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Easton's Bible Dictionary
(1) Hebrew bik'ah,
a "cleft" of the mountains ( Deuteronomy
8:7 ; 11:11
; Psalms
104:8 ; Isaiah
41:18 ); also a low plain bounded by mountains, as the plain of Lebanon at
the foot of Hermon around the sources of the Jordan ( Joshua
11:17 ; 12:7
), and the valley of Megiddo ( 2
Chronicles 35:22 ).
(2) 'Emek,
"deep;" "a long, low plain" ( Job
39:10 ,
39:21 ; Psalms
65:13 ; Cant
2:1 ), such as the plain of Esdraelon; the "valley of giants" ( Joshua
15:8 ), usually translated "valley of Rephaim" ( 2
Samuel 5:18 ); of Elah ( 1
Samuel 17:2 ), of Berachah ( 2
Chronicles 20:26 ); the king's "dale" ( Genesis
14:17 ); of Jehoshaphat ( Joel
3:2 ,
3:12 ), of Achor ( Joshua
7:24 ; Isaiah
65:10 ), Succoth ( Psalms
60:6 ), Ajalon ( Joshua
10:12 ), Jezreel ( Hosea
1:5 ).
(3) Ge,
"a bursting," a "flowing together," a narrow glen or ravine, such as the valley
of the children of Hinnom ( 2
Kings 23:10 ); of Eshcol ( Deuteronomy
1:24 ); of Sorek ( Judges
16:4 ), etc. The "valley of vision" ( Isaiah
22:1 ) is usually regarded as denoting Jerusalem, which "may be so called,"
says Barnes (Com. on Isaiah), "either (1) because there were several valleys within
the city and adjacent to it, as the vale between Mount Zion and Moriah, the vale
between Mount Moriah and Mount Ophel, between these and Mount Bezetha, and the
valley of Jehoshaphat, the valley of the brook Kidron, etc., without the walls
of the city; or (2) more probably it was called the valley in reference to its
being compassed with hills rising to a considerable elevation above the city"
( Psalms
125:2 ; Compare also Jeremiah
21:13 , where Jerusalem is called a "valley").
(4) Hebrew. nahal,
a wady or water-course ( Genesis
26:19 ; Cant.
6:11 ).
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
(no entry)
Smith's Bible Dictionary
It is hardly necessary to state that these words signify
a hollow sweep of ground between two more or less parallel ridges of high land.
The structure of the greater part of the holy land does not lend itself to the
formation of valleys in our sense of the word. The abrupt transitions of its crowded
rocky hills preclude the existence of any extended sweep of valley. Valley is
employed in the Authorized Version to render five distinct Hebrew words.
(1) Emek .
This appears to approach more nearly to the general sense of the English word
than any other. It is connected with several places.
(2) Gai or ge .
Of this there is fortunately one example which can be identified with certainty
--the deep hollow which compasses the southwest and south of Jerusalem. This identification
establishes the ge as a deep and abrupt ravine, with steep sides and narrow bottom.
(3) Nachal .
This word answers to the Arabic wady, and expresses, as no single English word
can, the bed of a stream (often wide and shelving, and like a "valley" in character,
which in the rainy season may be nearly filled by a foaming torrent, though for
the greater part of the year dry).
(4) Bikah .
This term appears to mean rather a plain than a valley, though so far resembling
it as to be enclosed by mountains. It is rendered by "valley" in ( Deuteronomy
34:3 ; Joshua 11:8 , 11:17 ; 12:7 ; 2 Chronicles 35:22 ; Zechariah 12:11 )
(5) has-Shefelah .
The district to which the name has-Shefelah is applied in the Bible has no resemblance
whatever to a valley, but is a broad, swelling tract of many hundred miles in
area, which sweeps gently down from the mountains Judah to the Mediterranean.
