Sela-Hammahlekoth

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("the rock of divisions".) (Targum, Midrash, Rashi) , "the rock of escapes" (Gesenius):  1 Samuel 23:28. S.E. of Judah, in the wilderness of Maon, where David was on one side of the mountain, Saul on the other. A message announcing a Philistine invasion caused "divisions" in Saul's mind, whether to pursue David still or go after the invaders. David narrowly escaped.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Se'la-Hammahle'koth. (The Cliff Of Escapes or The Cliff Of Divisions). A rock or cliff in the wilderness of Maon, southeast of Hebron, the scene of one of those remarkable escapes which are so frequent in the history of Saul's pursuit of David.  1 Samuel 23:28.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Sela-Hammahlekoth . A rock or cliff in the wilderness of Maon, at which Saul ‘returned from pursuing after David’ (  1 Samuel 23:28 ). The site is uncertain.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Se'la hammachlekoth', סֵלִע הִמִּחְלְקוֹת ; Sept. Πέτρα Ἡ Μερισθεῖσα ; Vulg. Petra Dividens ) , a rock in the wilderness of Maon, the scene of one of those remarkable escapes which are so frequent in the history of Saul's pursuit of David ( 1 Samuel 23:28). Its name, if interpreted as Hebrew, signifies the "rock of escapes," or "of divisions." The former is the explanation of Gesenius ( Thesaur. p. 485), the latter of the Targum and the ancient Jewish interpreters (Midrash; Rashi). The escape is that of David; the divisions are those of Saul's mind, undecided whether to remain in pursuit of his enemy or to go after the Philistines; but such explanations, though appropriate to either interpretation, and consistent with the Oriental habit of playing on words, are doubtless mere accommodations. The analogy of topographical nomenclature makes it almost certain that this cliff must have derived its name either from its Smoothness (one of the radical meanings of חָלִק ) or from some peculiarity of shape or position, such as is indicated in the translations of the Sept. and Vulgate. The Divisions characteristic of the mountain, or rather Cliff (for such Sela properly means), probably were the seams or Ravines down its sides, which furnished David the means of escape. According to Lieut. Conder ( Tent Work In Palestine, 2, 91), the name Malaky is still applied to part of a rocky gorge between Ziph and Maon," seamed with many torrent beds."

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sē - la - ha - ma´lḗ - koth , - kōth ( המּחלקות סלע , ṣela‛ha - maḥleḳōth  ; πέτρα ἡ μερισθεῖσα , pétra hē meristheı́sa ): "The rock of divisions ( or , escape)" (  1 Samuel 23:28 margin). "Saul ... pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul" (  1 Samuel 23:25 ,  1 Samuel 23:26 ). The name seems to survive in Wâdy Malāki , "the great gorge which breaks down between Carmel and Maon eastward, with vertical cliffs" ( PEF , III, 314, Sh. Xxi ).