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Bible Encyclopedias
North
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or The Shemite, in speaking of the quarters of the heavens and of the earth, suppose his face turned towards the east, so that the east is before him, the west behind, the south on the right hand, and the north on the left. Hence the words which signify east, west, north, and south, signify also that which is before, behind, on the right hand, and on the left. The Hebrew word, translated north, occurs in the five following senses:—
It denotes a particular quarter of the heavens: thus, 'fair weather cometh out of the north' (; see also , and ).
It means a quarter of the earth (;;;; comp. ).
It occurs in the sense of a northern aspect or direction, etc.; thus, 'looking north' (;; ); on 'the north side' (;;; comp. ).
It seems used as the conventional name for certain countries, irrespectively of their true geographical situation, namely, Babylonia, Chaldea, Assyria, and Media, which are constantly represented as being to the north of Judea, though some of them lay rather to the east of Palestine. Thus Assyria is called the north (), and Babylonia (;;;;;; ).
The Hebrew word is applied to the north wind; see and .
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'North'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/n/north.html.
