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Mount

MOUNT, MOUNTAIN. Hill, mount, and mountain are terms roughly synonymous in the English Bible. Much of Palestine is hilly or mountainous. These elevations are not dramatically high but are old worn-down hills. A central hill country stretches from north to south in Palestine, attaining its greatest elevations in Galilee (nearly 4,000 feet [1,250 m.] above sea level) and finally ending in the Negev in the south. Much of Transjordan is high plateau land, although in Syria north of Palestine this section reaches a great height in Mount Hermon (c. 9,000 feet [2,813 m.] above sea level), which is snow-covered throughout the year.

“Mount” in several places in the KJV refers to the mounds raised against the wall of a besieged city by an attacking army (Jer.6.6; Ezek.26.8).——JBG

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

1. Names:

(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; Lu 4:29; 9:37) the King James Version has hill, which the Revised Version (British and American) retains, except in Lu 9:37, "when they were come down from the mountain" (of the transfiguration). The derivative oreinos, "hill country," occurs in Lu 1:39,65.

(3) The common Hebrew word for "hill" is gibh`ah = Gibeah (Jud 19:12); compare Geba, gebha` (1Sa 13:3); Gibeon, gib`on (Jos 9:3), from root gabha`, "to be high"; compare Arabic qubbeh, "dome"; Latin caput; kephale.

(4) In 1Sa 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 Da 2:35,45, but the Revised Version margin "rock" in Da 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" (1Sa 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; Eze 4:2; 17; 21:22; 26:8; Da 11:15).

2. Figurative and Descriptive:

3. Particular Mountains:

mount, moun’-tin.

See HILL, MOUNT, MOUNTAIN.