Lexical Definition
סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹת Çelaʻ ham-machlᵉqôwth (seh'-lah hammakh-lek-oth') Rock of Escape N:N--L
from סֶלַע and the plural of מַחֲלֹקֶת with the article interposed; rock of the divisions
Sela-hammalekoth.
- § Sela-hammahlekoth = "the cliff of escapes" or "the cliff of divisions"
- Sela-ham-Machlekoth, a place in Palestine
1) a rock or cliff in the wilderness of Maon, southeast of Hebron, the scene of an escape of David from Saul
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| סֶ֖לַע | Sela | 1Sam.23.28 |
| הַֽמַּחְלְקֽוֹת | Hammahlekoth | 1Sam.23.28 |
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. מַחְלְקוֺת noun feminine plural smoothness, ׳סֶלַע הַמּ 1Sam 23:28 rock of smoothness, i.e. slippery rock, perhaps original meaning of this proper name, see further I. מחלקוֺת below I. חלק.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| 1 Samuel | 23:28 |
Profile
Rock of Escape • Place where Saul stopped pursuing David
The Rock of Escape was a place where Saul stopped pursuing David after being called away to fight the Philistines (1 Sa. 23:28).
- A location near Maon מָעוֹן only mentioned at 1Sa.23.28;
- only referred to as Rock_of_Escape סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹת.
The Rock of Escape, also known as Sela-hammahlekoth in Hebrew, was a location in the wilderness of Maon where Saul was pursuing David. When Saul and his men were about to close in on David and his followers, a messenger arrived informing Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land. Saul then broke off his pursuit of David to fight against the Philistines. As a result, the place was named the Rock of Escape or the Rock of Divisions (1 Sa. 23:28). The exact location of this site is unknown, but it was likely situated in the wilderness area near Maon, in the Judean hills south of Hebron.
All entries for Rock of Escape: סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹת