Symbolism of Mountains in Biblical Scripture
Mountains in biblical scripture often carry significant symbolic weight, representing various concepts from divine presence to human pride and even nations. Geographically, Palestine is characterized by numerous hills and mountain ranges, such as the elevated district of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, which forms the watershed between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea [2, 4]. Specific mountains like Mount Hermon, known as "the chief mountain" or "snowy mountain," are prominent features [5]. The Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, is frequently mentioned in both Old and New Testaments [3].
Symbolically, mountains are often associated with God's power and majesty. The Lord is depicted as forming mountains, setting them fast, and giving them strength [1]. He causes them to smoke, tremble, skip, and even melt [1]. The "mountain of God" can refer to a place of divine dwelling or revelation, as seen with Mount Sinai, where the Lord descended [6]. However, the Babylonian Talmud suggests that God chose Mount Sinai for the giving of the Torah not for its height, but for its humility, as a symbol of God's presence with the contrite [13].
Beyond divine presence, mountains can symbolize nations or powerful entities. The prophet Nahum describes mountains quaking and hills melting, which John Gill interprets as kings, princes, and the nations of the Assyrian empire trembling in fear [6]. Similarly, in Psalms, mountains are seen as symbols of nations, with the "mountain of Bashan" representing a heathen nation envious of Zion, the hill where God resides [7]. Isaiah also uses mountains figuratively, with Abraham Ibn Ezra interpreting them as representing the Babylonians [11].
Conversely, mountains can also represent human pride or obstacles. The prophet Isaiah speaks of the "day of the Lord" coming upon all lofty things in nature, including cedars, oaks, mountains, and hills, which some interpret as a figurative description of judgment upon human arrogance [9]. Augustine of Hippo, however, views mountains in a positive light, interpreting them as the holy Scriptures from which help comes, and as receiving peace from God [8]. He also identifies Christ as the "Mountain of God," "fruitful" and "full of curds," feeding believers with grace [12]. The "mountains of Israel" are addressed in Ezekiel as scenes of Jewish idolatries on "high places," indicating a negative association with false worship [10].
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Mountains — The elevated parts of the earth -- Ge 7:19,20. God Formed. -- Am 4:13. Set fast. -- Ps 65:6. Gives strength to. -- Ps 95:4. Weighs, in a balance. -- Isa 40:12. Waters, from his chambers. -- Ps 104:13. Parches, with draught. -- Hag 1:11. Causes, to smoke. -- Ps 104:32; 144:5. Sets the foundations of, on fire. -- De 32:22. Makes waste. -- Isa 42:15. Causes, to tremble. -- Na 1:5; Hab 3:10. Causes, to skip. -- Ps 114:4,6. Causes, to melt. -- Jdj 5:5; Ps 97:5; Isa 64:1,3. Removes. -- Job 9:5. Overturns. -- Job 9:5; 28:9. Scatters. -- Hab 3:6. Made to glorify ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Hill — (1.) Heb. gib'eah, a curved or rounded hill, such as are common to Palestine (Ps. 65:12; 72:3; 114:4, 6). (2.) Heb. har, properly a mountain range rather than an individual eminence (Ex. 24:4, 12, 13, 18; Num. 14:40, 44, 45). In Deut. 1:7, Josh. 9:1; 10:40; 11:16, it denotes the elevated district of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, which forms the watershed between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. (3.) Heb. ma'aleh in 1 Sam. 9:11. Authorized Version "hill" is correctly rendered in the Revised Version "ascent." (4.) In Luke 9:37 the "hill" is the Mount of Trans”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Olves, Mount of — So called from the olive trees with which its sides are clothed, is a mountain ridge on the east of Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7; Ezek. 11:23; Zech. 14:4), from which it is separated by the valley of Kidron. It is first mentioned in connection with David's flight from Jerusalem through the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 15:30), and is only once again mentioned in the Old Testament, in Zech. 14:4. It is, however, frequently alluded to (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13; Neh. 8:15; Ezek. 11:23). It is frequently mentioned in the New Testament (Matt. 21:1; 26:30, e”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Hills — From the Hebrew Gibeah, meaning a curved round hill. But our translators have also employed the same English word for the very different term har, which has a much more extended sense than gibeah, meaning a whole district. For instance, in (Exodus 24:4) the "hill" is the same which is elsewhere in the same chapter, vs. (Exodus 24:12,13,18) etc., and