The meaning of Hill, Hill Country in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
hil'-kun-tri: The common translation of three Hebrew words:
(1) gibh'ah, from root meaning "to be curved," is almost always translated "hill"; it is a pecuIiarly appropriate designation for the very rounded hills of Palestine; it is never used for a range of mountains. Several times it occurs as a place-name, "Gibeah of Judah" (Joshua 15:20, Joshua 15:57); "Gibeah of Benjamin" or "Saul" (Judges 19:12-16, etc.); "Gibeah of Phinehas" (Joshua 24:33 margin), etc. (see GIBEAH). Many such hills were used for idolatrous rites (I Kings 14:23; II Kings 17:10; Jeremiah 2:20, etc.).
(2) har, frequently translated in the King James Version "hill," is in the Revised Version (British and American) usually translated "mountain" (compare Genesis 7:19; Joshua 15:9; Joshua 18:15 f., and many other references), or "hillcountry." Thus we have the "hill-country of the Amorites" (Deuteronomy 1:7, Deuteronomy 1:19-20); the "hill-country of Gilead" (Deuteronomy 3:12); the "hill-country of Ephraim" (Joshua 17:15-16, Joshua 17:18; Joshua 19:50; Joshua 20:7, etc.); the "hill-country of Judah" (Joshua 11:21; Joshua 20:7; Joshua 21:11; II Chronicles 27:4, etc.; and (he oreine) Luke 1:39, Luke 1:65); the "hill-country of Naphtali" (Joshua 20:7). For geographical descriptions see PALESTINE; COUNTRY; EPHRAIM; JUDAH, etc.
(3) 'ophel, is translated by "hill" in II Kings 5:24; Isaiah 32:14; Micah 4:8, but may possibly mean "tower" or "fort." In other passages the word occurs with the article as a place-name.
See OPHEL.
E. W. G. Masterman
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