1 Samuel 23:28
New International Version
Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.

New Living Translation
So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape.

English Standard Version
So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.

Berean Standard Bible
So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth.

King James Bible
Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.

New King James Version
Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape.

New American Standard Bible
So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Division.

NASB 1995
So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.

NASB 1977
So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.

Amplified Bible
So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.

Christian Standard Bible
So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation.

American Standard Version
So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Shaul returned from after David, and he went on to meet the Philistines, because of this, they called that land Senar Palgutha

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So Saul returned from following after David, and went to meet the Philistines: therefore that place was called The divided Rock.

Contemporary English Version
Saul stopped going after David and went back to fight the Philistines. That's why the place is called "Escape Rock."

Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore Saul returned, leaving the pursuit of David, and went to meet the Philistines. For this cause they called that place, the Rock of division.

English Revised Version
So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Saul gave up pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. So that place was called Slippery Rock.

Good News Translation
So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill.

International Standard Version
So Saul turned around from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines. Therefore, they call that place the Rock of Escape.

JPS Tanakh 1917
So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines; therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.

Literal Standard Version
And Saul turns back from pursuing after David, and goes to meet the Philistines, therefore they have called that place “The Rock of Divisions.”

Majority Standard Bible
So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth.

New American Bible
Saul interrupted his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. This is how that place came to be called the Rock of Divisions.

NET Bible
So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. Therefore that place is called Sela Hammahlekoth.

New Revised Standard Version
So Saul stopped pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.

New Heart English Bible
So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Rock of Divisions.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammah-lekoth.

World English Bible
So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul turneth back from pursuing after David, and goeth to meet the Philistines, therefore they have called that place 'The Rock of Divisions.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul Pursues David
27Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!” 28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth. 29And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 23:27
Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!"

1 Samuel 23:29
And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.

1 Samuel 24:1
After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the wilderness of En-gedi."


Treasury of Scripture

Why Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.

Sela-hammahlekoth.

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David Divisions Escape Meet Philistines Pursuing Pursuit Rock Saul Sela Turneth Turning Wherefore
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David Divisions Escape Meet Philistines Pursuing Pursuit Rock Saul Sela Turneth Turning Wherefore
1 Samuel 23
1. David, enquiring of the Lord by Abiathar, rescues Keilah
7. God showing him the coming of Saul, and the treachery of the Keilites,
13. he escapes from Keilah
14. In Ziph Jonathan comes and comforts him
19. The Ziphites discover him to Saul
25. At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the invasion of the Philistines
29. He dwells at En Gedi














(28) Sela-hammahlekoth.--Literally, as in the margin of our Bibles, the rock (or, still better, the cliff) of divisions. Other scholars, with greater reason, prefer the derivation from a Hebrew word signifying to be smooth--the cliff of smoothness: that is, of slipping away or escaping. Ewald rather fancifully interprets the term as the "Cliff of Destiny or of Fate."



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Saul
שָׁא֗וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

broke off
וַיָּ֣שָׁב (way·yā·šāḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

his pursuit
מִרְדֹף֙ (mir·ḏōp̄)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

of David
דָוִ֔ד (ḏā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

and went
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to meet
לִקְרַ֣את (liq·raṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7122: To encounter, befall

the Philistines.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

That is why
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

that
הַה֔וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

place
לַמָּק֣וֹם (lam·mā·qō·wm)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

is called
קָֽרְאוּ֙ (qā·rə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

the Rock of Escape.
הַֽמַּחְלְקֽוֹת׃ (ham·maḥ·lə·qō·wṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5555: Sela-ham-Machlekoth


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OT History: 1 Samuel 23:28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 23:27
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