Vale, Valley

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There are few places in Palestine which resemble the valleys of other countries. Two of the words translated “valley” are also translated “plain,” and signify broad plains between the hills. Two other words refer to the narrow dales or ravines through which the streams run in winter, but many of which are dry in summer, now called wadys.
The words are
1. biqah, “valley or plain,” which is the word used for the valleys or plains of Aven, Jericho, Lebanon, Megiddo, Mizpeh, and Ono.
2. erneq, “valley or plain,” more resembles an English “valley”: it is applied to Achor, Ajalon, Baca, Berachah, Beth-aram, “of decision” (Joel 3:1414Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. (Joel 3:14)); Elah; of the giants (Josh. 15:88And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward: (Joshua 15:8); Josh. 18:1616And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to En-rogel, (Joshua 18:16)); Gibeon, Hebron, Jehoshaphat, Jezreel, Keziz, “of the King,” or “the King’s Dale” (Gen. 14:1717And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. (Genesis 14:17); 2 Sam. 18:1818Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place. (2 Samuel 18:18)); Rephaim, Shaveh, Siddim, and Succoth.
3. gay, ge, ravine, narrow glen: applied to Charashim, Hamon-Gog, Hinnom, Son of Hinnom, Jiphthah-el, Zeboim, and Zephathah; and used symbolically for “Valley of the Mountains” (Zech. 14:55And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:5)); “of the passengers” (Ezek. 39:1111And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog. (Ezekiel 39:11)); “of salt” (2 Sam. 8:1313And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men. (2 Samuel 8:13); 2 Kings 14:77He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day. (2 Kings 14:7); 1 Chron. 18:1212Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. (1 Chronicles 18:12); 2 Chron. 25:1111And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. (2 Chronicles 25:11); Psa. 60 title); “of craftsmen” (Neh. 11:3535Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. (Nehemiah 11:35)); “of slaughter” (Jer. 7:3232Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. (Jeremiah 7:32); Jer. 19:66Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter. (Jeremiah 19:6)); “of vision” (Isa. 22:1,51The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? (Isaiah 22:1)
5For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains. (Isaiah 22:5)
); “of the shadow of death” (Psa. 23:44Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)).
4. nachal, gorge, wady, often translated “brook” and “river”: the valleys are Eshcol, Gerar, Shittim, Sorek, Zared.
5. shephelah, translated “vale” and “valley,” but not specified by any proper name. It refers to the lowlands that lie midway between the highlands and the low plains of Judah. See CANAAN.
Valley in Sinai