Salt appears in many places in Scripture, often symbolically. Some of the key ideas include:
| Passage | Key Idea / Symbolism of Salt |
|---|---|
| Leviticus 2:13 — “Every offering of your grain offering … you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering.” | Salt tied to covenant, permanence. Salt in offerings shows respect, faithfulness. Wikipedia+1 |
| Numbers 18:19 — “All the heave offerings of the holy things … I have given to you … by a covenant of salt forever before the LORD unto you and to your seed with you.” | The “covenant of salt” implies something enduring, lasting. The Biblical Nutritionist+1 |
| 2 Chronicles 13:5 — “Behold, God made a covenant with David to be king over Israel forever … by a covenant of salt.” | Again, something unbreakable, lasting. The Biblical Nutritionist |
| Matthew 5:13 — “You are the salt of the earth …” | Jesus uses salt metaphorically: Christians are to preserve, purify, influence the world in positive ways. The Biblical Nutritionist+2Wikipedia+2 |
| Mark 9:50 — “Salt is good: but if the salt has lost his saltiness, wherewith will it be seasoned?” | Warning that one’s Christian witness can lose its effectiveness. Being “salty” means maintaining distinctiveness and spiritual integrity. The Biblical Nutritionist+1 |
What the Bible Doesn’t Explicitly Say
While salt has strong symbolic meaning, the Bible does not clearly teach that salt in and of itself (sprinkling salt, placing salt at thresholds, etc.) has inherent spiritual power to protect people from evil spirits or demonic forces. Key points:
- There is no specific command in Scripture telling believers to use salt for spiritual protection or cleansing of homes. Keys to the Kingdom Deliverance
- Practices like using salt in this way tend to stem from tradition, folk beliefs, or syncretic spiritual ideas—not direct biblical mandate. Keys to the Kingdom Deliverance+1
Biblical Foundations People Use When Considering Salt for Protection
Some people who do use salt for protection base their reasoning on:
- Symbolism of Purity & Preservation
Since salt preserves (prevents decay), some see it as metaphorically keeping evil out or preserving faith. - Covenant of Salt
The idea that God’s promises are enduring, like salt that doesn’t spoil. Thus, using salt may be seen as invoking covenant faithfulness. - Spiritual Metaphors
Passages like “salt of the earth” evoke being agents who preserve goodness, resist corruption, stand against evil. - Cultural / Traditional Practices
In some cultures, salt has been used in rituals, blessings, or as part of “cleansing” objects/spaces. These often are more cultural than strictly biblical.
Balanced Christian View / What Many Pastors Teach
- God is the ultimate protector, not objects. Prayer, faith, Scripture, the Holy Spirit, are the cornerstones of spiritual protection.
- Things like salt (or oil, water, etc.) if used, are symbolic. They don’t have magical power themselves. It’s important not to put confidence in them instead of God.
- Using salt might be okay as a personal or cultural expression if it’s clearly understood as symbolic. But doing so believing it has independent spiritual power can be dangerous theologically (leading toward superstition).
Next Read: The Power of Forgiveness in a Christ-Centered Life