NORTH (n&rth), (Heb. 7PP, ntez-aw-reh', scatterer, Job xxxvii:9).
The Shemite, in speaking of the quarters of the heavens and of the earth, supposes 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: (1) A Particular Quarter of the Heavens. It denotes a particular quarter of the heavens; thus, 'fair weather corneth out of the north' (Job xxxvii :22).
(2) Quarter of the Earth. It means a quarter of the earth (Ps. cvii :3; Is. xliii :6; Ezek. xx :47; xxxii :3o; comp. Luke xiii:29).
(3) A Northern Aspect. It occurs in the sense of a northern aspect or direction, etc.; thus, 'look ing north' (1 Kings vii :25 ; I Chron. ix :24; Num. xxxiv :7) ; on 'the north side' (Ps. xlviii :2; Ezek. viii :14; xl :44; comp. Rev. xxi :r3)• (4) Name for Countries. It seems used as the conventional name for certain countries, irre spectively of their true geographical situation, namely, Babylonia, Chaldxa, Assyria, and Media, which are constantly represented as being to the north of Judwa, though some of them lay rather to the east of Palestine. Thus Assyria is called
the north (Zeph. :13), and Babylonia (Jer. i xlvi :6, to, 20, 24 ; Ezek. xxvi :7; Judith xvi :4).
(5) North Wind. The Hebrew word is ap plied to the north wind. In Prov. xxvii :16, the impossibility of concealing the qualities of a con tentious wife, is illustrated by comparing it to an attempt to bind the north wind. The invocation of Solomon (Cant. iv :16), 'Awake, oh north, and come, thou south, blow upon my garden that the spices may flow out,' and which has occasioned much perplexity to illustrators, seems well ex plained by Rosenmiiller, as simply alluding to the effect of winds from opposite quarters, in dispers ing the fragrance of aromatic shrubs (verses 13, 14) far and wide, in all directions. J. F. D. NORTH COUNTRY (nOrth Icen'try), a term applied to the countries lying north of Palestine, whence came invaders and foes (Is. xli:25; Jer. 14, 15; Ezek. xxvi:7). (See NORTH.)