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סִלָּא

𐤎𐤋𐤀

Sila

H5538 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סלל to heap up, raise, build up, construct

Definition

Proper noun identifying a place name, Silla, in Jerusalem referenced as a location associated with the assassination of King Joash of Judah. The precise meaning of the place name is uncertain, but based on possible derivation it may relate to a constructed or elevated area such as a ramp, embankment, or terrace.

Semantic Range

[Proper noun] a location in Jerusalem called Silla; [possible noun] embankment, ramp, raised way (derivation, not attested in common noun usage)

Root / Etymology

Formed from the root ס-ל-ל (סָלַל, 'to raise, heap up'), but as a place name the semantic derivation is uncertain. It likely references a geographic or architectural feature such as an embankment or ramp, though the etymology as applied to the location is not definitively established.

Historical & Contextual Notes

סִלָּא (Çillâʼ) appears once in the Hebrew Bible (2 Kings 12:20), designating a place in Jerusalem where servants of King Joash killed him. The context provides no detail about the function, size, or precise location. The root סָלַל commonly refers to constructing raised structures like highways or embankments, suggesting Silla may have been a physical feature of elevation. Some English translations render סִלָּא simply as 'Silla,' while others translate it as 'the house of Millo' by conjecture, but the text treats Silla as a distinct proper noun. There is no evidence for its use outside this passage, and there is no indication from biblical or extrabiblical sources that it designated an ethnic or religious group. Later Jewish tradition has not preserved an independent identity for Silla, and there is no direct correspondence in later geographic terminology.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from סָלַל; an embankment; Silla, a place in Jerusalem; Silla.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סלל (s-l-l) — heap up, raise, build up, construct

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4546 מְסִלָּה on the raised causeway
H4547 מַסְלוּל raised roadway
H5536 סַל in the woven basket
H5549 סָלַל one lifting himself up
H5550 סֹלְלָה the piled-up siege ramps

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5538-01 סִלָּֽא sila HNp to Silla Silla 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5538-01 2 Kings 12:21 סִלָּֽא sila HNp to Silla Silla
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