Seneh

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("bush".) The southern of the two isolated rocks in the passage of Michmash, mentioned in Jonathan's enterprise ( 1 Samuel 14:4;  1 Samuel 14:8), the nearer of the two to Geba. He made his way across from Geba of Benjamin to the Philistine garrison at Michmash over Seneh and Bozez, the rocks intervening. Seneh was named from the growth of thorn brushes upon it. The ridge between the two valleys (still called Suweineh and Buweizeh ) has two steep sides, one facing the S. toward Geba (Seneh), the other facing the N. toward Michmash (Bozez). In going from Geba to Michmash, instead of going round by the passage of Michmash where the two valleys unite, Jonathan went directly across the ridge over the two rocks which lay between the passages or valleys.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Seneh . One of the steep cliffs forming the walls of the gorge of Michmash, where Jonathan’s exploit occurred (  1 Samuel 14:4 f.). The name may signify ‘tooth,’ though this is uncertain. The precise cliffs, called respectively Seneh and Bozez, are not identified.

H. L. Willett.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Se'neh. (thorn). The name of one of the two isolated rocks, which stood in the "passage of Michmash,"  1 Samuel 14:4, 6 1/2 Miles north of Jerusalem.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Rock in the "passage of Michmash" where the Philistines had a garrison in the days of Saul.  1 Samuel 14:4 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 14:4Bozez

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 14:4,5

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Seneh', סְנֶה thorn; Sept. Σεννά [Vat. Ε᾿νναάρ Alex. omits]; Vulg. Sene ), the name of one of the two isolated rocks which stood in the "passage of Michmash" at the time of the adventure of Jonathan and his armor bearer ( 1 Samuel 14:4). It was the southern one of the two ( 1 Samuel 14:5), and the nearest to Geba (A.V. "Gibeah"). The name in Hebrew means a "thorn," or thorn bush, and is applied elsewhere only to the memorable thorn of Horeb; but whether it refers in this instance to the shape of the rock or to the growth of seneh upon it, we cannot ascertain. The latter is more consistent with analogy. It is remarkable that Josephus (War, 5, 2, 1), in describing the route of Titus from the north to Jerusalem, mentions that the last encampment of his army was at a spot "which in the Jews' tongue is called the valley" (or perhaps the plain) "of thorns (ἀκανθῶν αὐλών ), near a certain village called Gabathsaould," i.e. Gibeath of Saul. The ravine of Michmash is about four miles from the hill which is, with tolerable certainty, identified with Gibeah. This distance is perhaps too great to suit Josephus's expression; still the point is worth notice. — Smith. Between Jeba, or Geba, and Mukhmas, or Michmash, there are two narrow and deep valleys, or gorges, running nearly parallel towards the east, with a high, rocky, and precipitous ridge between them. These two valleys unite a little lower down, i.e. a little to the east of the direct line from Jeba to Mukhmas. The ordinary route descends obliquely to the right from Jeba, and passes through the united valley at the junction, rounding the point of the promontory, and then ascends obliquely to the left towards Mukhmas. This is the passage of Michmash alluded to in  1 Samuel 13:23;  Isaiah 10:28-29. The ridge between the two valleys has two steep or precipitous sides, one facing the south towards Geba, and the other facing the north towards Michmash. These were the two "sharp rocks" or precipices called "Seneh" and "Bozez." The two valleys are still called Suweineh and Buweizeh. Jeba stands on the south side of Sulweineh, on the very edge of the valley, and Mukhmas on the north edge of Buweizeh. Lieut. Conder regards the valley of Suweineh itself as a trace of the name Seneh, and thinks its opposite walls were scaled by Jonathan (Quar. Statement of the "Pal. Explor. Fund," April, 1874, p. 62); and he graphically describes the descent of his own surveying party down the rocks (Tent Work in Palestine, 2, 113). (See Bozez).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sē´ne ( סנה , ṣeneh  ; Σεννά , Senná ): This was the name attaching to the southern of the two great cliffs between which ran the gorge of Michmash (  1 Samuel 14:4 ). The name means "acacia," and may have been given to it from the thorn bushes growing upon it. Josephus ( Bj , V, ii, 1) mentions the "plain of thorns" near Gabathsaul. We may hear an echo of the old name in that of Wâdy Suweinit, "valley of the little thorn tree," the name by which the gorge is known today. The cliff must have stood on the right side of the wady; see Bozez . Conder gives an excellent description of the place in Tent Work in Palestine , Ii, 112-14.