1 Samuel 23:28 Meaning and Explanation
“Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Saul breaks off the chase to face the Philistines, and the place is named the Rock of Escape.
What Does 1 Samuel 23:28 Mean?
Compelled by the invasion, Saul abandons the pursuit and turns to confront the Philistines. David slips free. The place is given a name to mark what happened there: Selahammahlekoth, the Rock of Division or Escape -- a stone monument to deliverance.
The name fixes the memory of God's rescue in the land itself, so the story would be told and retold. What looked like certain capture became a place forever called the Rock of Escape. The faithful are right to name and remember the moments when God parted their enemies from them. Such memorials teach the heart that the same Lord who delivered before can be trusted to deliver again.
1 Samuel 23:28 in the Original Language
Selahammahlekoth (סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹת) -- ''the rock of divisions'' or ''of escape,'' commemorating David's deliverance there.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 23:28
What does 1 Samuel 23:28 mean?
Saul breaks off the chase to face the Philistines, and the place is named the Rock of Escape.