Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "slopes" often refers to the geographical features of the land, particularly in the context of the hilly and mountainous terrain of the ancient Near East. The slopes of hills and mountains are frequently mentioned in the Bible, serving as significant locations for events, metaphors, and teachings.
Geographical SignificanceThe land of Israel is characterized by its varied topography, including numerous hills and mountains. The slopes of these elevations were often used for agriculture, as they provided fertile ground for vineyards and olive groves. The terraced farming techniques employed by ancient Israelites made effective use of these slopes, maximizing arable land in a region where flat plains were limited.
Biblical References1.
Military Strategy and Refuge: The slopes of mountains and hills often served as strategic locations in military contexts. For instance, in
1 Samuel 14:4, Jonathan and his armor-bearer climbed the slopes to attack the Philistine garrison: "On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh" . The slopes provided both a tactical advantage and a place of refuge during battles.
2.
Symbolic and Spiritual Imagery: The Bible frequently uses the imagery of slopes to convey spiritual truths. In
Psalm 121:1, the psalmist declares, "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?" . Here, the slopes of the hills symbolize a place of divine assistance and protection, pointing to the Lord as the ultimate source of help.
3.
Judgment and Prophecy: The slopes are also depicted as places of judgment and prophetic significance. In
Isaiah 2:2, the prophet speaks of a future time when "the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it" . The slopes of the Lord's mountain represent the exaltation of God's kingdom above all earthly powers.
4.
Agricultural Imagery: The slopes are often associated with agricultural abundance and blessing. In
Deuteronomy 33:15, Moses blesses Joseph with "the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills" . The fertile slopes are seen as a source of God's provision and prosperity.
Cultural and Historical ContextIn the ancient Near East, the slopes of hills and mountains were not only practical for agriculture and defense but also held cultural and religious significance. High places, often located on slopes, were sites of worship and altars, both for the worship of Yahweh and for pagan practices. The Israelites were repeatedly warned against adopting the idolatrous practices associated with these high places (e.g.,
2 Kings 17:10-11).
ConclusionThe concept of slopes in the Bible encompasses a range of meanings, from practical and geographical to symbolic and spiritual. Whether as sites of refuge, places of divine encounter, or symbols of judgment and blessing, the slopes of the biblical landscape are woven into the narrative of God's interaction with His people.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SLOPESslops.
SeeASHDOTH PISGAH.
Strong's Hebrew
794. ashedah -- a foundation, (mountain) slope... 793, 794. ashedah. 795 . a foundation, (mountain) slope. Transliteration: ashedah
Phonetic Spelling: (ash-ay-daw') Short Definition:
slopes. Word Origin fem
...3802. katheph -- shoulder, shoulder blade, side
... blade, side NASB Word Usage backs (1), flank (1), hands (1), next (1), shoulder
(19), shoulders (7), side (26), sides (3), slope (4),slopes (1), supports (4)....
Library
He Climbed theSlopes of Olivet
... MEDITATIONS He climbed theslopes of Olivet. tr., John Brownlie 8.6.8.6. I. He
climbed theslopes of Olivet. When came the hour of prayer,....
He Climbed theSlopes of Olivet
... MISCELLANEOUS III He climbed theslopes of Olivet. 8,6,8,6. He climbed theslopes
of Olivet. When came the hour of prayer,. And in the stillness, Christ with God...
On the First Floor of an Ancient Mansion, in a Street whichSlopes...
... XX. On the first floor of an ancient mansion, in a street whichslopes
down towards? On the first floor of an ancient mansion, in...
A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... The ground on the opposite slope (slopes are, you must remember, here as steep as
house-roofs, the last spurs of true mountains) is covered with a grass like...
Yet Speaking.
... Those hill-slopes had been covered with booths and tents, in which the mighty
congregations tabernacled, whilst they waited on his words....
The Death of the Blessed virgin Mary at Ephesus
... [183] Mary's dwelling was on a hill to the left of the road from Jerusalem some
three and a half hours from Ephesus. [184] This hillslopes steeply towards...
Israel in Canaan.
... In the north, rise the high mountains of Libanus, a spur from which goes the whole
length of the land, and forms twoslopes, whence the rivers flow, either...
Carmel
... Before the drought, Mount Carmel had been a place of beauty, its streams fed from
never-failing springs, and its fertileslopes covered with fair flowers and...
The Last Smile of the Muse
... recalls to Augustin "Departed suns among Italian mountain-heights," it is likely
that the estate of Verecundus lay upon those first mountain-slopes which roll...
'Fit, Though Few'
... The narrative shows us the two armies confronting each other on the oppositeslopes
of the valley of Jezreel, where it begins to dip steeply towards the Jordan...
Thesaurus
Slopes (15 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SLOPES. slops. See ASHDOTH PISGAH.
Multi-Version Concordance
Slopes (15 Occurrences). Numbers
...Hill-slopes (2 Occurrences)
Hill-slopes. Hillsides, Hill-slopes. Hilltop . Multi-Version
Concordance Hill-slopes (2 Occurrences). Joshua 10:40 And...
Pisgah (8 Occurrences)
... ash'-doth piz'-ga ('ashdoth ha-picgah): Thus the King James Version for the Revised
Version (British and American) "Theslopes (the Revised Version, margin...
Features (3 Occurrences)
... From this point the valleyslopes southward to the Gulf of Akabah, and northward
to the Dead Sea. The lower Jordan valleyslopes from about 600 ft....
Beth-peor (4 Occurrences)
... "In the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor" Moses was buried
(Deuteronomy 34:6). Beth-peor and theslopes of Pisgah (the King James Version...
Bethpeor (4 Occurrences)
... "In the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor" Moses was buried
(Deuteronomy 34:6). Beth-peor and theslopes of Pisgah (the King James Version...
Ashdoth
... ash'-doth piz'-ga ('ashdoth ha-picgah): Thus the King James Version for the Revised
Version (British and American) "Theslopes (the Revised Version, margin...
Bashan (54 Occurrences)
... East of the Jordan. It stretched from the border of Gilead in the South to
theslopes of Hermon in the North. Hermon itself is never...
Eastward (72 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 3:17 the Arabah also, and the Jordan and the border of it, from Chinnereth
even to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under theslopes of Pisgah...
Gilead (130 Occurrences)
... about from Mt. Gilead." Gideon and his army lay to the South of the plain
of Jezreel on the lowerslopes of Gilboa. It has been...
Resources
What is the significance of Mount Carmel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgIn what ways is sin a slippery slope? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of Mount Hermon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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