8:25
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
25a
Before the mountains were settled,
25b
before the hills, I was brought forth,
There is an ellipsis in 8:25b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words from 8:25a. For example:
25b
before the hills ⌊were settled⌋ , I was brought forth,
8:25a–b
mountains…hills: These two words overlap in meaning. The word mountains refers to both mountains and hills. The word hills generally refers to high areas that are lower than mountains. In languages that do not distinguish between “mountains” and “hills,” one word may be used. Some languages have also used a term such as “mountain ranges” or “mountainous areas.”
8:25a
Before the mountains were settled: There are two ways to interpret the verb phrase were settled :
(1) It literally means “were sunk.” According to the Israelite view of the world at that time, the mountains rested on pillars. These pillars were sunk or set into sockets deep in the earth, at the bottom of the ocean. For example:
I was born before the mountains were settled in their places (God’s Word)
(2) It means “shaped” or “formed.” This is one meaning of the root in Arabic. For example:
My birth was before mountains were formed (Contemporary English Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with a majority of versions and scholars. It fits the normal meaning of the Hebrew word and other OT passages that describe the foundation of the earth and mountains, such as Job 38:6 and Jonah 2:6. The LORD is the implied agent who put the mountains in place. The word settled is another way of describing the LORD’s creative activity, along with the parallel terms “brought forth” (8:24–25), “made” (8:26), and “established” (8:27).
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