### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **sheleg**, represented by `{{H7950}}`, is the biblical term for **snow**. It appears **20 times** across **20 unique verses**. The word's definition, "snow (probably from its whiteness)," points to its primary characteristic. In Scripture, it is used both as a literal element of weather and as a powerful symbol for concepts like purity, judgment, and the natural order.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical texts, `{{H7950}}` is frequently used in similes to convey extreme whiteness. This is seen most starkly in descriptions of leprosy, where the afflicted are described as "leprous as snow" ([[Exodus 4:6]], [[Numbers 12:10]], [[2 Kings 5:27]]). Conversely, this same whiteness provides a powerful metaphor for spiritual purification. The promise in Isaiah is that even sins as scarlet can "be as white as snow" [[Isaiah 1:18]], and the psalmist prays to be made "whiter than snow" [[Psalms 51:7]]. It also appears as a feature of the natural world, an element alongside rain [[Isaiah 55:10]], hail, and vapor [[Psalms 148:8]] that God commands and stores in His "treasures" [[Job 38:22]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words highlight the context in which **sheleg** appears:
* `{{H3835}}` **lâban** (to be or become white): This root verb for whiteness is intrinsically linked to snow. It is used to describe the effect of divine cleansing, with the promise that scarlet sins "shall be as white as snow" [[Isaiah 1:18]].
* `{{H1259}}` **bârâd** (hail): As another form of frozen precipitation, `hail` is often mentioned with snow as a display of God's power over creation, with both listed as fulfilling His word [[Psalms 148:8]]. God also has "treasures of the hail" alongside the snow [[Job 38:22]].
* `{{H6883}}` **tsâraʻath** (leprosy): The visual connection between snow and this dreaded disease is made explicit. The consequence for Gehazi's greed was to become "a leper as white as snow" [[2 Kings 5:27]], linking snow's color to a state of severe uncleanness.
* `{{H1653}}` **geshem** (a shower): This word for `rain` is often paired with snow as part of the earth's water cycle, sent from heaven to water the earth and make it fruitful [[Isaiah 55:10]].
### Theological Significance
The conceptual weight of `{{H7950}}` is significant, illustrating several theological truths.
* **Divine Purification:** The most prominent theological use of snow is as a standard for absolute purity. The imagery of being washed "whiter than snow" [[Psalms 51:7]] represents a total and radical cleansing from sin that only God can perform [[Isaiah 1:18]].
* **Sovereign Power:** Snow is depicted as an instrument under God's direct command. He says to the snow, "Be thou on the earth" [[Job 37:6]], and keeps it in heavenly "treasures" [[Job 38:22]], deploying it according to His divine will alongside other elements like fire and hail [[Psalms 148:8]].
* **Moral and Natural Analogy:** The characteristics of snow are used to teach wisdom. Its unsuitability in summer is compared to giving honor to a fool [[Proverbs 26:1]], while its refreshing cold in harvest is like the welcome relief brought by a faithful messenger [[Proverbs 25:13]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7950}}` **sheleg** is far more than a meteorological term. It is a potent biblical symbol whose brilliant whiteness is used to articulate profound contrasts: the hope of divine forgiveness and the horror of leprous judgment. As an element of creation, it illustrates God's sovereign control over the natural world and serves as a tangible metaphor for spiritual and moral realities.
TRV