Mount
Hill [ebd]
(1.) Heb. gib'eah, a curved or rounded hill, such as are common to Palestine (Ps. 65:12; 72:3; 114:4, 6).
(2.) Heb. har, properly a mountain range rather than an individual eminence (Ex. 24:4, 12, 13, 18; Num. 14:40, 44, 45). In Deut. 1:7, Josh. 9:1; 10:40; 11:16, it denotes the elevated district of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, which forms the watershed between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.
(3.) Heb. ma'aleh in 1 Sam. 9:11. Authorized Version "hill" is correctly rendered in the Revised Version "ascent."
(4.) In Luke 9:37 the "hill" is the Mount of Transfiguration.
Mount [ebd]
Palestine is a hilly country (Deut. 3:25; 11:11; Ezek. 34:13). West of Jordan the mountains stretch from Lebanon far down into Galilee, terminating in Carmel. The isolated peak of Tabor rises from the elevated plain of Esdraelon, which, in the south, is shut in by hills spreading over the greater part of Samaria. The mountains of Western and Middle Palestine do not extend to the sea, but gently slope into plains, and toward the Jordan fall down into the Ghor.
East of the Jordan the Anti-Lebanon, stretching south, terminates in the hilly district called Jebel Heish, which reaches down to the Sea of Gennesareth. South of the river Hieromax there is again a succession of hills, which are traversed by wadies running toward the Jordan. These gradually descend to a level at the river Arnon, which was the boundary of the ancient trans-Jordanic territory toward the south.
The composition of the Palestinian hills is limestone, with occasional strata of chalk, and hence the numerous caves, some of large extent, found there.
HILL; MOUNT; MOUNTAIN [isbe]
HILL; MOUNT; MOUNTAIN - 1. Names:(1) The commonest word is har (also harar, and herer), which is rendered "hill," "mount" or "mountain." It occurs several hundreds of times. In a number of places the Revised Version (British and American) changes "hill" to "mountain," e.g. Gen 7:19, mountains covered by flood; Ex 24:4, Horeb; Josh 18:14, mountain before Beth-horon: Jdg 16:3, mountain before Hebron; Ps 95:4, "The heights of the mountains are his also"; 121:1, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains." "Hill" remains in Dt 11:11, "land of hills and valleys"; 1 Ki 20:23, "god of the hills"; Ps 2:6, "my holy hill of Zion": 98:8, "hills sing for joy." "Mount" is changed "hill-country" in Dt 1:7, "hill-country of the Amorites"; Jdg 12:15, "hill-country of the Amalekites"; Dt 3:12, "hill-country of Gilead"; but Gen 3:21, "mountain of Gilead"; and Jdg 7:3, "Mount Gilead." "Hill" or "hills" is changed to "hill-country" in Dt 1:7; Josh 9:1; 10:40; 11:16; 17:16; 21:11. In Dt 1:41,43, the American Standard Revised Version changes "hill" to "hill-country," while the English Revised Version has "mountain." The reasons for these differences of treatment are not in all cases apparent.
(2) The Greek oros, is perhaps etymologically akin to har. It occurs often in the New Testament, and is usually translated "mount" or "mountain." In three places (Mt 5:14; Lk 4:29; 9:37) the King James Version has hill, which the Revised Version (British and American) retains, except in Lk 9:37, "when they were come down from the mountain" (of the transfiguration). The derivative oreinos, "hill country," occurs in Lk 1:39,65.
(3) The common Hebrew word for "hill" is gibh`ah = Gibeah (Jdg 19:12); compare Geba, gebha` (1 Sam 13:3); Gibeon, gib`on (Josh 9:3), from root gabha`, "to be high"; compare Arabic qubbeh, "dome"; Latin caput; kephale.
(4) In 1 Sam 9:11, the King James Version has "hill" for ma`aleh, root 'alah, "to ascend"; compare Arabic `ala', "to be high," and `ali, "high." Here and elsewhere the Revised Version (British and American) has "ascent."
(5) English Versions of the Bible has "hill" in Isa 5 for qeren, "horn"; compare Arabic qarn, "horn," which is also used for a mountain peak.
(6) Tur, is translated "mountain" in Dan 2:35,45, but the Revised Version margin "rock" in Dan 2:35. The Arabic tur, "mountain," is especially used with Sinai, jebel tur sina'.
(7) mutstsabh (Isa 29:3), is translated in the King James Version "mount" in the English Revised Version "fort," in the American Standard Revised Version "posted troops"; compare matstsabh, "garrison" (1 Sam 14:1, etc.), from root natsabh, "to set"; compare Arabic nacab, "to set."
