Judges 9:45 “And he broke down the city and sowed it with salt.”

Sowing salt was an ancient practice used to render land infertile and as a symbol of utter destruction. It marked the place as a wasteland, preventing future habitation or cultivation. In most cases, sowing salt in a garden is bad. While some plants can tolerate salinity, the vast majority of terrestrial plants will be harmed by excessive salt in the soil, leading to stunted growth, wilting, and even death.

The hebrew word for salt is MELAH H4417 – melaḥ. In Genesis 14:3 the first reference on salt is about the salt sea, which is the Dead Sea in Israel.  Lots’ wife became a pillar of salt in Gen 19:26. Sodom and Gomorrah receive brimstone and salt as judgement, in Deut 29:23. Offerings and sacrifices must always have salt added, as part of the purification process. Later in 2 Chronicles we will read about a “covenant of salt“.

Yeshua teaches us to be the salt of the earth, meaning to preserve moral goodness and integrity in the world, and share it with those around us who have lost their flavor.. Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”