What is the significance of the fact that here the Tzidonim called Chermon 'Siryon' and the Emori, 'S'nir', whereas later (in 4:48), the Torah refers to it as 'Si'on'?
Rashi, Ramban #1 and R. Bachye: It teaches us that all different nationalities boasted that they owned a part of Eretz Yisrael by claiming that its real name was the one by which they called it.
Ramban: The mountain?s real name was ?Si?on?, only the Tzidonim 1 called it ?Siryon? and the Cana?anim ?S?nir? - due to the fact that it is snow-capped, and the two words mean ?snow? in their respective languages. And it was nicknamed ?Chermon? because, due to the extreme cold, people tend to avoid going there - as if it was in Cheirem. 2
Oznayim la'Torah: The northern section of the Chermon belonged to the Tzidonim, 3 who called their section - or perhaps the whole monntain - 'Siryon', and the southern section, to the Emori - which Yisrael captured, and which similarly, the Emori called 'S'nir'. 'Si'on', a section on top of the mountain that was permanently snow-capped, was Hefker and was also taken over by Yisrael.
Targum Yonasan: The Tzidonim called it 'Siryon' - because due to the large volume of fruit that grew on it, it tended to rot, 4 and the Emori, "S'nir" - because it was snow-capped all the year round.
Chulin, 60b : They are the names of mountains, and the Torah is teaching us that every nation went and built a large town for themselves and named it after the mountains of Eretz Yisrael - and we see from here the importanced they attached even to the mountains of Eretz Yisrael. 5
