Bible Encyclopedias
Hill; Hill Country

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hil´kun - tri : The common translation of three Hebrew words:

(1) גּבעה , gibh‛āh , 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 (1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 17:10; Jeremiah 2:20 , etc.).

(2) הר , 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 , Deuteronomy 1:20 ); the "hill-country of Gilead" (Deuteronomy 3:12 ); the "hill-country of Ephraim" (Joshua 17:15 , Joshua 17:16 , Joshua 17:18; Joshua 19:50; Joshua 20:7 , etc.); the "hill-country of Judah" (Joshua 11:21; Joshua 20:7; Joshua 21:11; 2 Chronicles 27:4 , etc.; and (ἡ ὀρεινή , hē oreinḗ ) Luke 1:39 , Luke 1:65 ); the "hill-country of Naphtali" (Joshua 20:7 ). For geographical descriptions see PALESTINE; COUNTRY; EPHRAIM; JUDAH , etc.

(3) עפל , ‛ōphel , is translated by "hill" in 2 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 .