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Valley

Smith's Bible Dictionary

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Concordances
Nave Topical Bible
• Decision, Valley of
Thompson Chain Reference
• Valleys
• Valley of Hinnom
• Hinnom, Valley
Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
• Valley
Torrey Topical Textbook
• Valleys
Dictionaries
American Tract Society
• Valley
• Jehoshaphat, Valley of
• Giants, Valley of the
Easton's Bible Dictionary
• Valley
• Tyropoeon Valley
• Shaveh, Valley of
•   (only first 3 shown)
Fausset Bible Dictionary
• Zephathah, Valley of
• Zeboim, Valley of
• Valley
•   (only first 3 shown)
Holman Bible Dictionary
• Valley of Zered
• Valley of Craftsmen
• Valley
•   (only first 3 shown)
Hastings' BibleDictionary
• Vale, Valley
• Sorek, Valley of
• Salt, Valley of
•   (only first 3 shown)
King James Dictionary
• Valley
Morrish Bible Dictionary
• Zeboim, Valley of
• Yale, Valley
• Valley of the Giants
•   (only first 3 shown)
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
• Valley of Josaphat
• Josaphat, Valley of
Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary
• Valley
• Lilly of the Valleys
People's Bible Dictionary
• Valley
• Salt Valley of
Smith Bible Dictionary
• Zared The Valley of
• Valley
• Salt The Valley of
•   (only first 3 shown)
Vines' Expository Dictionary
• Valley
Wilson's Bible Types
• Valley
Webster Dictionary
• Valley
• Valleys
Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Cherry Valley
• Chumbi Valley
• Miranzai Valley
•   (only first 3 shown)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Beracah, Valley of
• Blessing, Valley of
• Decision, Valley of
•   (only first 3 shown)
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia
• Blessing Valley of
• Jehoshaphat Valley of
• Rephaim Valley of
•   (only first 3 shown)
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• Baca, Valley of
• Blessing, Valley of.
• Blessing, Valley of. (2)
•   (only first 3 shown)
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
• Ajalon, Valley of
• Wyoming Valley
• Yosemite Valley
The Catholic Encyclopedia
• Achor Valley
• Valley of Josaphat
The Jewish Encyclopedia
• Baca, the Valley of
• Elah, the Valley of
• Jehoshaphat, Valley of
Lexicons
• ܢܰܚܠܶܐ
• φάραγξ
• בִּקְעָה
• גַּיְא
• כִּכָּר
•   (only first 3 shown)

Valley. It is hardly necessary to state that these words signify a hollow sweep of ground between two more or less parallel ridges of high land. The structure of the greater part of the Holy Land does not lend itself to the formation of valleys in our sense of the word. The abrupt transitions of its crowded rocky hills preclude the existence of any extended sweep of valley. Valley is employed in the Authorized Version to render five distinct Hebrew words.

1. 'Emek. This appears to approach more nearly to the general sense of the English word, valley, than any other. It is connected with several places.

2. Gai or ge. Of this, there is fortunately, one example which can be identified with certainty - the deep hollow which compasses the southwest and south of Jerusalem. This identification establishes the ge as a deep and abrupt ravine, with steep sides and narrow bottom.

3. Nachal. This word answers to the Arabic wady, and expresses, as no single English word can, the bed of a stream (often wide and shelving, and like a "valley" in character, which in the rainy season may be nearly filled by a foaming torrent, though for the greater part of the year dry).

4. Bik'ah. This term appears to mean rather a plain (enclosed by mountains) than a valley, though so far resembling it as to be enclosed by mountains. It is rendered by "valley" in Deuteronomy 34:3; Joshua 11:8; Joshua 11:17; Joshua 12:7; 2 Chronicles 35:22; Zechariah 12:11.

5. has-Shefelah. The district to which the name has-Shefelah is applied in the Bible has no resemblance whatever to a valley, but is a broad, swelling tract of many hundred miles in area, which sweeps gently down from the mountains Judah to the Mediterranean. It is rendered "the vale" in Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 10:40; 1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; Jeremiah 33:13 and "the valley" or "the valleys" in Joshua 9:1; Joshua 11:2; Joshua 11:16; Joshua 12:8; Joshua 15:33; Judges 1:9; Jeremiah 32:44.