לְבָנוֹן

From the study of Isaiah 35:2

Range of meaning

Three regions proverbial for fertility. Lebanon: the high, well-watered range with famous cedars, used for royal and temple building (1 Kings 5). Carmel: the coastal ridge whose name as a common noun means 'garden-land, orchard'. Sharon: the broad coastal plain, rich in pasture and wildflowers.

Against the English

English readers often take these as mere place names. To Isaiah's hearers they were shorthand: Lebanon = majestic forest, Carmel = orchard, Sharon = lush meadow. Together they cover the best land in the region.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isaiah 33:9 names the same group in reverse: 'Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like a desert (Arabah); Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.' Lebanon's cedars stand for pride and royal splendor in Isaiah 2:13; 10:34; 37:24; 60:13 has 'the glory of Lebanon' coming to adorn God's sanctuary.

From the study of Hosea 14:5

Range of meaning

The Lebanon range north of Israel. The name probably means 'the white (mountain)', from its snow and limestone. In the Hebrew Bible it stands for height, majesty, towering cedars, fragrance and permanence (Ps 92:12; 104:16; Song 4:11, 15; Isa 35:2).

Against the English

The Hebrew says only 'like Lebanon'. BSB adds 'cedars', and some modern versions add 'cedar' or 'trees'. KJV and WEB keep 'like Lebanon', which a modern reader may connect with the modern state. 'Lebanon' meant the mountains and their forests.

Used elsewhere in the period

Lebanon cedar was the prestige timber of the ancient Near East, cut by Egyptians, Assyrians and Solomon (1 Kgs 5). Mesopotamian epics (Gilgamesh) place a sacred cedar forest there. Hosea uses 'Lebanon' three times in 14:5–7: roots, fragrance and wine.

From the study of Hosea 14:6

Range of meaning

The Lebanon mountain range north of Israel. The name probably comes from lāḇān, 'white', from its snowy or pale limestone peaks. It was proverbial for cedars, cypresses, height, snow, wine and fragrant forests.

Against the English

BSB and NASB (and NIV in the singular) add 'cedars'. KJV/ESV/WEB keep 'Lebanon' alone. The addition is a reasonable guess, but it narrows a broader image.

Used elsewhere in the period

Song 4:11, 15; Ps 104:16 ('the cedars of Lebanon that he planted'); Isa 35:2 ('the glory of Lebanon'); Isa 60:13. Assyrian and Egyptian royal texts boast of logging Lebanon's cedars for temples and palaces.