The Linguistic Connection between Temples and Mountains in Hebrew

Model of the Temple of Herod

While studying Hebrew verbs this past week I came across a new one I hadn’t learned before. It’s לְהַרִים (leh-hah-REEM), which means “to lift, pick up, raise up, hold up, elevate”. Although I wasn’t familiar with this verb, I recognized the root consonants ח - ר (h - r) as the ones that make up the word for mountain, הַר (hahr). So it turns out that the word mountain in Hebrew literally means “lifted up, raised, elevation”.

In English the same meaning is expressed using the adjective “exalted”, which is derived from the Latin verb exaltare. This word is composed of the two Latin roots ex or “up” + altus or “high”. Like the Hebrew verb leh-hah-REEM, exaltare signifies “to raise, elevate”.

Being the language fanatic that I am, I enjoyed learning about the derivation of the word “mountain” in Hebrew, but what was even better was to be able to apply it to the Old Testament references that link temples (The House of the Lord, בֵּית-יְהוָה Beit Adonai) to mountains, especially in the Book of Isaiah.

Galilean mountains, Israel 

A few examples include:

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Isaiah 2:2)

“For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.” (Ezekiel 20:40)

The connection makes perfect sense since Temples of God have historically been, and currently are, unique places on Earth where God elevates or lifts His children’s view, focus, behavior, and commitment to Him, and where ultimately we can commune with Him in a way that we can’t in any other place in mortality.