ROCK. Palestine being a mountainous Country, had also many Rocks; which Rocks made Part of the Strength of the Country, for in Times of Danger they retired to them, where they found a Refuge against any sudden Irruptions of the Enemy. When the Benjamites were overcome and almost exterminated by the Israelites of the other Tribes, they secured themselves Judg. xx. 47. Jud. xv. 8. 2 Sam. xxiii. 25, 28. xxii. 1.in the Rock of Rimmon. Samson kept Garison in the Rock Etam. When David was persecuted by Saul, he often concealed himself in Caverns made in a Rock; for Example, at Maon, at Adullam, at En-gedi, where there was a Cave of a vast Extent, in which David and his People hid themselves, and wherein Saul enter’d and continued for some Time, without discovering them. Joshua shut up five Kings of the Canaanites, whom he had Josh. x. 16, 17, &c. Judg. vi. 2. Hieronym. Numb. xxiv. 21. Bellon. observat. l. 2. c. 61.subdued, in the Cave of Makkedah. During the Oppression that the Children of Israel suffer’d from the Midianites, they were forced to hide themselves in the Cavities of the Rocks. St. Jerome says, that the southern Parts of Judah are full of Caves under Ground, and of Caverns in the Mountains, to which the People retired in Time of Danger. The Kenites dwelt in the hollow Places of the Rocks. Even at this Day, the Villages of this Country are subterraneous, or in the Rocks. Josephus in several places speaks of hollow Rocks, where Thieves and Robbers had their Haunts; and Travellers still find a great Number of them in Palestine, and the Provinces adjoining to it.
Ps. xviii. 2.The Name of Rock is also given to God, by way of Metaphor, because God is the Strength, the Refuge, and the Azylum of Israel; as the Rocks were of those Places, whither the People retired in case of an unforeseen Attack or Irruption of the Enemy. The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer: My God, my Strength, in whom I will trust, my Buckler,
Psal. lxi. 2, 3. Psal. lxxi. 3. Psal. xciv. 22.and the Horn of my Salvation, and my high Tower. Who is a Rock, save our God? Be thou my strong Rock, for an House of Defence to save me. For thou art my Rock, and my Fortress. Then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. How should one chase a Thousand, and two put ten Thousand to Flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their Rock is not as our Rock, even our Enemies themselves being Judges. And so of others; for this way of speaking is very common in the Hebrew Text.
The Hebrews also give in general the Name of Rock to all Places of Retreat and Security, to which they retire. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a Shelter for me, and a strong Tower from the Enemy. Be thou to me for a Rock of Habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou hast given Commandment to save me, for thou art my Rock and my Fortress. But the Lord is my Defence, and my God is the Rock of my Refuge.
The Word Rock or Stone is also used to signify Knives; for they made use of Knives of Stone or Flint in Circumcision. Ex. iv. 25. Josh. v. 2, 3.Zipporah took a sharp Stone, and cut off the Foreskin of her Son. At that Time the Lord said unto Joshua, make thee sharp Knives, (or Knives of Flint) and circumcise again the Children of Israel a second time. And Joshua made him sharp Knives, and circumcised the Children of Israel, at the Hill of the Fore-skins.
Deut. viii. 9. Isai. li. 1. Deut. xxxii. 13.Moses says, that the Lord had settled his People in a high Country, and made him to suck Honey out of the Rock, and Oyl out of the flinty Rock. That is, he brought them out of Egypt, which was a flat Country, and subject to Inundations, and placed them in Palestine, which was a mountainous Country of great Fertility, the Hills of which were loaded with Vines and Olive-trees; and of which the very Rocks were fill’d with Swarms of Bees, whose Honey did not add a little to the Happiness of the Climate. He says in another Place, Palestine was a Land whose Stones were Iron, and out of whose Hills thou mayst dig Brass. That is, it abounded with good Mines of Iron and Brass.
Rock is also us’d for a Quarry, and in a figurative Sense, for the Patriarch of a Nation, or the first Father, who is, as it were, the Quarry from whom the Men of that Nation have proceeded. For Example, Look unto the Rock whence ye are hewn, and to the Hole of the Pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your Father, and unto Sarah that bare you. And Moses, ii. 31. Psal. xxxi. 2, 3. Deut. xxxii. 15, 18, 30, 31. Deut. xxxii. 18. Numb. xxi. 14, 15.speaking to the Jews, says; Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful; that is, of the Quarry from whence thou wast taken.
Mention is made in Scripture of several Rocks. As, for Example,
The Rocks of Arnon: Probably these were Rocks upon the Banks of the River or Brook Arnon, chiefly at the Place where the Israelites pass’d over it. They us’d to say, as it were by an antient Proverb, that the Lord had broke down or made plain the Rocks of Arnon, to make a Passage for his People. Scopuli torrentium inclinati sunt.
The Rocks Bozez and Seneh, 1 Sam. xiv. 4. They were between Michmash and Gibeah.
Sela-hammah-lekoth, or the Rock of 1 Sam. xxviii. 21.Divisions. This was in the Desart of Maon, and had this Name given it, because Saul was here obliged to quit his Pursuit after David, and to return to the Assistance of his Country, which was then invaded by the Philistines.
Ex. xvii. 6. Ex. xxxiii. 21, 22, 23. xxxiv. 6, 7. 1 Kings xix. 10, 11, 12, &c. Judg. vii. 25. Isa. x. 26.The Rock of Horeb. There are three Rocks by this Name, distinctly mark’d out in Scripture. The first is that from whence Moses caus’d the Waters to gush out, to supply the Necessities of the People, when they were encamped at Rephidim. The second is that on the Top of Mount Horeb, where God manifested a Part of his Glory to Moses, and afterwards to Elijah. The third is that where Oreb, the Prince of the Midianites, was put to Death. But this latter is rather written Oreb, whereas the other two are written Horeb.
The Rock Adullam; it was in the Neighbourhood of the City of this Name, in the Tribe of Judah.
Judg. xv. 8, 11, 13.The Rock Etam; probably near the City of this Name, mark’d in the Greek. Josh. xv. 60. 1 Chron. iv. 32. 2 Chron. xi. 6. They were in the Tribe of Judah; to the South of Jerusalem. See ETAM.
The Rock Jektiel. This, according to several Interpreters, is the same as Petra, the capital City of Arabia Petrea. See PETRA and JEKTIEL.
The Rock or Stone of Zoheleth, 1 Kings i. 9. See ZOHELETH.
The Rock of the Waters of Meribah, or Strife. This is the Rock where the Faith of Moses fail’d, and where the Scripture reproaches him with having hesitated in his Heart, and did not honour God as he ought, before the Children of Israel. Num. xx. 10, 11. It had the Name of the Rock of Strife given to it, and to the Waters, the Waters of Strife, because of the Murmurings of the Children of Israel, and their Sedition against Moses.
If there are still any other considerable Rocks, they may be seen under their proper per Articles, or under the Articles of those Cities, in whose Neighbourhood they were situated.