Original Word: הרָר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: harar
Pronunciation: hah-RAHR
Phonetic Spelling: (haw-rawr')
KJV: hill, mount(-ain)
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to loom up]

1. a mountain

hill, mountain

From an unused root meaning to loom up; a mountain -- hill, mount(-ain).

Word Origin
the same as har, q.v.

Overview

The noun harar appears twelve times and consistently evokes the physical grandeur, stability, and inaccessibility of mountains or high hill country. Scripture employs the term to remind the reader of God’s sovereign rule, His provision of covenant blessings, and the call to lift one’s eyes above earthly horizons to the realm of divine strength.

Geographical and Historical Background

In the Ancient Near East, mountains were places of refuge, resources, and religious significance. In Israel’s life they were defensive strongholds (Jeremiah 17:3), storehouses of precious metals (Deuteronomy 8:9), and vantage points for prophetic vision (Numbers 23:7). The “ancient mountains” and “everlasting hills” (Deuteronomy 33:15; Habakkuk 3:6) also frame Israel’s memory of the patriarchs who traversed these heights and of Yahweh who formed them (Psalm 90:2).

Covenant Provision and Blessing

Moses blesses the tribes with “the finest yield of the ancient mountains” (Deuteronomy 33:15), linking fertile highlands to covenant prosperity. Similarly, Deuteronomy 8:9 celebrates hills rich in copper and iron, underscoring the Lord’s intent to supply every material need in the land. The implied call is to remember the Giver rather than the gifts (Deuteronomy 8:10–18).

Symbols of Divine Permanence and Righteousness

David sings, “Your righteousness is like the mountains of God” (Psalm 36:6). Unmoving ridges mirror the immutability of the Lord’s moral order. When Asaph assures that God owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10), the imagery magnifies divine ownership of creation and renders human attempts at mere token offerings inadequate unless joined with thanksgiving and obedience (Psalm 50:14–23).

Contrast Between Human Fragility and God’s Might

Psalm 30:7 acknowledges the security that God alone imparts: “O LORD, You have kept me secure on my mountain.” Yet the same verse warns that if He hides His face, even a seemingly impregnable height becomes unstable. Habakkuk expands the contrast: at theophany “ancient mountains were scattered” (Habakkuk 3:6). What mortals deem eternal crumbles before the Creator.

Liturgy and Community Life

Two Songs of Ascents incorporate harar imagery. Psalm 87:1 locates Zion’s foundation “on the holy mountains,” affirming the Lord’s choice of Jerusalem as covenant center. Psalm 133:3 likens fraternal unity to “the dew of Hermon, falling on the mountains of Zion,” teaching that corporate harmony refreshes the people as mountain dew sustains arid slopes.

Mission and Romantic Imagery

Song of Solomon employs mountains to portray risk and devotion: “Come with me from Lebanon… from the lions’ dens and the mountains of leopards” (Song of Solomon 4:8). The Bridegroom calls the Bride to share His mission beyond safe valleys, foreshadowing the Messiah who would traverse dangerous heights to claim His beloved.

Prophetic Perspective

The oracle of Balaam arises “from the mountains of the east” (Numbers 23:7). The elevated site underscores the objectivity of God’s vantage point: from a commanding summit He blesses Israel against every curse. Jeremiah’s lament, “O My mountain in the field” (Jeremiah 17:3), exposes Judah’s misplaced trust in topography and treasures when the real safeguard is faithfulness.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Assurance: Saints may rest in God’s righteousness, which is as unassailable as the mountains.
2. Stewardship: Since God owns the resources of every hill, believers are trustees, not proprietors.
3. Unity: The refreshing dew on Zion’s heights calls local congregations to guard the bond of peace.
4. Mission: Like the Bride summoned to perilous mountains, the Church answers Christ’s call to venture beyond comfort for the sake of love and witness.
5. Eschatology: The scattering of ancient mountains prefigures creation’s final shaking, pointing hearts to the kingdom that cannot be moved (Hebrews 12:26–28).

Key References

Numbers 23:7; Deuteronomy 8:9; Deuteronomy 33:15; Psalm 36:6; Psalm 50:10; Psalm 87:1; Psalm 133:3; Habakkuk 3:6

בְּהַרְרֵי־ בהררי־ הֲרָרִי֙ הַרְרֵ֪י הַרְרֵי־ הררי הררי־ וּמֵהֲרָרֶ֖יהָ ומהרריה כְּֽהַרְרֵי־ כהררי־ לְֽהַרְרִ֫י להררי מֵֽהַרְרֵ֖י מֵֽהַרְרֵי־ מהררי מהררי־ bə·har·rê- bəharrê- beharrei hă·rā·rî har·rê har·rê- haraRi hărārî harrê harrê- harrei kə·har·rê- kəharrê- keharrei lə·har·rî leharRi ləharrî mê·har·rê mê·har·rê- mêharrê mêharrê- meharrei ū·mê·hă·rā·re·hā ūmêhărārehā umeharaReihaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts