Category:Valley

Val"ley, n.; pl. Valleys. Etym: [oe. vale, valeie, of. valée, valede, F. vallée, ll. vallata, l. vallis, valles. See vale.]

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.

Note: deep and narrow valleys with abrupt sides are usually the Results of erosion by water, and are called gorges, ravines, cañons, Gulches, etc.

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.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Valley - (1.) Heb. bik'ah, a "cleft" of the mountains (Deuteronomy 8:7; Deuteronomy 11:11; Psalms 104:8; Isaiah 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 (Joshua 11:17; Joshua 12:7), and the valley of Megiddo (2 Chronicles 35:22). (2.) 'Emek, "deep;" "a long, low plain" (Job 39:10, Job 39:21; Psalms 65:13; Song of Songs 2:1), such as the plain of Esdraelon; the "valley of giants" (Joshua 15:8), usually translated "valley of Rephaim" (2 Samuel 5:18); of Elah (1 Samuel 17:2), of Berachah (2 Chronicles 20:26); the king's "dale" (Genesis 14:17); of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, Joel 3:12), of Achor (Joshua 7:24; Isaiah 65:10), Succoth (Psalms 60:6), Ajalon (Joshua 10:12), Jezreel (Hosea 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 (Deuteronomy 1:24); of Sorek (Judges 16:4), etc. The "valley of vision" (Isaiah 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" (Psalms 125:2; compare also Jeremiah 21:13, where Jerusalem is called a "valley"). (3.) Heb. nahal, a wady or water-course (Genesis 26:19; Song of Songs 6:11).