book consistently and accurately rendered "mount" and "mountain." The "country of the hills," in (1:7; Joshua 9:1; 10:40; 11:16) is the elevated district of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim, which is correctly called "t”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Hermon — (a peak, summit), a mountain on the northeastern border of Palestine, (3:8; Joshua 12:1) over against Lebanon, (Joshua 11:17) adjoining the plateau of Bashan. (1 Chronicles 5:23) It stands at the southern end, and is the culminating point of the anti-Libanus range; it towers high above the ancient border city of Dan and the fountains of the Jordan, and is the most conspicuous and beautiful mountain in Palestine or Assyria. At the present day it is called Jebel esh-Sheikh, "the chief mountain," and Jebel eth-Thelj, "snowy mountain." When the whole country is p”
- Nahum (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Nahum 1:5: The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt,.... As Sinai of old did, when the Lord descended on it, Exo 19:18. Mountains figuratively signify kings and princes; and hills large countries, as Jarchi and Abarbinel observe, and the inhabitants of them; particularly the kingdoms and nations belonging to the Assyrian empire, which would tremble and quake, and their hearts melt with fear, when they should hear of the destruction of Nineveh their chief city; and of the devastation made by the enemy there and in other parts, under the direction of the Lord of hosts; his pow”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 68:15: Mountains are often symbols of nations (Psa 46:2; Psa 65:6). That of Bashan, northeast of Palestine, denotes a heathen nation, which is described as a "hill of God," or a great hill. Such are represented as envious of the hill (Zion) on which God resides;”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM CXXV.(2) (part 2): her. Of these lovely and delightful mountains Scripture constantly speaketh. ... They are the mountains of whom we sing: "I lifted up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence my help shall come:"(2) because in this life we have help from the holy Scriptures.(3) And through the mountains that receive peace, the little hills received righteousness: for what saith he of the mountains themselves? He said not, they have peace from themselves, or they make peace, or generate peace; but, they receive peace. The Lord is the sour”
- Isaiah (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Isaiah 2:13: The prophet then proceeds to enumerate all the high things upon which that day would fall, arranging them two and two, and binding them in pairs by a double correlative Vav. The day of Jehovah comes, as the first two pairs affirm, upon everything lofty in nature. "As upon all the cedars of Lebanon, the lofty and exalted, so upon all the oaks of Bashan. As upon all mountains, the lofty ones, so upon all hills the exalted ones." But wherefore upon all this majestic beauty of nature? Is all this merely figurative? Knobel regards it as merely a figurative descripti”
- Ezekiel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezekiel 6 (introduction): CONTINUATION OF THE SAME SUBJECT. (Eze 6:1-14) mountains of Israel--that is, of Palestine in general. The mountains are addressed by personification; implying that the Israelites themselves are incurable and unworthy of any more appeals; so the prophet sent to Jeroboam did not deign to address the king, but addressed the altar (Kg1 13:2). The mountains are specified as being the scene of Jewish idolatries on "the high places" (Eze 6:3; Lev 26:30).”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 41:15: Mountains, A figurative expression for the Babylonians.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM LXV III.[10] (part 17): But here what else would he call fat but fruitful? For there is also a mountain called by that name, that is to say, Selmon. But what mountain ought we to understand by "the mountain of God, a mountain fruitful, a mountain full of curds," but the same Lord Christ? Of whom also another Prophet saith, "There shall be manifest in the last times the mountain of the Lord prepared on the top of the mountains"?[11] He is Himself the "Mountain full of curds,"[12] because of the babes to be fed with grace as though it were wi”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 5a.8: The Gemara comments on this: And it stands to reason that the meaning of the verse is like the one who says: I am with the contrite person, as the Holy One, Blessed be He, disregarded all of the mountains and hills, and rested His Divine Presence on the lowly Mount Sinai, and He did not choose to raise Mount Sinai up toward Him. God chose to give the Torah on Mount Sinai, as it was a symbol of humility due to its lack of height, and He lowered His Divine Presence, as it were, to the mountain.”