Abarim
Connected with Nebo and Pisgah in Deu 32:49; Deu 34:1. Abarim was probably the mountain chain, Nebo one mountain of it, and Pisgah the highest peak of Nebo. Peor also belonged to the range. The chain east of the Dead Sea and lower Jordan commands most extensive views of the country west of the river. It was from Pisgah that Moses took his view of the promised land just before he died. Some identify mount Attarous, the loftiest hill in this region, ten miles north of the river Arnon, with Nebo.
Its top is marked by a pistachio tree overshadowing a heap of stones. The Hebrew means "the mountains of the regions beyond," namely, the Jordan, or else "the mountains of the passages." They were in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho. Compare Num 27:12; Num 33:47-48; Deu 3:27. Dr. Tristram verified the observation of the landscape from Nebo, as seen by Moses according to the Scripture record.
There is one isolated cone commanding a view of the valley where Israel's battle was fought with Amalek, which may be the Pisgah of holy writ.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Abarim
Abarim ab'-a-rim, a-ba'-rim (`abharim): The stem idea is that of going across a space or a dividing line, or for example a river. It is the same stem that appears in the familiar phrase "beyond Jordan," used to denote the region East of the Jordan, and Hellenized in the name Peraea. This fact affords the most natural explanation of the phrases `the mountains of the Abarim' (Nu 33:47-48); `this mountain-country of the Abarim' (Nu 27:12; De 32:49); Iye-abarim, which means "Heaps of the Abarim," or "Mounds of the Abarim" (Nu 21:11; 33:44). In Nu 33:45 this station is called simply Iyim, "Mounds." It is to be distinguished from the place of the same name in southern Judah (Jos 15:29). The name Abarim, without the article, occurs in Jer (Jos 22:20 the Revised Version (British and American), where the King James Version translates "the passages"), where it seems to be the name of a region, on the same footing with the names Lebanon and Bashan, doubtless the region referred to in Nu and Deuteronomy. There is no reason for changing the vowels in Eze 39:11, in order to make that another occur…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Abarim
A plural form of the word signifying ' part beyond ' ; and with respect to the Jordan, on tlie E. side of it. It is used as a proper name preceded by it ' mount ' (Nu 27'-, Dt .S'i''), and by 'in ' mountains ' (Nu 33"). It is also found with "V [see Iye-abarim] (Nu 21" 33"). In all these places tlie def. art. is used with Abarim, but in Jer 22-" (RV Abarim, AV ' the passages ') the def. art. is not used. For the geogr. position see Nebo. The LXX translate A. by t4 T(pav, except in Nu 33«', Dt 32^ where they have rd (rb) 'A0ope/>(^). For Ezk 39", and a very doubtful use of this word, see Smend, in luc. A. T. CHAPMAN.
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Abarim
(regions beyond), a mountain or range of highlands on the east of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, facing Jericho, and forming the eastern wall of the Jordan valley at that part. Its most elevated spot was “the Mount Nebo, head of the Pisgah,” from which Moses viewed the Promised Land before his death. These mountains are mentioned in (Numbers 27:12; 33:47,48) and Deuteronomy 32:49
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia