Sirion
“Breastplate or body armor”
Summary
The Phoenician (Sidonian) name for Mount Hermon, meaning 'breastplate' in Hebrew.
☩Phoenician Designation
Sirion was the name by which Mount Hermon was known among the Phoenicians or Sidonians. Moses records this alternate name when describing the boundaries of the conquered territory east of the Jordan. The Amorites called the same mountain Senir, while the Hebrews knew it as Hermon.
☩Etymology and Meaning
The Hebrew word siryon means 'breastplate' or 'body armor.' Scholars suggest the name was applied to the mountain because of its appearance, perhaps from the heights above the Phoenician coast, resembling a protective cuirass. A similar naming convention gave the Greek name 'Thorax' (also meaning breastplate) to a mountain in Magnesia.
☩Poetic Use
In Psalm 29, the name appears slightly altered as 'Shirion' in the original Hebrew. The psalm celebrates God's powerful voice, declaring that the voice of the Lord makes Lebanon and Sirion skip like a calf—a vivid image of divine power shaking even the mightiest mountains.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Sirion," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Sirion," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).