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Hebrew Word of the Day

צְלִי

Meaning: roast lamb (beef)

Translit: t’zli

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We continue today with the fire-roasted meat that is mentioned in Bible − ‘t’zli’.

There are other references in the Bible to different meat preparations such as cooking and boiling (see I Kings 19:21, Ezekiel 46:20), but God Himself directs the Israelites to prepare the Passover meal roasted. If you were wondering about the preparation style, God recommends eating meat well done:

Eat it not raw, nor boil with water, but roast it with fire

Exodus 12:9

The word t’zli today is almost always a reference to roast beef. There is another term that is used today for roasted meat: ‘al ha•esh,’ which means ‘over fire.’ If you use this term in a restaurant, it will mean either beef, lamb or chicken, so you’ll need to specify which meat you prefer. If you use this term anywhere else, it gets the connotation of a celebration or a feast and not just a culinary preference.

For ceremonial reasons and perhaps others as well, God instructs the Israelites to eat meat at night time:

And they shall eat the meat in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it

Exodus 12:8

We note another request by God of the same nature, asking the Israelites to eat meat in the evening but in this reference it wasn’t for ceremonial reasons:

I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; speak to them, saying, At evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God

Exodus 16:12

This was a reference to poultry (quail) meat that God supplied the Israelites every evening during their difficult journey in the desert.

We continue today with the fire-roasted meat that is mentioned in Bible − ‘t’zli’.

There are other references in the Bible to different meat preparations such as cooking and boiling (see I Kings 19:21, Ezekiel 46:20), but God Himself directs the Israelites to prepare the Passover meal roasted. If you were wondering about the preparation style, God recommends eating meat well done:

Eat it not raw, nor boil with water, but roast it with fire

Exodus 12:9

The word t’zli today is almost always a reference to roast beef. There is another term that is used today for roasted meat: ‘al ha•esh,’ which means ‘over fire.’ If you use this term in a restaurant, it will mean either beef, lamb or chicken, so you’ll need to specify which meat you prefer. If you use this term anywhere else, it gets the connotation of a celebration or a feast and not just a culinary preference.

For ceremonial reasons and perhaps others as well, God instructs the Israelites to eat meat at night time:

And they shall eat the meat in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it

Exodus 12:8

We note another request by God of the same nature, asking the Israelites to eat meat in the evening but in this reference it wasn’t for ceremonial reasons:

I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; speak to them, saying, At evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God

Exodus 16:12

This was a reference to poultry (quail) meat that God supplied the Israelites every evening during their difficult journey in the desert.