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הַר

𐤄𐤓

har

H2022 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A natural elevation of the earth's surface rising prominently above its surroundings, larger and higher than a hill; a mountain or mount. It denotes significant geographic features, including individual mountains, mountain ranges, and elevated regions. In extended or metaphorical senses, it can refer to political power, centers of authority, or significant spiritual locations (e.g., 'the mountain of YHWH').

Semantic Range

mountain, mount, hill, elevated region, hill country, mountain range, elevated place (figurative), lofty place (figurative), seat of authority (figurative)

Root / Etymology

From the root הרר (harar), 'to be high, to rise up, to lift up.' The nominal form הַר (har) derives from this root and refers to a prominent or elevated landform. The connection with height and elevation underlies all its uses, whether literal (physical mountain) or metaphorical (exalted place, place of authority).

Historical & Contextual Notes

Used throughout the Hebrew Bible with high frequency, הַר designates central features of the landscape (e.g., Mount Sinai [הַר סִינַי], Mount Zion [הַר צִיּוֹן]). In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, mountains served as landmarks, religious sites (altars, shrines, temples), or political centers. The term can also denote regions ('hill country') distinct from coastal or plain areas (e.g., hill country of Ephraim, Judah). In metaphorical usage, mountains can symbolize power (Psalm 36:7), stability, or challenge. Later English translations sometimes render הַר as 'hill' or 'hill country' when the elevation is not mountainous by modern standards, but the Hebrew term remains consistent. Occasionally, later religious or eschatological traditions invest mountains with symbolic meaning (e.g., mount as seat of divine presence), but these are developments beyond original usage. The KJV idiom 'promotion' (Psalm 75:6) arises from misunderstanding the underlying Hebrew; here, 'mountains' more likely refers metaphorically to sources of help or authority.

Translation Consistency

primary "mountain" 49 occurrences

'Mountain' is the overwhelmingly common and natural English rendering (349 of 547 occurrences) and best covers the primary sense: a prominent elevated landform. It also naturally generates plurals and compounds (mountains, mountain-range, mountain of) and can carry the extended/figurative senses (seat of authority, lofty place) more naturally than alternatives like 'hill' or the less common 'mount.' This choice maximizes consistency and readability.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"hill country" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a shortened form of הָרָר; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively); hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

הרר (Harori) — to be high, to rise, to lift up

Root הרר to be high, to rise, to lift up
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2033 הֲרוֹרִי the Harorite
H2042 הָרָר in mountains of
H2043 הֲרָרִי the mountain-dweller

Word Forms

30 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2022-08 הַ֣ר har HNcmsc mountain mountain of mountain of 118
H2022-06 הָ/הָ֥ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain 91
H2022-02 בְּ/הַ֣ר behar HR/Ncmsc in the hill country in mountain of in mountain of 67
H2022-13 הָרִ֨ים harim HNcmpa the mountains mountains mountains 57
H2022-14 הֶ/הָרִ֖ים heharim HTd/Ncmpa the mountains the mountains the mountains 53
H2022-01 בָּ/הָֽר bahar HRd/Ncmsa in the mountain mountain mountain 36
H2022-21 מֵ/הַ֣ר mehar HR/Ncmsc from the mountain from the mountain from the mountain 25
H2022-12 הָרֵ֣י harey HNcmpc mountains mountains of mountains of 22
H2022-07 הָ/הָ֔רָ/ה haharah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the mountain to the mountain to the mountain 13
H2022-28 וְ/הַר vehar HC/Ncmsc and Mount mountain of and mountain of 11

