Original Word: סֶלַע
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Cela`
Pronunciation: seh'-lah
Phonetic Spelling: (seh'-lah)
KJV: rock, Sela(-h)
NASB: Sela
Word Origin: [the same as H5553 (סֶלַע - rock)]

1. Sela, the rock-city of Idumaea

rock, Selah

The same as cela'; Sela, the rock-city of Idumaea -- rock, Sela(-h).

see HEBREW cela'

Word Origin
from the same as sela
Definition
a city in Edom
NASB Translation
Sela (3).

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 Buhl^Edom GFM^{Ju, 36} (who thinks of an actual cliff), but held Benz^{2Kings 14:7} Bd^{Pal (1898), 206}; ᵐ5 (ἡ)πέτρα.

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.
2. Isaiah 16:1 – A call for the people of Sela to send lambs “to the ruler of the land … to the mount of Daughter Zion,” urging submission to the Davidic throne rather than trust in mountain defenses.
3. Isaiah 42:11 – A missionary-prophetic summons: “Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops,” envisioning even desert strongholds joining worldwide praise when the Servant brings justice.

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).
2. Mission to the Nations – By addressing Sela, Isaiah extends the covenant hope beyond Israel, foreshadowing the gospel’s advance to every tribe and tongue.
3. Tribute to the Davidic King – Isaiah 16:1 revisits the ancient practice of paying lambs to Jerusalem (compare 2 Kings 3:4), portraying a day when even remote Edomites will honor Zion’s rightful ruler.

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.
• God’s missionary heart embraces even those who seem farthest away—remote, resistant, or fortified. Intercession and outreach should therefore include the modern equivalents of Sela.
• Worship is not confined to traditional centers; the Lord intends praise to rise from deserts, mountains, and every hidden stronghold of the earth.

הַסֶּ֖לַע הסלע מִסֶּ֣לַע מסלע סֶ֔לַע סלע has·se·la‘ hasSela hassela‘ mis·se·la‘ misSela missela‘ se·la‘ Sela sela‘Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts