MOUNT (mount), (Heb. moots-tsawb', a station, Is. xxix:3; Jer. vi:6), a mound or rampart thrown up for a siege. MOUNTAIN (moun't1n).
(1) Dean Stanley gives (Sinai and Palestine) the following list, quoted in Ayre's Treasury of Bible Knowledge, of Hebrew words used in refer ence to mountains or hills. It will be noticed the majority are in common use with us: " Head, rash (Gen. viii:5; Ex. xix:2o; Deut. xxxiv ; 1 Kings xviii :42; A. V. `top'). Of a hill, Gibeah (Ex. xvii:9, io).
"Ears, azndth, Aznoth-tabor (Josh. xix:34); pos sibly in allusion to some projection on the top of the mountain.
"Shoulder, chdt,'fih (Dent. xxxiii :12; JOSI1. XV: 8; 'side'), all referring to the hills on which Jerusalem is placed. Josh. xv :To, 'the side of Mount Jearim.' "Side, tzad (see the word for the 'side' of a man in 2 Sam. ii :16; Ezek. iv :4, etc.). Used in reference to a mountain in I Sam. xxiii :26 ; 2 Sam. xiii "Loins or flanks, chisldth, Chisloth-tabor, Josh. xix :12, and occurs also in the name of a village, probably situated on this part of the mountain, fla-chesulloth, e., the 'loins' (Josh. xix :18).
"Rib, tzaah. Only used once, in speaking of the Mount of Olives (2 Sam. xvi :13), and there translated 'side.' " Back, shechem. Probably the root of the name of the town Shechem, which may be de rived from its situation, as it were, on the back of Gerizim.
"Elbow, ammah. The same word as that for 'cubit.' It occurs in 2 Sam. ii :24 as the name of a hill near Gibeon.
"Thigh, yarchdh (see the word for the 'thigh' of a man in Judg. :16, 21). Applied to Mount Ephraim (Judg. xix IS), and to Lebanon (2 Kings xix :23 ; Is. xxxvii :24). Used also for the 'sides' of a cave (I Sam. xxiv :3).
"The word translated 'covert' in I Sam. XXV:20 IS sether, from sdthar, to hide, and probably re fers to the shrubbery or thicket through which Abigail's path lay. In this passage 'hill' should be 'mountain.' " (2) The mountains mentioned in Scripture are noticed under their different names, and a general statement with reference to the mountains of PALESTINE is given under that head.
The most famous inountains mentioned in Scrip ture are, Seir, in Idumwa ; Horeb. near Sinai, in Arabia Petrxa ; Sinai, in Arabia Petra ; Hor, in ldumea ; Gilboa, south of the valley of Jezreel ; Nebo, a mountain of Abarim ; Tabor. in Lower Galilee; En-gedi, near the Dead sea ; Libanus and Anti-Libanus; Gerizim, in Samaria ; Ebal, near to Gerizim ; Gilead. beyond Jordan ; Amalek, in Ephraim ; Modal), where the temple was built ; Paran, in Arabia Petnea ; Gahash, in Ephraim : Olivet ; Pisgah, beyond Jordan ; Hermon, beyond Jordan, near Libanus ; Carmel, near the Mediter ranean sea; between Dora and Ptolemais.
FiguratiVe. In Scripture the governing part of the body politic appears under symbols of different kinds. If the allegory or figurative representation is taken from the heavens, the luminaries denote the governing body ; if from an animal, the head or horns ; if from the earth, a mountain or fortress ; and in this case the capital city or residence of the governor is taken for the supreme power. These
mutually illustrate each other. For a capital city is the head of the political body ; the head of an ox is the fortress of the animal ; mountains are the natural fortresses of the earth ; and therefore a fortress or capital city, though seated in a plain, may be called a mountain. llus the words head, mountain. hill, city, horn, and king are used in a manner as synonymous terms to signify a king dom, monarchy, or republic, united under one gov ernment, with only this difference, that it is to be understood in different respects; for the term head represents it in respect of the capital city ; mountain or hill in respect of the strength of the metropolis, which gives law to, or is above. and commands, the adjacent territory. When Dav.d says, 'Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong' (Ps. xxx :7), he mean , to express the stability of his kingdom.
The detailed symbolical allusions are herewith given : "Mountains" and "hills" are used to repre sent : (1) The people that dwell in a mountainous and hill country (Ezek. vi :2, 3). (2) The temple which was built on the top of a hill (Is. xxx :29 ; Jer. xvii :3, 26). (3) The church of God, typi fied by Mount Zion, and which is firmly settled, conspicuous, and useful in the world (Ps. ii :6 ; Is. ii :2) ; and which, as a great "mountain," shall fill the whole earth, when all nations shall be gathered to Christ (Dan. ii :35, 45). (4) The ordinances of Christ, which elevate his people heavenward, and afford them much rich and me dicinal provision for their soul (Cant. :8; iv :6; Joel hi :18). (5) Men high in station, powet and authority, as magistrates in the state, and apostles and ministers in the church (Ps. lxxii ; Is. xliv :23 ; lv :12). (6) Powerful hindrances and provocations, and enemies of gospel influence, and of the people of Christ (Is. x1:4 ; xli :15 ; xlix (7) The places where idols were wor shiped, which were often on hills and high places (Ezek. xviii :6, 11). (S) Idols worshiped in these places, or anything we trust in instead of God (Jer. :23). (9) The heavens, which are higher than mountains (Ps. cxxi :1 ). (1o) God, who is likened to the "mountains round about Jeru salem," as he is the sure defense and protector of his people, and the source of all their consolation (Ps. cxxv :2). (1 1) Samaria is called a "moun tain," because built on a hill (Amos iv :f ; vi (12) Babylon, or tbe Chaldean monarchy. is also called a ' mountain" because of its lofty build ing and great power ; "a destroying mountain," because it overwhelmed and destroyed the nationr around ; and a "burning mountain," because at last hurnt with fire. and the debris looked like a burnt "mountain" ( Jer. :25; Is. xiii :2). (See BABYLON.)