Lexical Summary Sela: Sela Original Word: סֶלַע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rock, Selah The same as cela'; Sela, the rock-city of Idumaea -- rock, Sela(-h). see HEBREW cela' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as sela Definition a city in Edom NASB Translation Sela (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. סֶ֫לַע proper name, of a location in Edom, ׳מֵהַהַסּ Judges 1:36 (strike out מֵ, compare GFM); ׳הַסּ captured in war 2 Kings 14:7 (and called יָקְתְאֵל); ׳מִסּ Isaiah 16:1; site dubious; old identification with Petra denied, plausibly, by BuhlEdom GFMJu, 36 (who thinks of an actual cliff), but held Benz2Kings 14:7 BdPal (1898), 206; ᵐ5 (ἡ)πέτρα. Topical Lexicon Name and Meaning Sela means “rock” or “cliff” and designates both a physical stronghold carved out of sandstone cliffs east of the Arabah and the city that arose there. Classical writers later called the site Petra, but Scripture preserves the earlier Semitic title that highlights its impregnable character. Geographical Setting Sela sits in the mountains of Edom, south-southeast of the Dead Sea. A narrow, winding canyon (the Siq) leads into an amphitheater of rose-red rock walls, making the place naturally defensible. The caravan routes that linked Arabia, the Red Sea ports, and the King’s Highway came together here, turning Sela into a strategic hub for trade, tribute, and military control. Historical Background Edom controlled Sela during most of the Old Testament era. The fortress city was the heart of Edomite independence after Esau’s descendants were pushed into the highlands. Its capture or allegiance could tip the regional balance of power. Judah’s King Amaziah recognized this and, after defeating Edom, seized Sela and renamed it Joktheel (2 Kings 14:7), a political statement that Judah’s God had given him the victory. The city’s prosperity later drew Arab tribes and Nabataeans, who developed it extensively after Old Testament times. Occurrences in Scripture 1. 2 Kings 14:7 – Amaziah’s conquest and renaming of the city. Prophetic and Poetic Dimensions Isaiah treats Sela as representative of peoples who live in seemingly impenetrable fortresses yet stand accountable to Zion’s King. The prophets thus turn a symbol of self-reliance into an illustration of the need for humble worship and submission. In Isaiah 42:11 the city’s cliffs, once echoing with Edomite war cries, are invited to resound with jubilant proclamation of the coming salvation. Theological Themes 1. God over Fortresses – Sela’s very name underscores human dependence on natural strength, but its fall to Amaziah and its future call to worship reveal that no earthly rock can rival the LORD, “the Rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1). Intertestamental and Later History During the Hellenistic period the Nabataeans transformed Sela/Petra into a mercantile capital famed for its rock-hewn façades and hydraulic engineering. Though absent from the New Testament, Petra’s ongoing prominence kept the memory of Sela alive among early Christians, who saw in its red cliffs a reminder that only Christ, not human ingenuity, is the true refuge. Typological and Christological Reflections The juxtaposition of Sela’s “rock” imagery with its vulnerability points ahead to the unshakable Rock, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Peter 2:6). Whereas Sela could be breached and renamed, the Messiah’s kingdom cannot be moved. Isaiah’s vision of the inhabitants of Sela joining worldwide praise anticipates the multitude in Revelation 7:9 that exalts the Lamb from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Practical Application for Believers Today • Security sought in natural strength, wealth, or geographic isolation ultimately fails; safety rests in God alone. Forms and Transliterations הַסֶּ֖לַע הסלע מִסֶּ֣לַע מסלע סֶ֔לַע סלע has·se·la‘ hasSela hassela‘ mis·se·la‘ misSela missela‘ se·la‘ Sela sela‘Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 14:7 HEB: וְתָפַ֥שׂ אֶת־ הַסֶּ֖לַע בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֤א NAS: 10000and took Sela by war, and named KJV: and took Selah by war, INT: thousand and took Sela war and called Isaiah 16:1 Isaiah 42:11 3 Occurrences |
    |