Meaning
(1) kikkar, "circle" "talent," or "round loaf";
(2) mishor, from yashar, "to be level"; compare Arabic maisur, "that which is easy";
(3) biqah; compare Arabic baq`at, "a plot of ground" or "a wet meadow";
(4) `arabhah;
(5) shephelah;
(6) topos pedinos (Lu 6:17);
(7) 'elon; compare elah, and 'allon "oak" (Gen 35:4, Gen 35:8, etc.); also 'elah, "Elah" (1Sa 17:2);
(8) 'abhel):
See NATURAL FEATURES.
(1) Kikkar, when meaning "plain" usually refers to the alluvial plain about Jericho near the north end of the Dead Sea: "Plain (the Revised Version margin "circle") of the Jordan" (Gen 13:10, Gen 13:11, 1Kgs 7:46, 2Chr 4:17); "Plain of the valley of Jericho" (De 34:3); "cities of the Plain" (Gen 13:12, Gen 19:29); "all the Plain" (Gen 19:17, Gen 19:25); "by the way of the Plain" (2Sa 18:23); but "the plain round about Jerusalem" (Ne 12:28).
(2) Mishor, English Versions of the Bible "plain," the Revised Version margin usually "table-land," clearly refers in most places to the highlands of Gilead and Moab, East of the Jordan and the Dead Sea; e.g. Jos 13:9, "the plain (the Revised Version margin "table-land") of Medeba."
(3) Biq`ah is more often translated "valley" (which see).
(4) `Arabhah is in the Revised Version (British and American) often translated "the Arabah," denoting the whole Jordan-Dead-Sea-Arabah depression equals Arabic Ghaur (Ghor). In De 11:30, the King James Version has "champaign" (which see). The "plains of Moab" (Num 22:1, Num 26:3, Num 26:13, Num 31:12, Num 33:48, Num 33:49, Num 33:50, Num 35:1, Num 36:13, Deut 34:1, Deut 34:8, Josh 13:32) and "plains of Jericho" (Josh 4:13, Josh 5:10, 2Kgs 25:5, Jer 39:5, Jer 52:8) are the low plain or ghaur North of the Dead Sea. `Arabhah is here equivalent to kikkar (see above). Note the distinction between mishor used of the highlands, and kikkar and `arabhah used of the ghaur.
See ARABAH.
(5) Shephelah is by the Revised Version (British and American) throughout translated "lowland" (which see), and includes the western slopes of the Judean hills and the maritime plain.
(6) Topos pedinos occurs only in Lu 6:17.
(7) `Elon is translated "plain" in the King James Version: "plain of Moreh" (Gen 12:6, Deut 11:30); "plain (or plains) of Mamre" (Gen 13:18, Gen 14:13, Gen 18:1); "plain of Zaanaim" (Jud 4:11); "plain of the pillar" (Jud 9:6); "plain of Meonenim" (Jud 9:37); "plain of Tabor" (1Sa 10:3). the Revised Version (British and American) has throughout "oak," the Revised Version margin "terebinth"; compare "oak" (Gen 35:4, Gen 35:8, etc.) and "vale of Elah" (1Sam 17:2, 1Sam 17:19, 1Sam 21:9).
(8) ['Abhel keramim] (Jud 11:33) is in the King James Version "the plain of the vineyards," the Revised Version (British and American) "Abel-cheramim," the Revised Version margin "the meadow of vineyards." Elsewhere in English Versions of the Bible 'abhel is "Abel" or "Abel."
See ABEL-CHERAMIM, MEADOW.
Alfred Ely Day
