Bible Encyclopedias
Ezel

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ē´zel ( האזל , hā -'āzel ; Septuagint παρὰ τὸ ἐργὰβ ἐκεῖνο , pará tó ergáb ekeı́no ): As it stands, the narrative in 1 Samuel 20:19 records the tryst of Jonathan with David at the stone Ezel. The name occurs only here. There is general agreement that the text is corrupt, but there is no agreement as to how it should be restored. The Septuagint reads "this mound" (the Revised Version (British and American), margin), or "yonder cairn"; and in 1 Samuel 20:41 instead of "out of a place toward the South" it reads "from beside the mound" or "cairn." Dr. Cheyne suggests "yonder juniper tree" ( Encyclopaedia Biblica , under the word).