Deuteronomy 3:9

9 The Phoenicians call Aermon Sanior, but the Amorite has called it Sanir.

Deuteronomy 3:9 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 3:9

Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion
Which name it has in ( Psalms 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 ^F11 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 ^F12, and the same is confirmed by Abulfeda ^F13. 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 ^F14; 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, ( 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, ( 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 ^F15; 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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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 14. col. 865.
F12 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. B, C.
F13 Apud Reland. Palestin. Illustrat. par. 2. p. 920.
F14 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. B, C.
F15 Onomastic. Sacr. p. 561, 562, 786, 929.

Deuteronomy 3:9 In-Context

7 and all the cattle; and we took for a prey to ourselves the spoil of the cities.

8 And we took at that time the land out of the hands of the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond Jordan, from the brook of Arnon even unto Aermon.

9 The Phoenicians call Aermon Sanior, but the Amorite has called it Sanir.

10 All the cities of Misor, and all Galaad, and all Basan as far as Elcha and Edraim, cities of the kingdom of Og in Basan.

11 For only Og the king of Basan was left of the Raphain: behold, his bed a bed of iron; behold, in the chief city of the children of Ammon; the length of it nine cubits, and the breadth of it four cubits, according to the cubit of a man.