VALLEY

With respect to the general features of the Holy Land, see CANAAN; and for descriptions of some of its numerous valleys, see JERUSALEM, JEZREEL, JORDAN, REPHAIM, SHECHIEM, and SODOM. "The valley of the shadow of death," is an expression denoting an extremely perilous and cheerless condition of the soul, Ps 23:4, and may have been suggested by the psalmist’s experience with his flock in some of the deep, narrow, and dark ravines of Syria. Thus the entrance to Petra is by long winding defile, between rugged precipices in some spots not more than twelve or fourteen feet apart and two or three hundred feet high, and almost excluding the light of day. See view in SELA. A similar pass south of mount Carmel is now known as the "Valley of Death-shade."

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Valley. Valley
(1.) Heb. bik’ah, a “cleft” of the mountains (Deut. 8:7; 11:11; Ps. 104:8; Isa. 41:18); also a low plain bounded by mountains, as the plain of Lebanon at the foot of Hermon around the sources of the Jordan (Josh. 11:17; 12:7), and the valley of Megiddo (2 Chr. 35:22).

(2.) ‘Emek, “deep;” “a long, low plain” (Job 39:10, 21; Ps. 65:13; Cant. 2:1), such as the plain of Esdraelon; the “valley of giants” (Josh. 15:8), usually translated “valley of Rephaim” (2 Sam. 5:18); of Elah (1 Sam. 17:2), of Berachah (2 Chr. 20:26); the king’s “dale” (Gen. 14:17); of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, 12), of Achor (Josh. 7:24; Isa. 65:10), Succoth (Ps. 60:6), Ajalon (Josh. 10:12), Jezreel (Hos. 1:5).

(3.) Ge, “a bursting,” a “flowing together,” a narrow glen or ravine, such as the valley of the children of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10); of Eshcol (Deut. 1:24); of Sorek (Judg. 16:4), etc.

The “valley of vision” (Isa. 22:1) is usually regarded as denoting Jerusalem, which “may be so called,” says Barnes (Com. on Isa.), “either (1) because there were several valleys within the city and adjacent to it, as the vale between Mount Zion and Moriah, the vale between Mount Moriah and Mount Ophel, between these and Mount Bezetha, and the valley of Jehoshaphat, the valley of the brook Kidron, etc., without the walls of the city; or (2) more probably it was called the valley in reference to its being compassed with hills rising to a considerable elevation above the city” (Ps. 125:2; comp. also Jer. 21:13, where Jerusalem is called a “valley”).

(4.) Heb. nahal, a wady or water-course (Gen. 26:19; Cant. 6:11).

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valley. Valley, n. a hollow between two hills, a gutter

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Val″ley (?), n.; pl. Valleys (#). [[OE. vale, valeie, OF. valée, valede, F. vallée, LL. vallata, L. vallis, valles. See Vale.]] 1. 1. The space inclosed between ranges of hills or mountains; the strip of land at the bottom of the depressions intersecting a country, including usually the bed of a stream, with frequently broad alluvial plains on one or both sides of the stream. Also used figuratively.
The valley of the shadow of death. Ps. xxiii. 4. Sweet interchange Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains. Milton. ☞ Deep and narrow valleys with abrupt sides are usually the results of erosion by water, and are called gorges, ravines, cañons, gulches, etc. 2. 2. (Arch.) (a) The place of meeting of two slopes of a roof, which have their plates running in different directions, and form on the plan a reëntrant angle. (b) The depression formed by the meeting of two slopes on a flat roof.
Valley board (Arch.), a board for the reception of the lead gutter in the valley of a roof. The valley board and lead gutter are not usual in the United States. — Valley rafter, or Valley piece (Arch.), the rafter which supports the valley. — Valley roof (Arch.), a roof having one or more valleys. See Valley, 2, above.