Original Word: חֶרֶס
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Cherec
Pronunciation: kheh'-res
Phonetic Spelling: (kheh'-res)
KJV: Heres
NASB: Heres
Word Origin: [the same as H2775 (חֶרֶס חַרסָה - Potsherd)]

1. shining
2. Cheres, a mountain in Israel

Heres

The same as cherec; shining; Cheres, a mountain in Palestine -- Heres.

see HEBREW cherec

Word Origin
from the same as cheres
Definition
a mountain E. of the Jordan, also dwelling place of the Amorites
NASB Translation
Heres (2).

II. [חֶ֫רֶס] proper name, of a location 1. abode of Amorites, בְּהַרחֶֿרֶס בְּאַיָּלוֺן וּבְשַׁעַלְבִֿים Judges 1:35, since חֶרֶס sun = שֶׁמֶשׁ, perhaps = בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ

1 (q. v.), so Stu (who proposes עִיר חֶרֶס = עָר), Ke Be Bu^{RS 17} Öttli Bla; ᵐ5 ἐν τῷ [ὄρει τοῦ] Μυρσινῶνι (-ος) = הַר הֲדַס.

2 place east of Jordan מִלְמַעֲלֵה הֶחָ֑רֶס Judges 8:13 from the ascent of Heres, ᵐ5 Αρες; the point whence Gideon turned back from pursuing Midian; Aq Symm read הֶהָרִים (see Lag^{Onom. 96, 2nd ed. 131}) so SS. — תִּמְנַתחֶֿרֶס Judges 2:9 see below תִּמְנַת, √ מנה.

III. חֶרֶס, חַרְסִית, חרסות see below חרשׂ.

חרע (√ of following; perhaps compare Aramaic Ethpa`al be clever, shrewd, especially in bad sense; Arabic split, VIII. originate, invent).

Name and Meaning

Heres (חֶרֶס) literally points to “sun” and, by extension, “brightness.” In Judges 1:35 it designates a specific elevation—“Mount Heres”—held by Amorites at the time of Israel’s settlement. The solar nuance may hint at an earlier Canaanite cult site devoted to astral worship, a reminder that geographic names often preserve pre-Israelite religious memories.

Biblical Occurrence (Judges 1:34-36)

The text places Mount Heres among three Amorite strongholds (Mount Heres, Aijalon, Shaalabim). “The Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres … but when the house of Joseph grew stronger, they were put to forced labor” (Judges 1:35). The episode follows the Danites’ failure to expel the Amorites (verse 34) and precedes the description of Amorite borders (verse 36). Thus Mount Heres illustrates both Israel’s incomplete obedience and God’s continuing provision, as another tribe (Joseph—Ephraim and Manasseh) ultimately subdues the area.

Geographical Setting

Mount Heres likely lay in the western foothills of Ephraim, overlooking the Valley of Aijalon and the coastal plain. Suggested identifications include the modern Tel Maresha region or the ridge south of Aijalon. Its prominence would have given military advantage and, if the name preserves solar worship, an unhindered eastern horizon for sunrise rites.

Historical and Cultural Significance

1. Canaanite Persistence: The Amorites’ tenacity at Mount Heres underscores the broader theme of lingering Canaanite populations after Joshua’s campaigns (Judges 1). Israel’s partial conquest produced cycles of oppression and deliverance throughout the Judges era.
2. Tribal Cooperation: The “house of Joseph” ultimately pressing the Amorites into corvée labor shows inter-tribal support compensating for Dan’s weakness, foreshadowing later alliances (for example, Judges 5:14-15).
3. Spiritual Contamination: A mountain possibly named for the sun god stood at the edge of Israel’s inheritance. Allowing Amorites to remain there exemplified Israel’s susceptibility to syncretism, later condemned by prophets (Deuteronomy 12:2-3; Hosea 2:11-13).

Theological Themes

• Cost of Incomplete Obedience: Judges 1 repeatedly contrasts God’s promise with Israel’s compromise. Mount Heres becomes an object lesson: failure to drive out pagan strongholds leaves footholds for idolatry and oppression (compare Ephesians 4:27).
• God’s Sovereign Mercy: Even amid Israel’s shortcomings, the Lord enables victory through Joseph’s tribes, affirming that divine purposes advance despite human frailty.
• Light versus Darkness: The “sun-mountain” imagery offers a vivid backdrop for later biblical metaphors—“The LORD God is a sun and shield” (Psalm 84:11) and “the sun of righteousness will rise” (Malachi 4:2). Where false sun-worship once dominated, the true Light presses in.

Ministry Implications

1. Vigilance against Residual Strongholds: Believers are warned not to tolerate “little” areas of disobedience; small pockets can become entrenched fortresses (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
2. Mutual Aid within the Covenant Community: Just as Joseph strengthened Dan, churches today bear one another’s burdens to achieve victory over sin and societal darkness (Galatians 6:2).
3. Redeeming Cultural Heights: Influential “mountains” (media, education, governance) may still host idolatrous ideologies; Christians are called to bring every sphere under Christ’s lordship, reflecting His true light.

Later Jewish Memory and Possible Allusions

Rabbinic tradition associates Heres with Ir-Shemesh (“city of the sun,” Joshua 19:41), suggesting a continuity of solar nomenclature. Some scholars link it with Beth-Shemesh, where the ark later exposed Philistine idolatry (1 Samuel 6:12-20), illustrating God’s capacity to overturn false worship at sun-named sites.

Modern Identification and Archaeology

No excavation has conclusively fixed Mount Heres, but surveys of the Shephelah reveal multiple Iron Age fortifications consistent with Amorite occupation later reused by Israelites. Pottery typologies confirm eighth- to twelfth-century BC transition layers, aligning with the Judges period’s chronology.

Summary

Heres encapsulates a strategic hill, a symbolic reminder of the tension between divine promise and human obedience. Though rooted in a single verse, its narrative ripples through Israel’s history, highlighting the necessity of complete faithfulness and the certainty that God’s light ultimately dispels every lingering darkness.

חֶ֔רֶס חרס Cheres ḥe·res ḥeresInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts