Reference: Kadesh Barnea
Fausets
Ain el Weibeh in the Arabah, 10 miles N. of the place where Mount Hor abuts on that valley. Three fountains issue from the chalky rock. Here wady el Ghuweir affords access northwestwards through mountainous Edom; from here accordingly Moses sent to ask a passage through Edom by "the king's highway." Barnea = "son of wandering", i.e. Bedouin (Furst). "Country of convulsion," compare Ps 29:8 (Speaker's Commentary). "The wilderness of Kadesh," i.e. the desert adjoining Kadesh; the northern part of the Paran wilderness was called Zin (Nu 10:12; 13:21). The encampment from which the spies were sent and to which they returned (Nu 13:26; 32:8); sometimes called Kadesh alone. Meribah Kadesh is the same (Eze 47:19; 48:28 margin; Jos 15:3,23). The encampment at Kadesh is called Rithmah from retem, "the broom," the most conspicuous shrub of the desert (Nu 33:18).
Probably the encampment at Rithmah was during Israel's first march toward Canaan; that at Kadesh was in the same locality, though on a different spot, 38 years afterward, in the 40th year, when they were about entering Canaan. The ancient name of Kadesh was En Mishpat (Ge 14:7). El Ain (identified by some with Kadesh because this site is called Gadis and the neighbouring plain, Abu Retemet, is like Rithmah) is too far N.W., 70 miles from Mount Hor and 60 from Mount Seir; but Kadesh was only one march from Mount Hor (Nu 20:16,22; 33:37), "on the edge of Edom," "on its uttermost border"; on low ground (whereas El Ain is on high ground) from whence the spies "go up" to Canaan. A line drawn from E1 Ain to the river of Egypt (Jos 15:21-27) would cut the middle of the Negeb, and so cut away part of Judah's inheritance. The true Kadesh must be more S.; Petra or Selah was too far in the heart of Edom to be Judah's frontier, and "in the uttermost border of Edom."
However, Palmer identifies Kadesh with El Ain as "one of the natural borders of the country; the Tih, a comparative desert, the Negeb or South, Palestine, and Syria forming an ascending scale of fertility." The encampment at Rithmah (Nu 33:18-19) was in summer the second year after the Exodus (Nu 13:20), that at Kadesh in the same district the first month of the 40th year (Nu 20:1). At the first encampment Israel stayed probably for months; they waited for the spies 40 days (Nu 13:25); Moses and the tabernacle remained (Nu 14:44), while the people vainly tried to reverse God's sentence and to occupy Canaan (De 1:34-46): "ye abode in Kadesh many days" (a long indefinite time). Then Israel "compassed Mount Seir," i.e. wandered in the desert of Paran, until all that generation died (De 2:1).
In this period were the 17 stages, Nu 33:19-36. Lastly, Israel again was at Kadesh in the first month of the 40th year, and stayed for three or four months (Nu 20:1-28; 33:38). Here Miriam died and was buried. Here water failed, and Moses by impatient striking of the rock, attribution of the miracle to himself and Aaron ("must we fetch," etc.), and unbelief ("ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me") in the goodness of God to an unworthy people, dishonoured God, and he and Aaron were adjudged the penalty of not entering Canaan (Nu 20:12-13; compare Ps 106:32-33). From hence Moses sent to the king of Edom (Nu 20:14, etc.).
On the messengers' return Israel turned from Edom, leaving Kadesh finally, and after Aaron's death at Mount Hor marched around Edom to Moab (Nu 33:41-49). Kadesh ("holy") may have been named from the long presence of the sanctuary and priests. En Mishpat, "fountain of judgment," corresponds, judgment and sanctity emanating from the one divine source. Meribah Kadesh, "strife," is a perversion of judgment; the opposites in the one name marking graphically the sad events connected with Kadesh. Kadesh gradually sank to its original obscurity as a watering place for the nomads of the desert. The cliffs at the mouth of wady el Ghuweir near Ain el Weibeh, and in front of the host in marching eastward through Mount Seir, may have been the scene of Moses' striking the rock (cela, not tsuwr) (Nu 20:7 ff). Merely certain occurrences and enactments are recorded of the 38 years' wandering, in Nu 15-19.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat, which [now] is Kadesh, and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazon-tamar.
And the Israelites took their journey by stages out of the Wilderness of Sinai, and the [guiding] cloud rested in the Wilderness of Paran.
And what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is timber on it or not. And be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and scouted through the land from the Wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath.
And they returned from scouting out the land after forty days. They came to Moses and Aaron and to all the Israelite congregation in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh, and brought them word, and showed them the land's fruit.
But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country; however, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp.
And the Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month. And the people dwelt in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.
And the Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month. And the people dwelt in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there. Now there was no water for the congregation, and they assembled together against Moses and Aaron. read more. And the people contended with Moses, and said, Would that we had died when our brethren died [in the plague] before the Lord! And why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, we and our livestock? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place? It is no place of grain or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates. And there is no water to drink. Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them. And the Lord said to Moses,
And the Lord said to Moses, Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink. read more. So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock and Moses said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. These are the waters of Meribah [strife], where the Israelites contended with the Lord and He showed Himself holy among them.
These are the waters of Meribah [strife], where the Israelites contended with the Lord and He showed Himself holy among them. And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your kinsman Israel: You know all the adversity and birth pangs that have come upon us [as a nation]:
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your kinsman Israel: You know all the adversity and birth pangs that have come upon us [as a nation]: How our fathers went down to Egypt; we dwelt there a long time, and the Egyptians dealt evilly with us and our fathers. read more. But when we cried to the Lord, He heard us and sent an angel and brought us forth out of Egypt. Now behold, we are in Kadesh, a city on your country's edge.
But when we cried to the Lord, He heard us and sent an angel and brought us forth out of Egypt. Now behold, we are in Kadesh, a city on your country's edge. Let us pass, I pray you, through your country. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink of the water of the wells. We will go along the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed your borders. read more. But Edom said to him, You shall not go through, lest I come out against you with the sword. And the Israelites said to him, We will go by the highway, and if I and my livestock drink of your water, I will pay for it. Only let me pass through on foot, nothing else. But Edom said, You shall not go through. And Edom came out against Israel with many people and a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. They journeyed from Kadesh, and the Israelites, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
They journeyed from Kadesh, and the Israelites, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, read more. Aaron shall be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land which I have given to the Israelites, because you both rebelled against My instructions at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. Strip Aaron of his vestments and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and shall die there. And Moses did as the Lord commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his [priestly] garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the mountain top; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
And they journeyed from Hazeroth and encamped at Rithmah. And they departed from Rithmah and encamped at Rimmon-perez.
And they departed from Rithmah and encamped at Rimmon-perez. And they departed from Rimmon-perez and encamped at Libnah. read more. And they removed from Libnah and encamped at Rissah. And they journeyed from Rissah and encamped at Kehelathah. And they went from Kehelathah and encamped at Mount Shepher. And they removed from Mount Shepher and encamped at Haradah. And they set out from Haradah and encamped at Makheloth. And they removed from Makheloth and encamped at Tahath. And they departed from Tahath and encamped at Terah. And they removed from Terah and encamped at Mithkah. And they set out from Mithkah and encamped at Hashmonah. And they traveled on from Hashmonah and encamped at Moseroth. And they journeyed from Moseroth and pitched in Bene-jaakan. And they set out from Bene-jaakan and encamped at Hor-haggidgad. And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and encamped at Jotbathah. And they journeyed from Jotbathah and encamped at Abronah. And they traveled on from Abronah and encamped at Ezion-geber. And they removed from Ezion-geber and encamped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh. And they removed from Kadesh and encamped at Mount Hor, on the edge of Edom. Aaron the priest went up on Mount Hor at the command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, the first day of the fifth month.
They set out from Mount Hor and encamped at Zalmonah. And they set out from Zalmonah and encamped at Punon. read more. And they set out from Punon and encamped at Oboth. And they traveled on from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab. And they departed from Iyim and encamped at Dibon-gad. And they set out from Dibon-gad and encamped in Almon-diblathaim. And they traveled on from Almon-diblathaim and encamped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. And they departed from the mountains of Abarim and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. And they encamped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.
And the Lord heard your words, and was angered and He swore, Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land which I swore to give to your fathers, read more. Except [Joshua, of course, and] Caleb son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land upon which he has walked, because he has wholly followed the Lord. The Lord was angry with me also for your sakes, and said, You also shall not enter Canaan. But Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. Moreover, your little ones whom you said would become a prey, and your children who at this time cannot discern between good and evil, they shall enter Canaan, and to them I will give it and they shall possess it. But as for you, turn and journey into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea. Then you said to me, We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us. And you girded on every man his battle weapons, and thought it a simple matter to go up into the hill country. And the Lord said to me, Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for I am not among you -- "lest you be dangerously hurt by your enemies. So I spoke to you, and you would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and were presumptuous and went up into the hill country. Then the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do and struck you down in Seir as far as Hormah. And you returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord would not heed your voice or listen to you. So you remained in Kadesh; many days you remained there.
Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the Lord directed me; and for many days we journeyed around Mount Seir.
It went out south of the ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, and went up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, and turned about to Karka,
The cities of the tribe of Judah in the extreme south toward the boundary of Edom were: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, read more. Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,
Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, read more. Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (Hazor), Amam, Shema, Moladah, Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet,
The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness tremble; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
They angered the Lord also at the waters of Meribah, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes; For they provoked [Moses'] spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.
And the south side [boundary] southward, from Tamar [near the Dead Sea] shall run as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Brook of Egypt to the Great or Mediterranean Sea. And this is the south side.
And beside the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall extend from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh and on along the Brook [of Egypt] to the Great or Mediterranean Sea.