The term "hill-side" in the Bible often refers to the sloping sides of a hill or mountain, which are frequently mentioned in various contexts throughout the Scriptures. These areas are significant in biblical narratives, serving as settings for important events, places of refuge, and locations for divine encounters.

Biblical References and Significance:

1. Place of Teaching and Revelation:
The hill-side is notably the setting for Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, one of the most profound teachings in the New Testament. In Matthew 5:1-2 , it is written, "When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them." This location underscores the hill-side as a place where divine wisdom and instruction are imparted.

2. Symbol of Refuge and Solitude:
Throughout the Bible, hill-sides are depicted as places of refuge and solitude. David, for instance, often sought refuge in the hill country while fleeing from Saul. In 1 Samuel 23:14 , it is noted, "David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not deliver David into his hand." The hill-side thus represents a place of safety and divine protection.

3. Site of Worship and Sacrifice:
Hill-sides are also associated with worship and sacrifice. In the Old Testament, high places, often located on hill-sides, were used for worship. Although these high places were sometimes sites of idolatrous practices, they also served as locations where the patriarchs built altars to the Lord. For example, in Genesis 12:8 , Abram "moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD."

4. Metaphorical and Prophetic Imagery:
The hill-side is used metaphorically in prophetic literature to convey messages of judgment and restoration. In Isaiah 40:4 , the prophet declares, "Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain." This imagery speaks to the transformative power of God in leveling the obstacles and preparing the way for His purposes.

5. Agricultural and Pastoral Contexts:
In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, hill-sides were often used for grazing livestock and cultivating crops. The Song of Solomon 4:1 poetically describes the beauty of the beloved, likening her hair to "a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead," illustrating the pastoral use of hill-sides.

Cultural and Theological Implications:

The hill-side in biblical texts is more than just a geographical feature; it is imbued with cultural and theological significance. It serves as a backdrop for divine-human interaction, a symbol of God's provision and protection, and a metaphor for spiritual truths. The recurring presence of hill-sides in Scripture highlights their importance in the narrative of God's relationship with His people, offering insights into the ways God reveals Himself and interacts with humanity.6763. tsela -- rib, side
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition rib, side NASB Word Usage boards (3),
chambers (1), hillside* (1), leaves (1), one...another (1), rib (1), ribs (1 ...
/hebrew/6763.htm - 6k

2022. har -- mountain, hill, hill country
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition mountain, hill, hill country NASB
Word Usage hill (16), hill country (91), hills (8), hillside* (1), mount (118 ...
/hebrew/2022.htm - 6k

"He Ordained Twelve"
... was Christ who spoke with Abraham under the oaks at Mamre; with Isaac as he went
out to pray in the fields at the eventide; with Jacob on the hillside at Bethel ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 30 he ordained twelve.htm

The Warning
... He preached on the hillside; He desired that a boat should be at His command upon
the lake; He prayed upon the mountain; He was transfigured beside the snows ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 14 26-31 the warning.htm

A Battle Without a Sword
... We can fancy how silently he and Phurah crept down the hillside, and, with hushed
breath and wary steps, lest they should stumble on and wake some sleeper, or ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a battle without a sword.htm

The Christian Sabbath --Peter's Confession of Faith.
... landing, followed the east side of Jordan until they passed near the place where
the five thousand had been fed by a miracle as they sat on the green hillside. ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxvi the christian sabbathpeters.htm

The Lost Sheep and the Seeking Shepherd
... it is going, or that it is going anywhere; it goes, and goes, and goes, and at last
it finds out that it is away from its beat on the hillside"for sheep keep ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the lost sheep and the.htm

Shepherds and Angels
... The glory died off the hillside quickly, and the music of the song scarcely lingered
longer in the ears of its first hearers; but its notes echo still in all ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/shepherds and angels.htm

Two by Two.
... in boats, and more in groups along the shore"men, women and children"and Jesus,
filled with love and pity for them, led them to a green hillside where He ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxiii two by two.htm

The Encamping Angel
... To the one all the mountain blazed with fiery chariots, to the other it
was a lone hillside, with the wind moaning among the rocks. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the encamping angel.htm

Section 1
... Section 1. LIFE"the first glance would hardly find it on this African hillside
in the summertime. The hot wind of the desert has ...
//christianbookshelf.org/trotter/parables of the christ-life/section 1.htm

The Memphite Empire
... to the low grounds, and meeting there in a foaming concourse, follow the fall of
the land; a few minutes later, and the space between one hillside and the ...
/.../chapter iithe memphite empire.htm

Hill-side (3 Occurrences)
Hill-side. Hillside, Hill-side. Hillsides . Multi-Version Concordance
Hill-side (3 Occurrences). ... (ASV JPS). Hillside, Hill-side. Hillsides . Reference
/h/hill-side.htm - 7k

Hillside (6 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Hillside (6 Occurrences). Mark 5:11 Now on the
mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding. (See RSV NIV). ...
/h/hillside.htm - 8k

Hill's (1 Occurrence)
... 2 Samuel 16:13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the
hill'sside over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him ...
/h/hill's.htm - 6k

Lily (9 Occurrences)
... the most natural flower for our Lord to pluck and seize upon as an illustration,
whether walking in the fields or sitting on the hill-side." "The white water ...
/l/lily.htm - 15k

Watchman (19 Occurrences)
... the slope by the way of the Horons; and the watchman came and gave word to the king,
saying, I saw men coming down by the way of the Horons, from the hillside. ...
/w/watchman.htm - 14k

Flung (11 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 16:13 So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the
hillside opposite him, and cursed as he went, threw stones at him, and threw ...
/f/flung.htm - 9k

Teil
... This tree "is seldom seen in clumps or groves, never in forests, but stands isolated
and weird-like in some bare ravine or on a hill-side where nothing else ...
/t/teil.htm - 7k

Roundabout (3 Occurrences)
... And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold,
there came much people by the way of the hill-side behind him. (See JPS). ...
/r/roundabout.htm - 7k

Dirt (9 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 16:13 So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the
hillside opposite him, and cursed as he went, threw stones at him, and threw ...
/d/dirt.htm - 9k

Miletus (3 Occurrences)
... Practically the only remaining object of unusual interest is theater, the largest
in Asia Minor, which was not built in a hollow of the hillside, as most ...
/m/miletus.htm - 9k

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