H5553 H5553
A crag, cliff, or large rock formation; metaphorically, God as a secure refuge; also the Edomite city Sela (Petra).
Denotes a towering rock face or rugged cliff — the kind of imposing geological feature that dominates the Judean and Transjordanian landscape. In the Psalms and 2 Samuel, the word takes on a powerful devotional dimension: 'my rock' (סַלְעִי) becomes a title for God as an unshakable refuge, rendered 'mi peña' in Spanish and 'mon rocher' in French, both preserving the raw, craggy concreteness of the image. The famous incident at Meribah (Num 20:8–11) centers on this word — Moses is told to speak to the סֶלַע, but strikes it instead. Once the term also serves as the proper name Sela, the cliff fortress later known as Petra.
1. rock, cliff (physical feature) — The primary, literal sense: a large rock formation, cliff face, or crag as a physical geological feature. This is the default meaning across most occurrences (43x), covering everything from the rock at Meribah that Moses struck (Num 20:8–11) to the crags where fugitives hide (1 Sam 23:25) and where tombs are hewn (Isa 22:16). The multilingual evidence is remarkably consistent — English 'rock,' Spanish 'peña/roca,' French 'rocher,' German 'Fels' — all pointing to a massive, immovable stone formation rather than a small stone or pebble. 43×
AR["الصَّخْرَةَ","الصَّخْرَةِ","الصَّخْرَةِ-الـ","الصَّخْرِ","الصَّخْرِ؟","صَخْرَةٍ","صَخْرَةِ","عَارِيَةً"]·ben["পাথরে","পাথরে।","পাথরের","শিলা","শিলাকে","শিলার","সেই-পাথরে","সেই-পাথরের"]·DE["Fels","Fels-von","[סלע]","der-Fels"]·EN["rock","rock-of","the-rock"]·FR["le-rocher","rocher","rocher-de"]·heb["ה-סלע","סלע"]·HI["चट्टान","चट्टान-की","चट्टान-के"]·ID["batu","batu karang","bukit-batu","gundul,","karang-yang-gundul.","ke-batu"]·IT["il-roccia","roccia","roccia-di"]·jav["parang","sela","sèla","sèla.","séla","séla-parang","watu","watu-karang"]·KO["그-바위","그-바위-를","바위","바위로","바위에","바위의","반석-에"]·PT["a-rocha","a-rocha.","da-rocha","o-rochedo","penha","rocha","rocha-de","rocha?"]·RU["на-скалу","скале","скалой","скалу","скалы","чтобы-не-"]·ES["la-peña","la-roca","la-roca-de","pelada","peña","roca"]·SW["mwamba","mwambani","tupu","wa-mwamba"]·TR["-kayaya","de-kayaya","kaya","kayada","kayadan","kayanın","kayaya"]·urd["-چٹان-کی","ننگی","چٹان","چٹان-کے"]
Num 20:8, Num 20:8, Num 20:10, Num 20:10, Num 20:11, Num 24:21, Deut 32:13, Judg 6:20, Judg 15:8, Judg 15:11, Judg 15:13, Judg 20:45 (+31 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. rocks, crags (plural terrain) — The plural form referring to rocky cliffs or crags as rugged terrain features, often as places of concealment or inaccessible refuges (9x). In Isa 2:21 people flee 'into the rocks' (בַּסְּלָעִים) for shelter from divine judgment, while Ps 104:18 names the crags as home for rock badgers. Spanish 'peñascos' and German 'Felsen' both capture the wild, plural landscape sense — craggy terrain rather than a single formation. 9×
AR["-الصُّخُورِ","الصُّخورُ","الصُّخُورِ","صُخورًا","وَ-بِـ-الـ-صُّخُورِ"]·ben["-পর্বতের","-পাথরের","আর-পাথরগুলিতে","পাথরগুলি","পাথরগুলির","পাথরগুলোর","শিলাগুলিকে","শৈলের"]·DE["Fels","Felsen","und-in-der-Felsen"]·EN["and-in-the-rocks","of-cliffs","rocks","the-crags","the-rocks"]·FR["et-dans-le-rochers","rocher","rochers"]·heb["ה-סלעים","ו-ב-סלעים","סלעים"]·HI["और-चट्टानों-में","चट्टानें","चट्टानों","चट्टानों-की","चट्टानों-के","चट्टानों-को","चट्टानोंके"]·ID["batu-batu","batu-batu-karang","batu-karang","bukit-batu","bukit-bukit-batu","dan-di-batu-karang","karang"]·IT["e-in-il-rocce","rocce","roccia"]·jav["karang","lan-ing-parang","parang","parang-parang","sela-sela","séla."]