Reference: Wandering
Easton
of the Israelites in the wilderness in consequence of their rebellious fears to enter the Promised Land (Nu 14:26-35). They wandered for forty years before they were permitted to cross the Jordan (Jos 4:19; 5:6).
The record of these wanderings is given in Nu 33:1-49. Many of the stations at which they camped cannot now be identified.
Questions of an intricate nature have been discussed regarding the "Wanderings," but it is enough for us to take the sacred narrative as it stands, and rest assured that "He led them forth by the right way" (Ps 107:1-7,33-35). (See Wilderness.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: "How long [must I endure] this evil community that keeps complaining about Me? I have heard the Israelites' complaints that they make against Me. read more. Tell them: As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. Your corpses will fall in this wilderness-all of you who were registered [in the census], the entire number of you 20 years old or more-because you have complained about Me. I swear that none of you will enter the land I promised to settle you in, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness until all your corpses lie [scattered] in the wilderness. You will bear the consequences of your sins 40 years based on the number of the 40 days that you scouted the land, a year for each day. You will know My displeasure. I, the Lord, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against Me. They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die."
These were the stages of the Israelites' journey when they went out of the land of Egypt by their military divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord's command, Moses wrote down the starting points for the stages of their journey; these are the stages [listed] by their starting points: read more. They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the month. On the day after the Passover the Israelites went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians. Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying every firstborn male the Lord had struck down among them, for the Lord had executed judgment against their gods. The Israelites departed from Rameses and camped at Succoth. They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. They departed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. They departed from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness. They took a three-day journey into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. They departed from Marah and came to Elim. There were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms at Elim, so they camped there. They departed from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. They departed from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin. They departed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah. They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. They departed from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. They departed from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai. They departed from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. They departed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. They departed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. They departed from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. They departed from Libnah and camped at Rissah. They departed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. They departed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. They departed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. They departed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. They departed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah. They departed from Terah and camped at Mithkah. They departed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. They departed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. They departed from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. They departed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. They departed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. They departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. They departed from Ezion-geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh). They departed from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor on the edge of the land of Edom. At the Lord's command, Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first [day] of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites went out of the land of Egypt. Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard the Israelites were coming. They departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. They departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. They departed from Punon and camped at Oboth. They departed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab. They departed from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. They departed from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. They departed from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the Abarim [range] facing Nebo. They departed from the Abarim [range] and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan [across from] Jericho. They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth to Acacia Meadows on the plains of Moab.
The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.
For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40 years until all the nation's men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord. So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe read more. and has gathered them from the lands- from the east and the west, from the north and the south. Some wandered in the desolate wilderness, finding no way to a city where they could live. They were hungry and thirsty; their spirits failed within them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He rescued them from their distress. He led them by the right path to go to a city where they could live.
He turns rivers into desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into salty wasteland, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants. read more. He turns a desert into a pool of water, dry land into springs of water.