Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor is located at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley in the Lower Galilee southwest of the Sea of Galilee and north of the Hill of Moreh and Mount Gilboa. It is also known as Har Tavor, Itabyrium, Jebel et Tur. The name Tabor means “mound”. (Strong. 2001. #08396). Deborah tells Barak to go to Mount Tabor and then to lead an attack from Tabor on Sisera and his men. (Judges 4:1–15). Mount Tabor is mentioned when Gideon challenges and kills Zebah and Zalmunna, two kings of Midian. (Judges 8:18). Hosea uses the phrase “a net spread out on Tabor” to demonstrate his judgment against Israel. (Hosea 5:1). The “great tree of Tabor” refers to a place where Samuel instructed Saul to meet three men who were on their way to Bethel. (1 Samuel 10:3). (Longman. 2013).
The children of Israel were sold into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan because they did evil in the sight of the LORD. Deborah was a prophetess, and she judged Israel at that time. Deborah sent Barak, the son of Abinoam, out of Kedeshnaphtali, and told him the LORD God of Israel commanded him to go toward mount Tabor with him ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and the children of the tribe of Zebulum.
“And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host [was] Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.”
“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, [saying], Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, [then] I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.”
“And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. Now Heber the Kenite, [which was] of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which [is] by Kedesh. And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, [even] nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that [were] with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this [is] the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.” (Judges 4:1-14).
Mount Tabor is part of the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families. Their coast reached to Tabor.
“[And] the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath, And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez, And Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez; And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Bethshemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. This [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.” (Joshua 19:17-22).
There are some from the early Church who believe Mount Tabor is where the transfiguration took place. However this is unlikely since Jesus and His disciples were in the region of Caesarea Philippi prior to the Transfiguration. The city of Caesarea Philippi is at the southern base of Mount Hermon. Jesus and His disciples journeyed north from Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee to the city of Caesarea Philippi where Jesus asked His disciple who men say He was. It was after six days when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up into a high mountain. It is very probable that high mountain was Mount Hermon. This is where the transfiguration of Jesus took place and the exchange with Jesus, Moses and Elijah.
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.”
“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” (Matthew 16:13- Matthew 17:2)
References:
Longman, Tremper III, Enns, Peter and Mark Strauss, eds., (2013).The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Strong, James. (2001).The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Mount Tabor:.” Becker Bible Studies Library May 2015.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2847,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, May) “Mount Tabor:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2847,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Mount Tabor:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (May), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2847, (accessed).
