TORRENT VALLEY

The Hebrew word naʹhhal may denote either the valley through which a stream flows (Gen. 26:19; 2 Ki. 3:16; Job 30:6; Song of Sol. 6:11) or the stream itself. (1 Ki. 17:4; Ps. 110:7) Regarding the word naʹhhal A. P. Stanley, in his book Sinai and Palestine, page 590, observes: “No English word is exactly equivalent, but perhaps ‘torrent-bed’ most nearly expresses it.” A recent Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon by Koehler and Baumgartner lists “torrent valley” as one of its definitions.

The Promised Land is described as “a land of torrent valleys of water, springs and watery deeps issuing forth in the valley plain and in the mountainous region.” (Deut. 8:7) Some of the streams are fed by springs and are therefore perennial, whereas others are torrents during the rainy season but dry up completely during the rainless season. (1 Ki. 17:7; 18:5) Faithful Job compared the treacherous dealings of his brothers toward him to a winter torrent that dries up in the summer.—Job 6:15.

Among the torrent valleys mentioned in the Bible are those of the Arabah (Amos 6:14), Arnon (Deut. 2:36), Besor (1 Sam. 30:9), Cherith (1 Ki. 17:3), Egypt (Josh. 15:4), Eshcol (Num. 13:23), Gerar (Gen. 26:17), Jabbok (Deut. 2:37), Kanah (Josh. 16:8), Kidron (2 Sam. 15:23), Kishon (Judg. 4:7), Sorek (Judg. 16:4) and Zerad.—Deut. 2:13; see the torrent valleys under their respective names.