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hil´kun-tri: The common translation of three Hebrew words:
(1) גּבעה, gibh‛aÌ„h, from root meaning “to be curved,†is almost always translated “hillâ€; it is a pecuIiarly appropriate designation for the very rounded hills of Palestine; it is never used for a range of mountains. Several times it occurs as a place-name, “Gibeah of Judah†(, ); “Gibeah of Benjamin†or “Saul†(-16, etc.); “Gibeah of Phinehas†( margin), etc. (see GIBEAH). Many such hills were used for idolatrous rites (; ; , etc.).
(2) הר, har, frequently translated in the King James Version “hill,†is in the Revised Version (British and American) usually translated “mountain†(compare ; ; f, and many other references), or “hillcountry.†Thus we have the “hill-country of the Amorites†(, , ); the “hill-country of Gilead†(); the “hill-country of Ephraim†(, , ; ; , etc.); the “hill-country of Judah†(; ; ; , etc.; and (ἡ ὀÏεινηÌ, heÌ„ oreineÌ„Ì) , ); the “hill-country of Naphtali†(). For geographical descriptions see PALESTINE; COUNTRY; EPHRAIM; JUDAH, etc.
(3) עפל, ‛ōphel, is translated by “hill†in ; ; , but may possibly mean “tower†or “fort.†In other passages the word occurs with the article as a place-name. See OPHEL.