Lexical Definition

‎סֶלַע‎ çelaʻ (seh'-lah) rock ^H:N-M
from an unused root meaning to be lofty

(ragged) rock, stone(-ny), strong hold.

• a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress)

1) crag, cliff, rock
1a) crag, cliff
1b) as stronghold of Jehovah, of security (fig.)

See Greek: κρημνός · πέτρα · στερέωμα

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎סֶ֫לַע‎₆₁ noun masculine^{Judg 6:20} crag, cliff, synonym ‎צוּר‎; — absolute ‎׳‎‎ס‎ Judg 6:20 +, ‎סָ֑לַע‎ Num 20:10 +; construct ‎סֶ֫לַע‎ 1Sam 23:28 suffix ‎סַלְעִי‎ 2Sam 22:2 +, ‎סַלְעוֺ‎ Isa 31:9 plural ‎סְלָעִים‎ Isa 2:21 +; —

1. literally cliff, crag Judg 6:20; Isa 2:21; Isa 7:19; Amos 6:12; Num 20:8 (twice in verse); Num 20:10 (twice in verse); Num 20:11(compare Neh 9:15; Ps 78:16, and contrast the ‎צוּר‎ of Exod 17:6), Num 24:21; Deut 32:13 (not elsewhere Hexateuch), + 10 t.; ‎׳‎‎שֵׁן הַסּ‎ 1Sam 14:4 (twice in verse) tooth of the crag, i.e. sharp crag, so Job 39:28 excavated in cliff as place of burial Isa 22:16 abode of wild animals, ‎׳‎‎יַעֲלֵיסֿ‎ vIsa 22:1, compare Ps 104:18; Prov 30:26, of birds Job 39:28; Song 2:14 (in figurative), compare Jer 48:28, so of Edom Obad 1:3 = Jer 49:16 compare (Num 24:21 above and) Isa 42:11 particular cliffs are: ‎עֵיטָם‎ ‎׳‎‎ס‎ Judg 15:8; Judg 15:11 compare vJudg 15:13, ‎(הָ)רִמּוֺן‎ ‎׳‎‎ס‎ Judg 20:45; Judg 20:47 (twice in verse); Judg 21:13 ‎הַמַּחְלְקוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎ס‎ 1Sam 23:28 compare v1Sam 23:25 see also II. ‎סֶלַע‎.

2. figurative, especially ‎סַלְעִי‎ of ‎׳‎‎י‎ (only Psalms), Ps 18:3* = 2Sam 22:2; Ps 31:4*; Ps 42:10*; Ps 71:3 of Assyrian god Isa 31:9 (probably; compare ‎צוּר‎ Deut 32:31; Deut 32:37); ‎כָּבֵד‎ ‎׳‎‎צֵל ס‎ Isa 32:2 (simile of protecting care); figurative of security Ps 40:3* (feet on cliff), ‎מְצָדוֺת סְלָעִים מִשְׂגַּבּוֺ‎ Isa 33:16 symbol of obstinacy ‎׳‎‎חִזְּקוּ פְנֵיהֶם מִסּ‎ Jer 5:3 ‎׳‎‎צְחִיחַ ס‎ (bare cliff, literally glare of [the] cliff), in figure of openness, flagrancy Ezek 24:7; Ezek 24:8, of razed city Ezek 26:4; Ezek 26:14 (only here Ezekiel); in figure of fall of Babylonian Jer 51:25.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References