Word Study for H6750 (צָלַל) | Strong's Concordance

tsâlal /tsaw-lal'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root (identical with through the idea of vibration)

Meaningto tinkle, i.e. rattle together (as the ears in reddening with shame, or the teeth in chattering with fear)

KJV usagequiver, tingle.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsâlal — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word tsâlal, represented by H6750, is a primitive root defined as to tinkle or quiver. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. The word conveys the idea of vibration, describing a physical reaction like ears rattling from a shocking sound or teeth chattering from fear.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H6750 is consistently used to describe an intense, physical reaction to hearing a divine message. Three of its occurrences describe how the ears of those who hear of God's impending judgment will tingle. This is promised as a reaction to the evil God would bring upon Israel and Judah (2 Kings 21:12, Jeremiah 19:3) and in a specific prophecy given to Samuel 1 Samuel 3:11. The word is also used to describe a bodily response of profound awe and fear, as when the prophet Habakkuk states that his lips quivered at the sound of God's voice Habakkuk 3:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of physical reaction and hearing:

H7264 râgaz (to quiver (with any violent emotion, especially anger or fear); be afraid, stand in awe, disquiet, fall out, fret, move, provoke, quake, rage, shake, tremble, trouble, be wroth.): This word for trembling is used alongside H6750 in Habakkuk 3:16 to describe a full-body reaction to God's presence. It is often used to call for a reverential fear, as in the command to "Stand in awe" Psalms 4:4.
H8085 shâmaʻ (to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.); causatively, to tell, etc.): This word for hearing is the direct cause for the reaction described by H6750 in three of its four appearances. The tingling of the ears is a result of hearing God's word 1 Samuel 3:11.
H8193 sâphâh (the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; ...lip, ...speech, talk): This is the word for lips, which are said to quiver H6750 in Habakkuk 3:16. Lips are often associated with speech and worship, and Isaiah speaks of having "unclean lips" in the presence of the Lord Isaiah 6:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6750 lies in its portrayal of the human response to divine revelation.

Physical Manifestation of God's Word: The word demonstrates that hearing from God is not a passive or purely intellectual event. It can produce a visceral, undeniable physical reaction, signifying the power and impact of God's proclamations 1 Samuel 3:11.
The Shock of Judgment: In its dominant usage, the "tingling" of the ears is explicitly linked to hearing news of severe judgment from God. It underscores the shocking and terrible nature of the consequences of disobedience for Jerusalem and Judah (Jeremiah 19:3, 2 Kings 21:12).
Reverential Awe: The use of H6750 in Habakkuk 3:16, where the prophet's lips quivered, places the word within the context of profound, fearful reverence. It is part of a response that recognizes the overwhelming power and majesty of God.

Summary

In summary, H6750 is a specific and potent term that illustrates the physical impact of God's voice on humanity. It is not merely about a slight shiver but a jarring vibration—a tingling in the ears or a quivering of the lips—that serves as an involuntary witness to the power of a divine message. Whether signaling the shock of impending judgment or the awe of God's holy presence, tsâlal shows that encountering God's word can be an experience that resonates through one's very bones.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 4 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

תִּצַּלְנָה
צָלֲלוּ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 4 verses across 4 of the 39 books. 4 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 35.

1 Samuel

2 Kings

Jeremiah

Habakkuk

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.