons prioritizing their own desires over God's commands by taking their portion before the fat—the part belonging to the Lord—was burned on the altar [[1 Samuel 2:15]].
* **Physical Sustenance:** At its core, to roast is to prepare food for life. The man in Isaiah's prophecy "roasteth roast, and is satisfied" [[Isaiah 44:16]], grounding the passage's spiritual lesson in a fundamental human activity.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6740}}` **tsâlâh** is a specific and concrete term for roasting food. Though rare, its occurrences are significant. It serves as a narrative device to frame powerful arguments, whether contrasting the sacred with the profane in the case of priestly duties or highlighting the irrationality of idolatry. The word demonstrates how a simple, everyday action can be imbued with profound moral and spiritual weight depending on its scriptural context.
TRV