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; Exo 24:4, Horeb; Jos 18:14, mountain before Beth-horon: Jdg 16:3, mountain before Hebron; Psa 95:4, The heights of the mountains are his also; Psa 121:1, I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains. Hill remains in Deu 11:11, land of hills and valleys; 1Ki 20:23, god of the hills; Psa 2:6, my holy hill of Zion: Psa 98:8, hills sing for joy. Mount is changed hill-country in Deu 1:7, hill-country of the Amorites; Jdg 12:15, hill-country of the Amalekites; Deu 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 Deu 1:7; Jos 9:1; Jos 10:40; Jos 11:16; Jos 17:16; Jos 21:11. In Deu 1:41, Deu 1:43, 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 (Mat 5:14; Luk 4:29; Luk 9:37) the King James Version has hill, which the Revised Version (British and American) retains, except in Luk 9:37, when they were come down from the mountain (of the transfiguration). The derivative , oreinos, hill country, occurs in Luk 1:39, Luk 1:65.
(3) The common Hebrew word for hill is , gibhah = Gibeah (Jdg 19:12); compare Geba, gebha (1Sa 13:3); Gibeon, , gibon (Jos 9:3), from root , gabha, to be high; compare Arabic kubbeh, dome; Latin caput; , kephale.
(4) In 1Sa 9:11, the King James Version has hill for , maaleh, 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 , keren, horn; compare Arabic karn, horn, which is also used for a mountain peak.
(6) , tur, is translated mountain in Dan 2:35, Dan 2:45, but the Revised Version margin rock in Dan 2:35. The Arabic tur, mountain, is especially used with Sinai, jebel tur sna’.
(7) , muccabh (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 , maccabh, garrison (1Sa 14:1, etc.), from root , nacabh, to set; compare Arabic nasab, to set.
(8) , solelah, from , salal, 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; Jer 33:4; Eze 4:2; 17; Eze 21:22; Eze 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; Deu 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 (Psa 18:7; Psa 97:5; Isa 40:12; Isa 41:15; Isa 54:10; Jer 4:24; Nah 1:5; Hab 3:6). The hills were places of heathen sacrifice (Deu 12:2; 1Ki 11:7; 2Ki 16:4; 2Ki 17:10; Eze 6:13; Hos 4:13), and also of sacrifice to Yahweh (Gen 22:2; Gen 31:54; Jos 8:30). Zion is the hill of the Lord (Psa 2:6; Psa 135:21; Isa 8:18; Joe 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 (Son 4:8); rocks of the wild goats (1Sa 24:2); hill of the foreskins (Gibeah-haaraloth) (Jos 5:3); mountains of brass (Zec 6:1); hill of God (Gibeah of God) (1Sa 10:5); hill of Yahweh (Psa 24:3); mount of congregation (Isa 14:13); see also Mat 4:8; Mat 5:1; Mat 14:23; Mat 15:29; Mat 17:1; Mat 28:16; Luk 8:32; Gal 4:25.