Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 3:9
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, etc.] Which name it has in (<192906>Psalm 29:6) a name the inhabitants of Sidon gave it, but for what reason it is not easy to say; however, that it was well known to Tyre and Sidon, appears from snow in summer time being brought to the former, as will be hereafter observed: and the Amorites call it Shenir; in whose possession it was last. Bochart f34 thinks it had its name from the multitude of wild cats in it, Shunar in the Chaldee tongue being the name of that creature; but Jarchi says Shenir in the Canaanitish language signifies “snow”; so, in the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, it is called the mountain of snow; and the Hebrew who read to Jerom, and taught him, affirmed to him that this mountain hung over Paneas, from whence snow in summer time was brought to Tyre for pleasure f35, and the same is confirmed by Abulfeda f36. There is said to be upon the top of it a famous temple, which is used for worship by the Heathens, over against Paneas and Lebanon f37; and it is highly probable there was one even at this time, when it was possessed by the Amorites, since it is called Mount Baalhermon, (<070303>Judges 3:3), from the worship of Baal, or some other idol upon it, as it should seem. Besides these, it had another name, Mount Sion, (<050448>Deuteronomy 4:48) but to be distinguished from Mount Zion near Jerusalem. The names of it in this place are very differently interpreted by Hillerus f38; though he thinks it had them all on account of the snow on it, which was as a net all over it; for Hermon, he observes, signifies a net, a dragnet, and Shenir an apron, and Sirion a coat of mail, all from the covering of this mount with snow.
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