It is rendered "the vale" in ( 1:7 ; Joshua 10:40 ; 1 Kings 10:27 ; 2 Chronicles
1:15 ; Jeremiah 33:13 ) and "the valley" or "the valleys" in ( Joshua 9:1 ; 11:2
, 11:16 ; 12:8 ; 15:33 ; Judges 1:9 ; Jeremiah 32:44 ) |
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
val, val'-i:
(FROM VALE; VALLEY)
(1) gay'; either absolute:
"from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab" (Numbers 21:20); or with
a proper name: "valley of Hinnom," also "valley of the son of Hinnom" (Joshua
15:8); "valley of Slaughter" (Jeremiah 7:32); "valley of Zeboim" (1 Samuel 13:18);
"valley of Zephathah" (2 Chronicles 14:10); "valley of Hamon-gog" (Ezekiel 39:11);
"valley of Iphtah-el" (Joshua 19:14); "valley of the mountains" (Zechariah 14:5);
"Valley of Salt" (2 Samuel 8:13); "valley of vision" (Isaiah 22:1); once (in the
Revised Version (British and American)) as a place-name: "until thou comest to
Gai" (the King James Version "the valley") (1 Samuel 17:52); also (Revised Version)
"Ge-harashim" (1 Chronicles 4:14); compare "valley of craftsmen" (margin "Ge-haharashim")
(Nehemiah 11:35).
(2) 'emeq, 'amoq,
"to be deep"; compare Arabic 'amuq, "to be deep"; 'umq, "depth"; 'Ammiq, a village
in the valley of Coele-Syria; absolute:
"He could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley" (Judges 1:19); often with
place-names: "valley of Achor" (Joshua 7:24); "valley of Aijalon" (Joshua 10:12);
"valley of Gibeon" (Isaiah 28:21); "vale of Hebron" (Genesis 37:14); "valley of
Jehoshaphat" (Joel 3:2); "vale of Rephaim," the King James Version "valley of
the giants" (Joshua 15:8); "vale of Shaveh" (Genesis 14:17); "vale of Siddim"
(Genesis 14:3); "valley of Succoth" (Psalms 60:6); compare "valley of Weeping"
(the King James Version "Baca") (Psalms 84:6); "valley of Beracah" (margin "Blessing")
(2 Chronicles 20:26); "valley of decision" (Joel 3:14); "vale of Elah" (margin
"terebinth") (1 Samuel 17:2); "the King's Vale" (Genesis 14:17); but "the king's
dale" (2 Samuel 18:18); "Emekkeziz," the King James Version "valley of Keziz"
(Joshua 18:21).
(3) biq'ah, baqa',
"to cleave," hence, "valley," especially "broad valley" or "plain"; compare Arabic
baq'at, "wet meadow" Biqa', Coele-Syria; absolute: "a land of hills and valleys"
(Deuteronomy 11:11); with place-names: "valley of Jericho" (Deuteronomy 34:3);
"valley of Lebanon" (Joshua 11:17); "valley of Megiddo" (2 Chronicles 35:22);
"valley of Mizpah" (Joshua 11:8).
(4) nachal,
also "river" or "stream"; absolute "Isaac's servants digged (dug) in the valley"
(Genesis 26:19); with place-names:
"valley (the King James Version "river") of the Arnon" (Deuteronomy
2:24); "valley of Eshcol" (Numbers 32:9); "valley of Gerar"
(Genesis 26:17); "valley of Shittim" (Joel 3:18); "valley of Sorek"
(Judges 16:4); "valley of Zered" (Numbers 21:12).
(5) shephelah, shaphel,
"to be low"; compare Arabic safal, "to be low"; the King James Version "valley"
or "vale," the Revised Version (British and American) "lowland," the coast and
foothills of Western Palestine
(6) aulon,
"valley" (Judith 4:4; 7:3; 10:10).
(7) pharagx:
"Every valley shall be filled" (Luke 3:5).
The valley gate (Nehemiah 2:13, etc.) may have had about the location of the present
Jaffa gate, if by "valley" is meant the valley of Hinnom. If the Tyropoeon is
meant, it would have been near the southwestern corner of the charam area.
See JERUSALEM.
The valleys of the mountainous part of Palestine are mostly dry, rocky wadies
with occasional torrents m the winter season. Those which descend to the W. widen
out as they approach the plain and contain broad fields and meadows which in the
winter and spring at least are fresh and green. The valley of the Jordan, the
valley of Megiddo and the valley of Lebanon (i.e. Coele-Syria) contain much cultivable
land: "the herds that were in the valleys" (1 Chronicles 27:29): "They of Beth-shemesh
were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley" (1 Samuel 6:13); "The valleys
also are covered over with grain" (Psalms 65:13).
See BROOK; CHAMPAIGN; LOWLAND; RIVER; SHEPHELAH.
Alfred Ely Day
Tags:
aulon, bible commentary, bible reference, bible study, bik'ah, define, 'emek, ge, nahal, pharagx, shephelah, vale, valley
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