Reference: Wilderness
American
See DESERT.
Easton
(1.) Heb midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps 65:12; Isa 42:11; Jer 23:10; Joe 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Ge 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex 13:18); of Shur (Ex 15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (Ex 17:1), Sinai (Le 7:38), Moab (De 2:8), Judah (Jg 1:16), Ziph, Maon, En-gedi (1Sa 23:14,24; 24:1), Jeruel and Tekoa (2Ch 20:16,20), Kadesh (Ps 29:8).
The wilderness of the sea (Isa 21:1). Principal Douglas, referring to this expression, says: "A mysterious name, which must be meant to describe Babylon (see especially ver. Isa 21:9), perhaps because it became the place of discipline to God's people, as the wilderness of the Red Sea had been (comp. Eze 20:35). Otherwise it is in contrast with the symbolic title in Isa 22:1. Jerusalem is the "valley of vision," rich in spiritual husbandry; whereas Babylon, the rival centre of influence, is spiritually barren and as restless as the sea (comp. Isa 57:20)." A Short Analysis of the O.T.
(2.) Jeshimon, a desert waste (De 32:10; Ps 68:7).
(3.) 'Arabah, the name given to the valley from the Dead Sea to the eastern branch of the Red Sea. In De 1:1; 2:8, it is rendered "plain" (R.V., "Arabah").
(4.) Tziyyah, a "dry place" (Ps 78:17; 105:41).
(5.) Tohu, a "desolate" place, a place "waste" or "unoccupied" (De 32:10; Job 12:24; comp. Ge 1:2, "without form"). The wilderness region in the Sinaitic peninsula through which for forty years the Hebrews wandered is generally styled "the wilderness of the wanderings." This entire region is in the form of a triangle, having its base toward the north and its apex toward the south. Its extent from north to south is about 250 miles, and at its widest point it is about 150 miles broad. Throughout this vast region of some 1,500 square miles there is not a single river. The northern part of this triangular peninsula is properly the "wilderness of the wanderings" (et-Tih). The western portion of it is called the "wilderness of Shur" (Ex 15:22), and the eastern the "wilderness of Paran."
The "wilderness of Judea" (Mt 3:1) is a wild, barren region, lying between the Dead Sea and the Hebron Mountains. It is the "Jeshimon" mentioned in 1Sa 23:19.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The Earth was void and empty and darkness was upon the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the water.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle with water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulders with the lad also, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered up and down in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Therefore God led them about through the wilderness that bordereth on the reed sea. The children of Israel went harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
Moses brought Israel from the reed sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur. And they went three days long in the wilderness, and could find no water.
Moses brought Israel from the reed sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur. And they went three days long in the wilderness, and could find no water.
And all the company of the children of Israel went on their journeys from the wilderness of Sin at the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: where was no water for the people to drink.
which the LORD commanded Moses in the mount of Sinai, in the day when he commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings unto the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai.
These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel, on the other side Jordan in the wilderness and in the fields by the reed sea, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab;
And when we were departed from our brethren, the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir by the field way from Elath and Eziongeber, we turned and went the way to the wilderness of Moab.
And when we were departed from our brethren, the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir by the field way from Elath and Eziongeber, we turned and went the way to the wilderness of Moab.
"He found him in a desert land, in a void ground and a roaring wilderness. He led him about and gave him understanding, and kept him as the apple of his eye.
"He found him in a desert land, in a void ground and a roaring wilderness. He led him about and gave him understanding, and kept him as the apple of his eye.
And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees, with the children of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah that lieth in the South of Arad, and dwelt among the people.
And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all his life, but God delivered him not into his hand.
Then came the Ziphites to Saul, to Gibeah, saying, "David hideth himself fast by us in strongholds that are in a thicket in the hill of Hachilah on the rightside of the wilderness.
And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the wild field, on the righthand of the wilderness.
Then Saul was come again from the Philistines, it was told him, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi."
"And tomorrow ye shall go down to them: see, they come up at Ziz, and ye shall meet them in the flags of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel.
And so they arose early in the morning and gat them out unto the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and so shall ye continue: and believe his prophets and so shall ye prosper."
He changeth the heart of the princes and kings of the earth, and disapointeth them; so that they go wandering out of the way,
the voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; yea, the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness; and the little hills shall rejoice on every side.
O God, when thou wentest forth before the people, when thou wentest through the wilderness, Selah,
Yet for all this they sinned more against him, and provoked the most highest in the wilderness.
He opened the rock of stone, and the waters flowed out, so that rivers ran in the dry places.
This is the heavy burden of the waste sea: A grievous vision was showed unto me, even as the stormy weather that passeth through at the noonday, to come from the wilderness, from that horrible land.
And behold, here cometh a chariot of men with two horsemen." And he answered and said, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen! She is turned upside down, and all the images of her gods are smitten to the ground!"
The burden of the valley of visions. What hast thou to do here, that thou climbest unto the house tops,
Let the wilderness with her cities lift up her voice; the towns also that be in Cedar. Let them be glad that sit upon rocks of stone; and let them cry down from the high mountains
But the wicked are like the raging sea, that cannot rest; whose water foameth with the mire and gravel.
Because the land is full of adulterers, wherethrough it is destroyed and mourneth, and the pleasant pastures of the desert are dried up. Yea the way that men take is wicked, and their governance is nothing like the holy word of the LORD.
and will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there I will reason with you face to face.
O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath consumed the goodly pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burnt up all the trees of the field.
Be not ye afraid neither, O ye beasts of the field; for the pastures shall be green and the trees shall bear their fruit, the fig trees and vineyards shall give their increase.
In those days John the Baptist came, and preached in the wilderness of Jewry,
Morish
This term and that of DESERT do not usually refer in scripture to such places as the vast sand-plains of Africa, though there are some such in Palestine, but the words mostly refer to non-arable plains where the vegetation but thinly covers the limestone with patches of verdure. In places where the ground is not worth cultivating it can be used for pasture. Some of such deserts are comparatively small, but others are extensive. The wilderness of JUDAH is a plain extending the whole length of the Dead Sea; but some of it can be used for pasture land. It may be said to include the wilderness of EN-GEDI, that of MAON, and probably that of ZIPH and of JERUEL.
The wilderness of BETH-AVEN and of GIBEON were in the allotment of Benjamin.
The wilderness of DAMASCUS was far north, and that of BEER-SHEBA far south; and that of SHUR, still farther south-west.
Those of KEDEMOTH, of EDOM, and of MOAB were east of the Dead Sea.
The rest were not in Palestine proper, but were the deserts through which the Israelites passed or were located in their wanderings: namely, ETHAM, KADESH, PARAN, SIN, SINAI, and ZIN. See WANDERINGS OF THE ISRAELITES.
Typically the wilderness was outside Canaan, and stands in contrast to it. The wilderness was the place of testing to the Israelites, and it is the same to the Christian, to humble him, and to prove what is in his heart. De 8:2. He has to learn what he is in himself, and the God of all grace he has to do with. There is need of constant dependence or there is failure, while the experience is gained of knowing One who never fails to succour. Canaan is figuratively a heavenly position and conflict, corresponding with the need of the armour of Eph 6:11, to stand against the wiles of the devil. For this one needs to realise what it is to be dead and risen with Christ. It is association in spirit with Christ in heaven.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And think on all the ways which the LORD thy God led thee this forty years in the wilderness, for to humble thee and to prove thee, to wete what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no.
Put on the armour of God, that ye may stand steadfast against the crafty assaults of the devil.