Abarim (עֲבָרִים, avarim). A mountain range northeast of the Dead Sea, including Mount Nebo, from which Moses viewed the promised land before his death (Num 27:12; Deut 32:49).

Abarim means “a place opposite” or “a place beyond.” The root is עבר ('br), which appears in the phrase “beyond Jordan” (Gen 50:10–11; Num 22:1; etc.). This is found in the phrases “the mountains of Abarim” (Num 33:47–48); “this mountain of Abarim” (Num 27:12) or “this mountain of the Abarim” (Deut 32:49); and Iye-abarim, which means “Heap of the Abarim” (Num 21:11; 33:44). The name Abarim, without the article, occurs in Jer 22:20. In this passage, it seems to be the name of a region, like Lebanon and Bashan.

Anyone living in Canaan would have spoken of the region east of the Jordan as “beyond Jordan.” Looking across the Jordan and the Dead Sea they would call the mountains they saw there “the beyond mountains.” It is unknown how extensive the region was.