A craggy area mentioned in Song 2:17; possibly not a reference to a proper name.
About Bether (Song of Solomon 2:17)
A Hebrew word that appears in the phrase "upon rugged mountains" in Song of Solomon 2:17, where it is translated as “mountains of Bether.” However, some suggest that "Bether" might not be a proper name but rather refers to a spice or a place, considering that Song of Solomon 8:14 mentions "mountains of spices" in a similar context. Given the poetic nature of the text, "Bether" could be related to a specific spice, such as cinnamon, rather than being a literal location.
In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), "Bether" appears as the name of a city, possibly Beth-anoth in the hill country of Judah, as listed in Joshua 15:59. Additionally, in 1 Chronicles 6:59, the Septuagint uses "Bether" in place of "Beth-shemesh," leading some scholars to associate Bether with Khirbet el-Jehudiyeh, a site southwest of Bittir, which may preserve the ancient name.
Key References
Before the day breaks and shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.
All Scripture References (1)
Song of Solomon (1)
Before the day breaks and shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.