Σιών

Σιών — Siṓn

Σιών, indeclinable (its grammatical gender in the N. T. does not appear from the passages in which it is mentioned; cf. Buttmann, 21f (19); in the Sept. when it denotes the city of Jerusalem ἡ Σιών occurs, as Psalm 101:14, 17; Psalm 131:13; Psa 136:1, Hebrew צִיון (i. e. according to some, 'protected' or 'protecting'; according to others, 'sunny'; others besides); Sion (so A. V., but properly (with R. V.)) Zion;

1. the hill on which the higher and more ancient part of Jerusalem was built (דָּוִד עִיר, city of David, because David captured it); it was the southwesternmost and highest of the hills on which the city stood; (many now would identify it with the eastern hill, some with the northern; cf. Furrer in Schenkel iii. 216ff; Mühlau in Riehm, under the word; per contra Wolcott in B. D. American edition, under the word; Schultz in Herzog edition 2 vi., p. 543f).

2. used very often for the entire city of Jerusalem itself: Rom 9:33 and 1Pe 2:6 (after Isa 28:16); Rom 11:26 (from Isa 59:20); ἡ θυγάτηρ Σιών (see θυγάτηρ, b.β'.), Mat 21:5; Joh 12:15.

3. Since Jerusalem, because the temple stood there, was called the dwelling-place of God (cf. Mat 5:35; κύριος τήν Σιών ᾑρετίσατο εἰς κατοικίαν ἑαυτῷ, Psalm 131:13 ), the expression τό Σιών ὄρος is transferred to heaven, as the true dwelling-place of God and heavenly beings, the antitype of the earthly Zion: Heb 12:22; Rev 14:1.