Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, cliffs are often depicted as significant geographical features that serve as places of refuge, divine revelation, and symbolic imagery. The rugged terrain of the ancient Near East, including the land of Israel, is characterized by numerous cliffs and rocky outcrops, which are frequently mentioned in the Bible.
Refuge and SafetyCliffs are often associated with safety and refuge in the Scriptures. In
1 Samuel 23:28-29, David finds refuge from King Saul in the strongholds of the wilderness, which include cliffs and rocky areas. The text states, "So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place the Rock of Escape. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi." The cliffs of En Gedi provided David with a natural fortress, illustrating how these formations were seen as places of protection.
Divine RevelationCliffs also serve as locations for divine encounters and revelations. In
Exodus 33:21-22, God instructs Moses to stand on a rock, saying, "The LORD continued, 'There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.'" The cleft of the rock becomes a sacred space where Moses experiences the presence of God, highlighting the spiritual significance of cliffs as places of divine interaction.
Symbolic ImageryThe imagery of cliffs is used symbolically throughout the Bible to convey strength, stability, and the majesty of God. In
Psalm 18:2, David declares, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Here, the rock, which can be understood as a cliff or high place, symbolizes God's unchanging nature and His role as a protector.
Judgment and DesolationConversely, cliffs can also symbolize judgment and desolation. In
Obadiah 1:3-4, the prophet speaks against the pride of Edom, whose people dwell in the clefts of the rocks: "The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks, whose habitation is high, who say in your heart, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?' Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD." The cliffs, in this context, represent false security and the impending judgment of God.
ConclusionThroughout the Bible, cliffs are depicted as places of refuge, divine encounter, and symbolic imagery. They serve as natural fortresses, sites of revelation, and metaphors for God's strength and judgment. The multifaceted representation of cliffs in Scripture underscores their importance in the biblical narrative and their enduring spiritual significance.
Strong's Hebrew
6178. aruts -- dreadful...cliffs. Passive participle of arats; feared, ie (concretely) a horrible place or
chasm --
cliffs. see HEBREW arats. 6177, 6178. aruts. 6179 . Strong's Numbers
5553. sela -- a crag, cliff
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition a crag, cliff NASB Word Usage cliff
(4),cliffs (4), crag (2), crags (3), mountain* (1), Rock (1), rock (39), rocks...
Library
Arria and Her Brother were Far from the Shores of Hellas and Near...
... Tepas knew that a few leagues more would bring him in sight of the familiarcliffs....
I know not why, unless he meant to beach her under thecliffs yonder."....
A Foreshadowing
... Across the harbor the marble tower of the great lighthouse soared up into the clear
Eastern sky, white as the whitecliffs of the Island of Pharos from which...
Be for Thou Art'
... The greatcliffs rise up, and the river glides at their base"it is a type of mutability,
and of the fleeting generations of men, who are as the drops and...
David the Outcast.
... He had escaped again and again from the hand of Saul, and now he was down in the
desert country by the Dead Sea, hiding among thecliffs and caves of Engedi....
Naparima and Montserrat
... of which Trinidad was perhaps several times as large as it is now, and has gradually
been eaten away by the surf, as fresh pieces of the softcliffs have been...
Athor, the Golden
... fragments of rough stone. The tracks of heavy sledges had crushed the young
grain across the field toward thecliffs. Kenkenes stood up...
Egypt and Greece.
... Greece was a picturesque and ever-changing scene of mountains and valleys; of
precipitouscliffs, winding beaches, rocky capes, and lofty headlands....
Feeding in the Ways
... There are bare, savagecliffs, from which every particle of soil has been washed
by furious torrents, or the scanty vegetation has been burnt up by the fierce...
Love for Hate, the True Quid Pro Quo
... Saul was alone, and David could easily escape among thecliffs, if the king summoned
his men; but he risks capture, in the gush of ancient friendship....
Andromeda
... Deep in the wane of the night, as the moon sank low to the westward, They by the
shade of thecliffs, with the horror of darkness around them, Stole, as ashamed...
Thesaurus
Cliffs (10 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Cliffs (10 Occurrences).
... (DBY NAS). Job 30:6 To dwell in
the
cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks. (KJV).
...Edomites (22 Occurrences)
... of the Dead Sea in the bottom of the valley we have first the stretch of salt marsh
land called es-Sebkha; then, beyond the line of whitecliffs that crosses...
Sela (5 Occurrences)
... The ruins lie along the sides of a spacious hollow surrounded by the many-huedcliffs
of Edom, just before they sink into the Arabah on the West....
Edom (108 Occurrences)
... of the Dead Sea in the bottom of the valley we have first the stretch of salt marsh
land called es-Sebkha; then, beyond the line of whitecliffs that crosses...
Dove (27 Occurrences)
... lustrous feathers. The rock dove swarmed over, through, and among thecliffs
of mountains and the fissures of caves and ravines. The...
Lebanon (66 Occurrences)
... below the summit, bordered on the eastern side by the mountain wall of Anti-Lebanon,
corresponding to thecliffs of Moab East of the Jordan valley, opposite...
Cliff (11 Occurrences)
Mount (311 Occurrences)
... Gerizim was certainly "this mountain" pointed to by the woman of Samaria in her
conversation with Jesus (John 4:20 f); thecliffs of the mountain almost...
Valley (187 Occurrences)
... sections. "First the portion between Banias and the Huleh, where it is
some 5 miles broad, with steepcliffs some 2,000 ft. high...
Palestine (1 Occurrence)
... district, widening gradually southward, while between this region and the sea the
plains of Sharon and Philistia stretch to the sandhills and lowcliffs of a...
Resources
What is the significance of Edom in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of the city of Petra in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that the Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23)? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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