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occurs only in the name EBEN-EZEL (Hebrews with the art. repeated, ha- E'ben ha-E'zel, çָàֶáֶï äָàֶæֶì [in pause àָæֶì , A'zel], the stone of the departure, perhaps i.e., mile-stone; Sept. ôὸ ῾Åñãὰâ v.r. ἔñãïí and ὁ ëßèïò ] ἐêåῖíï ; Vulg. lapis cui nomen est Ezel; A.V. "the stone Ezel"), an old testimonial-stone in the neighborhood of Saul's residence, the scene of the parting of David and Jonathan when the former finally fled from the court (1Sa_20:19). It seems to have derived its name from some early circumstance not recorded. At the second mention of the spot (1Sa_20:41) the Hebrews text ( îֵàֵöֶì äִðֶּâֶí A.V. "out of a place toward the south," literally "from the slope of the south;" Sept. ἀðὸ ôïῦ Á᾿ñãÜâ ,Vulg. de loco qui vergebat ad austrum) is, in the opinion of some critics, corrupt, as indicated by the Sept., which in both cases has Ergab or Argab (i.e. àִøְâֹּá , Argob', a heap of stones) in 1Sa_20:19 for the Hebrews Eben, "stone," and in 1Sa_20:41 for han-negeb, "the south." The sense in 1Sa_20:41 would then be as follows: "David arose from close to the stone heap" — close to which (the same preposition, àֵöֶì ; A.V. "by") it had been arranged beforehand that he should remain (1Sa_20:19). Other interpreters, however, render simply "on the south side," a signification which sufficiently suits the circumstances. SEE BETH-EZEL.