·KO["그리고-그-바위들에","바위-들-은","바위들","바위들을","바위들의","절벽의"]·PT["as-rochas","as-rochas.","e-nas-rochas","os-penhascos","os-rochedos","rochas"]·RU["hа-скал","и-в-скалах","скал","скалы","утёсов"]·ES["las-peñas","los-peñascos","peñas","peñascos","rocas","y-en-las-peñas"]·SW["majabali","miamba","na-miambani","za-miamba"]·TR["kayalar","kayalardan","kayalarin","kayaları","kayaların","kayaliklarin","ve-kayalarda"]·urd["-چٹانوں","اور-چٹانوں-میں","پتھروں-کے","چٹانوں-کو","چٹانوں-کی","چٹانوں-کے","چٹانیں"]
3. rock (divine epithet) — A striking metaphorical use where 'rock' becomes a divine epithet expressing God's role as an impregnable fortress and personal refuge (6x). Typically appears with possessive suffixes — 'my rock' (סַלְעִי) in 2 Sam 22:2 and Ps 18:2 — standing parallel to other fortress-images. The Spanish 'mi peña' and French 'mon rocher' preserve this intimate, devotional address. Distinguished from the more common צוּר by its emphasis on craggy height and inaccessibility rather than foundational solidity. 6×
AR["صَخْرَتي","صَخْرَتِي","وَ-صَخْرَتُهُ"]·ben["আমার-পাথর","আমার-শৈল","ও-তার-শৈল"]·DE["mein-Fels","und-Fels"]·EN["And-his-rock","my-rock"]·FR["et-rocher","mon-rocher","rocher"]·heb["ו-סלעו","סלע-י","סלעי"]·HI["और-चट्टान-उसका","चट्टान-मेरी","चट्टान-मेरे","मेरी-चट्टान"]·ID["Dan-batunya","batu-karangku"]·IT["e-roccia","la-mia-roccia","mio-roccia"]·jav["karang-kula","karang-wadas-kula","lan-karangipun","parang-kawula","parang-kula"]·KO["그리고-그의-반석이","나-의-반석","나의-바위","내-바위여","반석-이시고"]·PT["E-sua-rocha","meu-rochedo","minha-rocha"]·RU["И-скала-его","скала-моя","скале-моей"]·ES["mi-peña","mi-roca","peña-mía","y-su-roca"]·SW["Na-mwamba-wake","jabali-langu","mwamba-wangu"]·TR["Ve-kayasi","kayam"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-چٹان","میری-چٹان","میری-چٹان-ہے"]
4. Sela (proper noun) — The proper noun Sela, identifying the Edomite fortress-city later known as Petra (1x, Judg 1:36). The name derives transparently from the common noun — a city carved into and defined by its towering rock cliffs. English renders it as 'Sela,' while German and French transliterate similarly, confirming the proper-name reading. 1×
AR["مِنَ-الصَّخْرَةِ"]·ben["শৈল-থেকে"]·DE["von-der-Sela"]·EN["from-the-Sela"]·FR["de-le-Sela"]·heb["מ-ה-סלע"]·HI["चट्टान-से"]·ID["dari-Batu"]·IT["da-il-Sela"]·jav["saking-sela"]·KO["에서부터-바위에서부터"]·PT["desde-o-rochedo"]·RU["от-Скалы"]·ES["desde-la-Roca"]·SW["kutoka-Sela"]·TR["den-kayadan"]·urd["چٹان-سے"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H3701 1. silver (the metal) (391×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H0216 1. light (general / metaphorical) (116×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)H1270 1. iron (metal, tools, weapons; fig. strength/hardness) (76×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)G3037 1. stone / rock (59×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6697 1. rock, cliff, crag (49×)H3001 1. be dry, wither (intransitive) (45×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. סֶ֫לַע61 n.m. Ju 6:20 crag, cliff, synon. צוּר;—abs. ס׳ Ju 6:20 +, סָ֑לַע Nu 20:10 +; cstr. סֶ֫לַע 1 S 23:23; sf. סַלְעִי 2 S 22:2 +, סַלְעוֹ Is 31:9; pl. סְלָעִים Is 2:21 +;— 1. lit. cliff, crag Ju 6:20; Is 2:21; 7:19 Am 6:12 Nu 20:8(×2), 10(×2), 11 (cf. Ne 9:15 ψ 78:16, and contr. the צוּר of Ex 17:6), Nu 24:21; Dt 32:13 (not elsewhere Hex) Je 13:4, + 9 times; שֵׁן הַסּ׳ 1 S 14:4(×2) tooth…