(8) colelah, from calal, "to raise," is in the King James Version and the English Revised Version "mount," the King James Version margin "engine of shot," the American Standard Revised Version "mound" (Jer 32:24; 33:4; Ezek 4:2; 17; 21:22; 26:8; Dan 11:15).
2. Figurative and Descriptive:
The mountains and hills of Palestine are the features of the country, and were much in the thoughts of the Biblical writers. Their general aspect is that of vast expanses of rock. As compared with better-watered regions Descriptive of the earth, the verdure is sparse and incidental. Snow remains throughout the year on Hermon and the two highest peaks of Lebanon, although in the summer it is in great isolated drifts which are not usually visible from below. In Palestine proper, there are no snow mountains. Most of the valleys are dry wadies, and the roads often follow these wadies, which are to the traveler veritable ovens. It is when he reaches a commanding height and sees the peaks and ridges stretching away one after the other, with perhaps, through some opening to the West, a gleam of the sea like molten metal, that he thinks of the vastness and enduring strength of the mountains. At sunset the rosy lights are succeeded by the cool purple shadows that gradually fade into cold gray, and the traveler is glad of the shelter of his tent. The stars come out, and there is no sound outside the camp except perhaps the cries of jackals or the barking of some goat-herd's dog. These mountains are apt to repel the casual traveler by their bareness. They have no great forests on their slopes. Steep and rugged peaks like those of the Alps are entirely absent. There are no snow peaks or glaciers. There are, it is true, cliffs and crags, but the general outlines are not striking. Nevertheless, these mountains and hills have a great charm for those who have come to know them. To the Biblical writers they are symbols of eternity (Gen 49:26; Dt 33:15; Job 15:7; Hab 3:6). They are strong and steadfast, but they too are the creation of God, and they manifest His power (Ps 18:7; 97:5; Isa 40:12; 41:15; 54:10; Jer 4:24; Nah 1:5; Hab 3:6). The hills were places of heathen sacrifice (Dt 12:2; 1 Ki 11:7; 2 Ki 16:4; 17:10; Ezek 6:13; Hos 4:13), and also of sacrifice to Yahweh (Gen 22:2; 31:54; Josh 8:30). Zion is the hill of the Lord (Ps 2:6; 135:21; Isa 8:18; Joel 3:21; Mic 4:2).
3. Particular Mountains:
Many proper names are associated with the mountains and hills: as Abarim, Amalekites, Ammah, Amorites, Ararat, Baalah, Baal-hermon, Bashan, Beth-el, Bether, Carmel, Chesalon, Ebal, Ephraim, Ephron, Esau, Gaash, Gareb, Geba, Gerizim, Gibeah, Gibeon, Gilboa, Gilead, Hachilah, Halak, Hebron, Heres, Hermon, Hor, Horeb, Jearim, Judah, Lebanon, Mizar, Moreh, Moriah, Naphtali, Nebo, Olives, Olivet, Paran, Perazim, Pisgah, Samaria, Seir, Senir, Sephar, Shepher, Sinai, Sion, Sirion, Tabor, Zalmon, Zemaraim, Zion. See also "mountain of the east" (Gen 10:30); "mountains of the leopards" (Song 4:8); "rocks of the wild goats" (1 Sam 24:2); "hill of the foreskins" (Gibeah-haaraloth) (Josh 5:3); "mountains of brass" (Zec 6:1); "hill of God" (Gibeah of God) (1 Sam 10:5); "hill of Yahweh" (Ps 24:3); "mount of congregation" (Isa 14:13); see also Mt 4:8; 5:1; 14:23; 15:29; 17:1; 28:16; Lk 8:32; Gal 4:25.
Alfred Ely Day
Mountain [nave]
MOUNTAINMelted, Psa. 97:5; Deut. 4:11; 5:23; Judg. 5:5; Isa. 64:1-3; Mic. 1:4; Nah. 1:5.
Overturning and removing of, Job 9:5; 14:18; 28:9; Ezek. 38:20.
Abraham offers Isaac upon Mount Moriah, afterward called Mount Zion, the site of the temple, Gen. 22:2; See: Zion.
Horeb appointed as a place for the Israelites to worship, Ex. 3:12.
Used for idolatrous worship, Deut. 12:2; 1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Kin. 14:23; Jer. 3:6; Hos. 4:13.
Jesus tempted upon, Matt. 4:8; Luke 4:5.
Jesus preaches from, Matt. 5:1.
Jesus goes up into, for prayer, Matt. 14:23; Luke 6:12; 9:28; is transfigured upon, Matt. 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36; meets his disciples on, after his resurrection, Matt. 28:16, 17.
Signals from, Isa. 13:2; 18:3; 30:17.
Removed by faith, Matt. 17:20; 21:21; Mark 11:23.
Burning mountains, See: Hills; Volcano.
