Mountain
Holman Bible Dictionary [1]
Palestine har oros
Many important events in the Bible took place on or near mountains. God called Moses to His work at Mount Horeb, sometimes called “the mountain of God.” A part of God's call was the promise that the Israelite people would worship there upon their escape from Egypt ( Exodus 3:1-12 ).
After the Exodus, God commanded Moses to gather the people at Mount Sinai (probably identical to Horeb). There God gave the Law including the Ten Commandments to Moses.
Other Old Testament mountain episodes include Aaron's death on Mount Hor ( Numbers 33:38 ), the death of Moses on Mount Nebo ( Deuteronomy 34:1-8 ), and Elijah's defeat of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel ( 1 Kings 18:15-40 ).
Much of Jesus' life and ministry also took place on mountains. One of the temptations took place on “an exceeding high mountain” ( Matthew 4:8 ). Jesus' most famous teaching session is called the “Sermon on the Mount” ( Matthew 5-7 ). Jesus went up to a mountain to pray ( Luke 6:12 ), and healed the Gerasene demoniac near a mountain site ( Mark 5:11 ).
Perhaps it is significant that the scene of the transfiguration was on a mountain ( Matthew 17:1-8 ). Jesus was declared to be preeminent over both Moses and Elijah, the representatives of the Law and Prophets. Many of their greatest victories came on mountains. Jesus is affirmed as Lord of all at this mountain experience.
The term mountain also is used symbolically in the Bible. It is a natural image for stability ( Psalm 30:7 ), obstacles ( Zechariah 4:7 ), and God's power ( Psalm 121:1-2 ). God will remove all obstacles when His redemption is complete, “and every mountain and hill shall be made low” ( Isaiah 40:4 ).
Mountains often have been called “holy places.” Jerusalem (elevation 2,670 feet) often was called Mount Zion, the hill of the Lord ( Psalm 2:6; Psalm 135:21 : Isaiah 8:18; Joel 3:21; Micah 4:2 ). God met His people there in worship. The “New Jerusalem” is also known as Mount Zion ( Revelation 14:1 ).
Some of the more famous biblical mountains with their feet elevations are: Ebal (3,084), Gehyrezim (2,890), Gilboa (1,630), Hermon (9,230), Nebo (2,630), Tabor (1,930), Sinai (7,500). See Jerusalem, (Mount Zion), Sermon On The Mount .
Bradley S. Butler
Fausset's Bible Dictionary [2]
(Hebrew har) . Both single heights, as Sinai, Zion, etc., and ranges as Lebanon. Also a mountainous region, "the mountain of Israel" and "Judah" ( Joshua 40:16; Joshua 40:21), i.e. the highland as opposed to the plain, the hill country ( Joshua 21:11). "Mount Ephraim" is Ephraim's hilly country ( 2 Chronicles 15:8). "The mount of the valley" ( 2 Chronicles 13:19) a district E. of Jordan in Reuben, the vale of Siddim ( Genesis 14:3; Genesis 14:8) according to Keil. Even more than with ourselves the parts of a mountain are compared to bodily members: the head KJV "top," the ears Aznoth Tabor ( Joshua 19:34), the shoulder, the back.
Webster's Dictionary [3]
(1): ( n.) A large mass of earth and rock, rising above the common level of the earth or adjacent land; earth and rock forming an isolated peak or a ridge; an eminence higher than a hill; a mount.
(2): ( n.) A range, chain, or group of such elevations; as, the White Mountains.
(3): ( n.) A mountainlike mass; something of great bulk.
(4): ( a.) Like a mountain; mountainous; vast; very great.
(5): ( a.) Of or pertaining to a mountain or mountains; growing or living on a mountain; found on or peculiar to mountains; among mountains; as, a mountain torrent; mountain pines; mountain goats; mountain air; mountain howitzer.
King James Dictionary [4]
MOUNT'AIN, n. L. adjective, montanus. A large mass of earth and rock, rising above the common level of the earth or adjacent land, but of no definite altitude. We apply mountain to the largest eminences on the globe but sometimes the word is used for a large hill. In general, mountain denotes an elevation higher and larger than a hill as the Altaic mountains in Asia, the Alps in Switzerland, the Andes in South America,the Allegheny mountains in Virginia, the Catskill in New York, the White mountains in New Hampshire, and the Green mountains in Vermont. The word is applied to a single elevation, or to an extended range.
MOUNT'AIN, a. Pertaining to a mountain found on mountains growing or dwelling on a mountain as mountain air mountain pines mountain goats.
Smith's Bible Dictionary [5]
Mountain. The Hebrew, har , like the English, "mountain," is employed for both single eminences more or less isolated, such as Sinai. Gerizim, Ebal, Zion and Olivet, and for ranges, such as Lebanon. It is also applied to a mountainous country or district.
