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Joshua 11 (WEB)

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The Transfiguration of Jesus on Mt. Hermon

 Site Study | Daniel G Garland • Hershel Wayne House

Matthew's reference to a high mountain in Matt 17:1 probably refers to a spur of Mt. Hermon, which rises about 9,400 feet above sea level, and may be the same high mountain to which he took Jesus during his third temptation in Matt 4:8.  Mt. Hermon is in the upper Golan in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi. Since it is by far the highest mountain in the area, its selection for the transfiguration is probably a more likely location than Mt. Tabor, the traditional site in lower Galilee, which is less than 1,900 feet in elevation. If Mt. Hermon were the location of both the temptation and transfiguration of Christ, it would account not only for Matthew’s choice of the same phrase to describe them, but also provide a satisfying symmetry:  The glory of this world’s kingdoms that Jesus refused to seize apart from the Father’s good pleasure and timing, is the glory with which He will one day return as the beloved Son with whom the Father is well pleased (cf., Matt 16:27; 17:5)!

After Peter's affirmation in Matt 16:16 that Jesus was the Messiah, Son of God, something that could only come from God's revelation, Jesus said that upon this confession Jesus would build His church. The spectacular appearance of Jesus on Mt. Hermon, in which He appeared as the sun (reflecting the Shekinah glory of Yahweh to Moses in the bush that was burning but not consumed in Exod 3:6), was in combination with the representative of the Law and the Prophets, Moses and Elijah (also see Luke 24:27 statement of the risen Messiah). 

After Peter's expression to building tents for the three of them, God speaks from heaven (similar to the statement at Jesus' baptism, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him" (Matt 3:17; see Ps 2:7; Isa 42:1). God's latter statement may reflect Deut 18:15).

The Galilee in Israel with Mt Hermon in Background

The Galilee in Israel with Mt Hermon in Background

Mt. Hermon in the Summer (with Sign)

Mt. Hermon in the Summer (with Sign)

Mt. Arbel from the Sea of Galilee

Mt. Arbel from the Sea of Galilee

Copyright © 2026 Daniel G Garland, Hershel Wayne House. All rights reserved.

The Transfiguration on Mt. Hermon

 Site Study | Daniel G Garland

The phrase translated high mountain is found only in reference to the unnamed locations from which Satan showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Matt 4:8 NKJV), and where Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John (Matt 17:1; Mark 9:2).  Since Mt. Hermon is by far the highest mountain in the area, with peaks above 9,000 feet, it has been suggested as a more likely location for the transfiguration than Mt. Tabor, the traditional site in lower Galilee which is less than 1,900 feet in elevation.  If Mt. Hermon were the location of both the temptation and transfiguration of Christ, it would account not only for Matthew’s choice of the same phrase to describe them, but also provide a satisfying symmetry:  The glory of this world’s kingdoms that Jesus refused to seize apart from the Father’s good pleasure and timing, is the glory with which He will one day return as the beloved Son with whom the Father is well pleased (cf., Matt 16:27; 17:5)!

Mt. Hermon

Copyright © 2026 Daniel G Garland. All rights reserved.
Person & place data: Theographic Bible Metadata by Robert Rouse (Viz.Bible), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Joshua 11 (WEB)

1When Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, 2and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, 3to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4They went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. 5All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.

6Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”

7So Joshua came suddenly, with all the warriors, against them by the waters of Merom, and attacked them. 8Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and chased them to great Sidon, and to Misrephoth Maim, and to the valley of Mizpah eastward. They struck them until they left them no one remaining. 9Joshua did to them as Yahweh told him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire. 10Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor used to be the head of all those kingdoms. 11They struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed. He burned Hazor with fire. 12Joshua captured all the cities of those kings, with their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded. 13But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only. Joshua burned that. 14The children of Israel took all the plunder of these cities, with the livestock, as plunder for themselves; but every man they struck with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They didn’t leave any who breathed.

15As Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua. Joshua did so. He left nothing undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses. 16So Joshua captured all that land, the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel, and the lowland of the same, 17from Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir, even to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them, and put them to death. 18Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle. 20For it was of Yahweh to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 21Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. 22There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. 23So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.

World English Bible · public domain · ebible.org

Mount Hermon