Occurrences in Scripture

547 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2022-14 Genesis 7:19 הֶֽ/הָרִים֙ heharim HTd/Ncmpa the mountains the mountains the mountains
H2022-14 Genesis 7:20 הֶ/הָרִֽים heharim HTd/Ncmpa the mountains the mountains the mountains
H2022-12 Genesis 8:4 הָרֵ֥י harey HNcmpc mountains mountains of mountains of
H2022-14 Genesis 8:5 הֶֽ/הָרִֽים heharim HTd/Ncmpa of the mountains the mountains the mountains
H2022-08 Genesis 10:30 הַ֥ר har HNcmsc the mountain mountain of mountain of
H2022-07 Genesis 12:8 הָ/הָ֗רָ/ה haharah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the hill country to the mountain to the mountain
H2022-03 Genesis 14:6 בְּ/הַרְרָ֣/ם behareram HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp in their hill country in their mountain in their hill country
H2022-15 Genesis 14:10 הֶ֥רָ/ה herah HNcmsa/Sd mountain mountain mountain
H2022-07 Genesis 19:17 הָ/הָ֥רָ/ה haharah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the mountain to the mountain to the mountain
H2022-07 Genesis 19:19 הָ/הָ֔רָ/ה haharah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd to the mountain to the mountain to the mountain
H2022-01 Genesis 19:30 בָּ/הָ֗ר bahar HRd/Ncmsa in the mountain mountain mountain
H2022-14 Genesis 22:2 הֶֽ/הָרִ֔ים heharim HTd/Ncmpa of the mountains the mountains the mountains
H2022-02 Genesis 22:14 בְּ/הַ֥ר behar HR/Ncmsc in the mount in mountain of in mountain of
H2022-08 Genesis 31:21 הַ֥ר har HNcmsc the mount mountain of mountain of
H2022-02 Genesis 31:23 בְּ/הַ֥ר behar HR/Ncmsc in the hill country in mountain of in mountain of
H2022-01 Genesis 31:25 בָּ/הָ֔ר bahar HRd/Ncmsa in the mountain mountain mountain
H2022-02 Genesis 31:25 בְּ/הַ֥ר behar HR/Ncmsc in the hill country in mountain of in mountain of
H2022-01 Genesis 31:54 בָּ/הָ֔ר bahar HRd/Ncmsa on the mountain mountain on the mountain
H2022-01 Genesis 31:54 בָּ/הָֽר bahar-2 HRd/Ncmsa on the mountain mountain on the mountain
H2022-02 Genesis 36:8 בְּ/הַ֣ר behar HR/Ncmsc in the hill country in mountain of in mountain of
H2022-02 Genesis 36:9 בְּ/הַ֖ר behar HR/Ncmsc in the hill country in mountain of in mountain of
H2022-08 Exodus 3:1 הַ֥ר har HNcmsc the mountain of mountain of mountain of
H2022-06 Exodus 3:12 הָ/הָ֥ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-02 Exodus 4:27 בְּ/הַ֥ר behar HR/Ncmsc at the mountain of in mountain of in mountain of
H2022-02 Exodus 15:17 בְּ/הַ֣ר behar HR/Ncmsc in the mountain in mountain of in mountain of
H2022-08 Exodus 18:5 הַ֥ר har HNcmsc mountain mountain of mountain of
H2022-06 Exodus 19:2 הָ/הָֽר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-06 Exodus 19:3 הָ/הָ֣ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-08 Exodus 19:11 הַ֥ר har HNcmsc Mount mountain of mountain of
H2022-01 Exodus 19:12 בָּ/הָ֖ר bahar HRd/Ncmsa the mountain mountain the mountain
H2022-01 Exodus 19:12 בָּ/הָ֖ר bahar-2 HRd/Ncmsa the mountain mountain the mountain
H2022-26 Exodus 19:13 בָ/הָֽר vahar HRd/Ncmsa to the mount in the mountain in the mountain
H2022-06 Exodus 19:14 הָ/הָ֖ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-06 Exodus 19:16 הָ/הָ֔ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-06 Exodus 19:17 הָ/הָֽר hahar HTd/Ncmsa of the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-28 Exodus 19:18 וְ/הַ֤ר vehar HC/Ncmsc And Mount mountain of and mountain of
H2022-06 Exodus 19:18 הָ/הָ֖ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-08 Exodus 19:20 הַ֥ר har HNcmsc the mountain mountain of mountain of
H2022-06 Exodus 19:20 הָ/הָ֑ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa of the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-06 Exodus 19:20 הָ/הָ֖ר hahar-2 HTd/Ncmsa of the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-08 Exodus 19:23 הַ֣ר har HNcmsc Mount mountain of mountain of
H2022-06 Exodus 19:23 הָ/הָ֖ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-06 Exodus 20:18 הָ/הָ֖ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-06 Exodus 24:4 הָ/הָ֑ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-07 Exodus 24:12 הָ/הָ֖רָ/ה haharah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the mountain to the mountain to the mountain
H2022-08 Exodus 24:13 הַ֥ר har HNcmsc the mountain mountain of mountain of
H2022-06 Exodus 24:15 הָ/הָ֑ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-06 Exodus 24:15 הָ/הָֽר hahar-2 HTd/Ncmsa the mountain the mountain the mountain
H2022-08 Exodus 24:16 הַ֣ר har HNcmsc mount mountain of mountain of
H2022-06 Exodus 24:17 הָ/הָ֑ר hahar HTd/Ncmsa of the mountain the mountain the mountain
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