Encyclopedia entry
Wilderness
Disambiguation
The source enumerates 5 distinct subjects under Wilderness. Jump to one below, or read in order.
Wilderness (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; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (Judg. 1:16), Ziph, Maon, En-gedi (1 Sam. 23:14, 24; 24:1), Jeruel and Tekoa (2 Chr. 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. 9), perhaps because it became the place of discipline to God’s people, as the wilderness of the Red Sea had been (comp. Ezek. 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. 57:20).” A Short Analysis of the O.T.
Wilderness (2)
#Jeshimon, a desert waste (Deut. 32:10; Ps. 68:7).
Wilderness (3)
#‘Arabah, the name given to the valley from the Dead Sea to the eastern branch of the Red Sea. In Deut. 1:1; 2:8, it is rendered “plain” (R.V., “Arabah”).
Wilderness (4)
#Tziyyah, a “dry place” (Ps. 78:17; 105:41).
Wilderness (5)
#Tohu, a “desolate” place, a place “waste” or “unoccupied” (Deut. 32:10; Job 12:24; comp. Gen. 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” (Matt. 3:1) is a wild, barren region, lying between the Dead Sea and the Hebron Mountains. It is the “Jeshimon” mentioned in 1 Sam. 23:19.
In the Bible
300
Verses where Wilderness is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 5:9
They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in the land of Gilead.
- 1 Chronicles 6:78
From the tribe of Reuben east of the Jordan opposite Jericho they were given Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah,
- 1 Chronicles 12:8
Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:
- 1 Chronicles 21:29
For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon,
- 1 Corinthians 10:5
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.
- 1 Kings 2:34
So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and killed him. He was buried at his own home in the wilderness.
+294 more verses naming Wilderness.
Scripture on Wilderness
179
See all 179 +−
- Psalms 78Numbers 21Deuteronomy 1Deuteronomy 2Acts 7Genesis 21Deuteronomy 321 Samuel 252 Chronicles 20Psalms 107Jeremiah 2Jeremiah 9Mark 1Exodus 13Exodus 14Leviticus 16Numbers 13Deuteronomy 8Joshua 5Joshua 8Judges 11Judges 20Psalms 106Joel 1Matthew 3Exodus 3Exodus 5Exodus 8Exodus 15Exodus 19Leviticus 7Numbers 1Numbers 3Numbers 9Numbers 10Numbers 20Numbers 26Numbers 27Numbers 32Deuteronomy 9Deuteronomy 11Joshua 15Judges 1Judges 81 Samuel 262 Samuel 152 Samuel 171 Kings 19Nehemiah 9Job 12Psalms 29Psalms 65Psalms 68Isaiah 16Isaiah 32Isaiah 35Isaiah 41Isaiah 42Isaiah 43Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 12Jeremiah 23Lamentations 4Hosea 2Hosea 13Joel 2Luke 3John 6Hebrews 3Revelation 12Genesis 1Genesis 14Genesis 16Genesis 36Genesis 37Exodus 4Exodus 7Exodus 17Exodus 18Numbers 12Numbers 15Numbers 16Numbers 24Numbers 34Deuteronomy 4Deuteronomy 29Joshua 1Joshua 12Joshua 14Joshua 16Joshua 18Joshua 20Joshua 241 Samuel 41 Samuel 131 Samuel 171 Samuel 242 Samuel 22 Samuel 161 Kings 21 Kings 92 Kings 31 Chronicles 51 Chronicles 61 Chronicles 121 Chronicles 212 Chronicles 12 Chronicles 82 Chronicles 24Job 1Job 24Job 30Job 38Job 39Psalms 55Psalms 72Psalms 74Psalms 95Psalms 102Psalms 136Proverbs 21Song of Solomon 3Song of Solomon 8Isaiah 14Isaiah 21Isaiah 22Isaiah 23Isaiah 27Isaiah 33Isaiah 40Isaiah 50Isaiah 51Isaiah 63Isaiah 64Jeremiah 3Jeremiah 13Jeremiah 17Jeremiah 22Jeremiah 31Jeremiah 48Jeremiah 50Jeremiah 51Lamentations 5Ezekiel 6Ezekiel 19Ezekiel 23Ezekiel 29Ezekiel 34Hosea 9Joel 3Amos 2Amos 5Amos 6Zephaniah 2Malachi 1Matthew 4Matthew 11Matthew 15Matthew 24Mark 8Luke 1Luke 4Luke 5Luke 7Luke 8Luke 15John 1John 3John 11Acts 13Acts 211 Corinthians 102 Corinthians 11Revelation 17
Wilderness references
27
More illustrations of Wilderness
1
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Voices on Wilderness
24
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.