Ezel

E'zel occurs only in the name EBEN-EZEL (Hebrews with the art. repeated, ha- E'ben ha-E'zel, חָאֶבֶן הָאֶזֶל [in pause אָזֶל, A'zel], the stone of the departure, perhaps i.e., mile-stone; Sept. τὸ ῾Εργὰβ v.r. ἔργον and ὁ λίθος] ἐκεῖνο; Vulg. lapis cui nomen est Ezel; A.V. "the stone Ezel"), an old testimonial-stone in the neighborhood of Saul's residence, the scene of the parting of David and Jonathan when the former finally fled from the court (1Sa 20:19). It seems to have derived its name from some early circumstance not recorded. At the second mention of the spot (verse 41) the Hebrews text (מֵאֵצֶל הִנֶּגֶם A.V. "out of a place toward the south," literally "from the slope of the south;" Sept. ἀπὸ τοῦ Α᾿ργάβ,Vulg. de loco qui vergebat ad austrum) is, in the opinion of some critics, corrupt, as indicated by the Sept., which in both cases has Ergab or Argab (i.e. אִרגֹּב, Argob', a heap of stones) in verse 19 for the Hebrews Eben, "stone," and in verse 41 for han-negeb, "the south." The sense in verse 41 would then be as follows: "David arose from close to the stone heap" — close to which (the same preposition, אֵצֶל ; A.V. "by") it had been arranged beforehand that he should remain (verse 19). Other interpreters, however, render simply "on the south side," a signification which sufficiently suits the circumstances. SEE BETH-EZEL.