Salt in the Bible

Salt is a necessity of life and was a mineral that was used since ancient times in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, and as a unit of exchange.

Leviticus 2:13 and Ezekiel 43:24 illustrate the requirement of salt as part of ancient Hebrew religious sacrifices.

The land of defeated cities was salted to consecrate them to a god and curse their re-population, as illustrated in Judges 9:45.

A reference to this practice is in Ezekiel 16:4: "As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths."

This may be a symbolic reference to the possibility of abandoning or deviating from the gospel, especially due to the adulteration of its teachings.

[5] Another interpretation is that in a world filled with sin and deceit, it is possible for one to become contaminated and thus unsuccessful at being an effective disciple.

Colossians 4:6 uses the metaphor of salt seasoning speech to indicate speaking with intelligence and consideration.