Lexical Summary bounos: Hill, mound Original Word: βουνός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hill. Probably of foreign origin; a hillock -- hill. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably of foreign origin Definition a hill NASB Translation hill (1), hills (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1015: βουνόςβουνός, βουνοῦ, ὁ, a Cyrenaic word according to Herodotus 4, 199, which Eustathius (831, 33) on Iliad 11, 710 says was used by Philemon (No theta 1), a comic poet (of the Topical Lexicon Scope of the Term βουνός While modern readers simply think of “hills,” the term βουνός carries a wider biblical resonance. In Scripture hills can be literal topographical rises, symbolic obstacles to the progress of God’s redemptive plan, seats of idolatry, or objects summoned as witnesses to divine judgment. This breadth of meaning must be kept in view when reading the two New Testament occurrences. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Luke 3:5 – John the Baptist cites Isaiah 40:4: “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; the crooked ways shall become straight, and the rough ways smooth”. Though only two in number, these verses span the spectrum from hopeful preparation to fearful judgment, framing the earthly ministry of Christ between proclamation and consummation. Old Testament Background • Isaiah 40:4 presents the leveling of hills as part of the highway for the glory of the Lord. In the Septuagint this uses βουνός, linking Luke 3:5 directly to the prophetic call. John the Baptist’s Preparatory Ministry When John announces that “every…hill shall be made low,” he proclaims the removal of every obstacle—political, religious, or personal—to the coming King. The picture is not of humanity’s self-effort but of divine grading of the landscape. In salvation history this signals: Jesus’ Warning of Impending Judgment Luke 23:30 situates βουνός in a starkly different setting. As Jesus is led to Calvary He warns the weeping women of Jerusalem. The coming days will be so dreadful that people will invoke hills as hiding places. The same topography that symbolized hope in Luke 3 becomes a last resort for the unrepentant. Themes include: Eschatological Echoes βουνός therefore serves as a bridge between the “already” of Messiah’s first advent and the “not yet” of final judgment. Isaiah’s highway imagery and Hosea’s lament meet in the Book of Revelation, where both the redeemed and the rebellious reckon with the cosmic upheaval that precedes the new creation (Revelation 6:14; 16:20). Theological Themes 1. Sovereignty of God: He raises and lowers the physical and moral landscape at will (Psalm 97:5). Historical and Cultural Insights • In first-century Judea, hills surrounded key cities, providing natural defense but also hiding places for rebels. Jesus’ allusion in Luke 23:30 would resonate with hearers who remembered earlier sieges and foresaw future turmoil. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Preaching: Use the contrast between Luke 3:5 and Luke 23:30 to warn and invite—today is the season to let God remove every barrier. Summary βουνός, though a simple “hill,” functions in Scripture as a theological landmark. In John the Baptist’s proclamation it invites repentance; in Jesus’ lament it signals the cost of rejection. Held together, these texts urge every reader to welcome the King whose authority reshapes all terrain, literal and spiritual, until “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Forms and Transliterations βουνοί βουνοις βουνοίς βουνοῖς βουνόν βουνος βουνός βουνὸς βουνού βουνους βουνούς βουνώ βουνων βουνών bounois bounoîs bounos bounòsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Luke 3:5 N-NMSGRK: ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται καὶ NAS: MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; KJV: and hill shall be brought low; INT: mountain and hill will be made low and Luke 23:30 N-DMP Strong's Greek 1015 |
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