צֵלַע (tse.la)
tse.la
Zela
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun tse.la refers to a specific location in the territory of Benjamin, identified as Zelah. Its literal meaning is "rib," which likely describes the geographical shape of the site or its position relative to nearby terrain features.
Scripture mentions this place only twice, both in historical narratives concerning King Saul. In Joshua 18:26, it is listed among the towns allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. Later, in 2 Samuel 21:14, it serves as the final resting place where the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan are reburied after being recovered from the Philistines.
The association with Saul’s family burial site gives the word its primary historical weight. While the etymology points to a physical description like "rib," its significance in the biblical text rests on its role as the resting place of Israel’s first king and his heir, marking it as a site of royal memory within Benjamin.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Zela appears in Scripture as a quiet corner of Benjamin’s territory, named only twice. Its name likely describes a rib-like ridge or slope, but its true importance comes from what happened there. It became the final resting place for Saul and Jonathan, Israel’s first king and his heir.
When their bones were returned from Gibeah, they were laid to rest in Zela, in Kish’s tomb. This act restored dignity to a fallen dynasty and brought peace to the land. For us, it reminds us that God honors those who have served Him, even when their reign ended in tragedy. His faithfulness outlasts human failure.
Though small and obscure, Zela stands as a place of royal memory and divine restoration. It shows how God can bring peace and answer prayer through acts of obedience and reverence. In our own lives, we too find hope in the promise that no story is truly over until God speaks its final word.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- at/ Zela1×
- and/ Zelah1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/צֵלַ֡ע1×
- בְּ/צֵלָ֗ע1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 21:14
They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer for the land.
This verse marks Zela as the burial site of Saul and Jonathan, fulfilling a command that brought peace to the land.
-
Joshua 18:28
Zelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
Here Zela is listed among Benjamin’s towns, establishing its place in the tribal inheritance before the monarchy.