### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **gibʻâh**, represented by `{{H1389}}`, refers to a **hillock, hill, or little hill**. It appears 69 times in 69 unique verses, establishing it as a common feature of the biblical landscape. While it often describes a physical elevation, it is also used poetically and prophetically to symbolize concepts ranging from permanence and blessing to sites of idolatrous worship and divine judgment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H1389}}` is frequently used in parallel with mountains to describe the full scope of the terrain ([[Isaiah 54:10]], [[Micah 6:1]]). It can designate specific, significant locations such as the "hill of God" where prophets were encountered [[1 Samuel 10:5]], the "hill of Hachilah" where David hid from Saul [[1 Samuel 23:19]], or a hill that became a burial site [[Joshua 24:33]]. Often, hills are depicted as sites of illicit worship, where idolatry was practiced "upon every high hill" [[Jeremiah 2:20]]. In poetic passages, hills are personified, capable of skipping like lambs [[Psalms 114:4]], melting in God's presence [[Amos 9:13]], or breaking forth into singing [[Isaiah 55:12]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a broader context for elevated land in scripture:
* `{{H1116}}` **bâmâh** (an elevation; height, high place, wave): This term often refers to the "high places" where illicit sacrifices and worship occurred, many of which were located on hills ([[1 Kings 14:23]], [[2 Kings 16:4]]). [[Hosea 10:8]] explicitly connects the judgment on these "high places" with a plea for the mountains and hills to cover the people.
* `{{H2022}}` **har** (a mountain or range of hills): Frequently paired with **gibʻâh**, this word helps create a literary image of the entire landscape, contrasting the larger mountains with the smaller hills. This pairing is used to describe both God's creative power [[Isaiah 40:12]] and the scope of his prophetic promises [[Isaiah 55:12]].
* `{{H2042}}` **hârâr** (a mountain): Like `{{H2022}}`, this term denotes a mountain and is used with **gibʻâh** to signify antiquity and permanence. This is seen in descriptions of the "everlasting mountains" and "perpetual hills" [[Habakkuk 3:6]] and the blessings of the "ancient mountains" and "lasting hills" [[Deuteronomy 33:15]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H1389}}` is demonstrated through its various symbolic uses:
* **God's Creative Power:** The existence of hills points to God's role as Creator. He is depicted as weighing the hills in a balance [[Isaiah 40:12]] and having brought them forth before humanity [[Proverbs 8:25]]. His sovereignty is shown in his ability to make every hill low [[Isaiah 40:4]] or cause them to melt [[Nahum 1:5]].
* **Centers of Idolatry:** Hills are consistently portrayed as places of spiritual rebellion and idolatry, where the people of Israel "blasphemed me upon the hills" [[Isaiah 65:7]] and played the harlot [[Jeremiah 2:20]]. This unfaithfulness made the hills a target of divine judgment [[Ezekiel 6:3]].
* **Symbols of Stability and Change:** The "everlasting hills" represent permanence and foundational blessing [[Genesis 49:26]]. However, in prophetic visions, this stability is overturned to show God's ultimate authority, as the hills are removed [[Isaiah 54:10]] or move lightly [[Jeremiah 4:24]]. This culminates in the promise that the mountain of the LORD's house will be exalted above the hills [[Isaiah 2:2]].
* **Arenas of Divine Encounter:** Not all depictions are negative. A hill can be a place of divine anointing, as seen with the "hill of God" [[1 Samuel 10:10]], a place of refuge for God's people [[Isaiah 30:17]], a place of God's blessing [[Ezekiel 34:26]], and a metaphor for Zion, which the LORD defends [[Isaiah 31:4]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1389}}` is far more than a simple topographical marker. As a **hill** or **little hill**, it provides a backdrop for historical events, but its true significance lies in its symbolic role. It functions as a powerful metaphor for the permanence of creation, the sinfulness of human rebellion, and the awesome scope of God's power to judge, restore, and establish a new divine order where his holy mountain is exalted over all.
TRV