me.lach denotes salt named in palace fare and in provisions for offerings and supplies.

The term occurs as salt in two provision lists and once in the expression about having eaten the palace's salt; the supplied verses do not require distinct lexical senses.

1. Salt in fare and supplied provisions · dominant

   In Ezra 6:9 and Ezra 7:22, the absolute noun occurs among listed supplies, with the APB rendering “salt” alongside wheat, wine, and oil. In Ezra 4:14, the construct form occurs in the statement that the speakers have “eaten the salt of the palace,” placing it in palace fare.

   Ezra 4:14Ezra 6:9Ezra 7:22

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the term as “salt” in all three verses: as something eaten with the palace's fare and as an item in supply lists. The original form and clause context identify its contribution.