Booty
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
The Hebrew noun shalal names goods seized in war, spoil divided after conflict, or prey taken by a victor. Narratives, songs, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy use the noun to describe what conquerors expect, what raiders possess, what the Lord judges, or what victory imagery distributes.
Reader summary
Full entry for שָׁלָל (H7998) · Open the biblical lexicon
The Hebrew noun shalal names goods seized in war, spoil divided after conflict, or prey taken by a victor. Narratives, songs, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy use the noun to describe what conquerors expect, what raiders possess, what the Lord judges, or what victory imagery distributes.
The BSB source-word alignment has 73 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the plunder (15), the spoil (6), plunder (5), and plunder (3), from the plunder (3).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 49:27. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Samuel (10), 2 Chronicles (8), Isaiah (7), Deuteronomy (6).
The Hebrew noun shalal names goods seized in war, spoil divided after conflict, or prey taken by a victor. Narratives, songs, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy use the noun to describe what conquerors expect, what raiders possess, what the Lord judges, or what victory imagery distributes. Because the word is bound to violent acquisition, it must not be softened into a general promise of wealth.
Exodus places the enemy's boast about dividing spoil before the Lord's deliverance of Israel. Proverbs says humble life with the oppressed is better than sharing plunder with the proud. Isaiah 53 uses victory-spoil imagery for the vindicated Servant after His suffering and sin-bearing work. None of these texts authorizes theft, exploitation, looting, abusive fundraising, or treating people as prizes.
Responsible teaching names the violence and displacement behind spoil, distinguishes description from approval, and centers restitution, lawful stewardship, and care for victims rather than fascination with the victor's gain.
Shalal is material taken through conquest or predation and becomes an image of expected or granted victory. Narrative speaker, moral evaluation, and prophetic setting determine whether the spoil is boasted over, regulated, rejected, judged, or used metaphorically.
Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”
Benjamin is compared to a ravenous wolf that devours prey in the morning and divides spoil at evening.
The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’
The pursuing enemy boasts that he will overtake Israel, divide the spoil, and satisfy his desire before the Lord defeats him.
So he led David down, and there were the Amalekites spread out over all the land, eating, drinking, and celebrating the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.
David finds the raiders celebrating over the great spoil taken from Philistine and Judean territory.
It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.
The proverb says humility with the oppressed is better than dividing spoil with the proud.
Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
The Lord promises the Servant a share among the great and division of spoil after His sin-bearing death and intercession.
But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking! For I will bring disaster on every living creature, declares the Lord, but wherever you go, I will grant your life as a spoil of war.”
Baruch is told not to seek great things and is promised his life as spoil wherever he goes amid coming disaster.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. booty
booty BDB: prey Usage: prey, spoil.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 74 lexical occurrence verses.
שָׁלָל is built from this root:
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Shalal carries the moral weight of goods taken through force. In Exodus 15, Egypt's boast about dividing spoil reveals predatory desire, and the song celebrates the Lord's rescue of the pursued people rather than the aggressor's acquisition. First Samuel 30 shows raiders feasting over goods and captives before David recovers what was taken. Proverbs 16 gives a clear wisdom judgment: sharing the condition of the humble and oppressed is better than participating in proud plunder.
Isaiah 53 then uses conventional victory language at the conclusion of the Servant oracle. The Servant receives vindication after pouring out His life, bearing sin, and interceding; the verse does not promise believers wealth seized from enemies. Jeremiah 45 narrows worldly ambition further. Baruch is not promised great things during widespread disaster but preservation of life as spoil.
Faithful application refuses to turn people, congregations, property, or cultural influence into prizes. It recognizes that stolen goods represent violated homes, livelihoods, and bodies. Modern readers should center victims, restitution, transparent ownership, and just distribution. Spiritual victory cannot be measured by taking an opponent's resources, platform, members, or reputation.
The Servant's path moves through self-giving and divine vindication, not acquisitive violence by His followers.
Prov.16.19
Shalal is a Hebrew noun for spoil, booty, plunder, or prey, typically referring to portable goods taken in conflict. Verbs of taking, gathering, dividing, or consuming and the identity of victor and victim clarify each use.
New Testament texts use other vocabulary for plunder, prey, possessions, victory, and Christ's triumph. Canonical comparison should preserve the Servant's self-giving work and should not turn triumph imagery into a license for material seizure.