· Translation: KJV

1 Samuel 23:28So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.

The setting

The Rock of Division (Sela Hammahlekoth), Israel, ~1020 BC. Saul abandons his manhunt and marches north to defend against Philistine raiders...

The emotion here: reflective amazement at God's perfect timing and deliverance

The original word

Sela-Hammahlekoth (סלע המחלקות) — the rock of divisions, where separation occurred

Why it matters

This place name commemorated the exact spot where God's intervention saved David

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 23:28

They named this rock to remember how close David came to capture and how God intervened

Common misconceptionSome see this as lucky timing, missing that it demonstrates God's active protection of His chosen servants.

Bible Genome reading

1 Samuel 23:28 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power60%
Quotability40%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance50%
Standalone50%
Themes:divine deliveranceprovidential timing

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23:28 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is wilderness. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine deliverance, providential timing. Notable phrases: Saul returned from pursuing; Sela Hammahlekoth.

Your reflection

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