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. (2.) Jeshimon, a desert waste (Deut. 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 Deut. 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” (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.

WIL'DERNESS, Ex 14:8, and DESERT. These words do not necessarily imply a mere waste, but rather extensive tracts not under cultivation and affording rich and abundant pasturage. Josh 15:61; Isa 42:11. The principal tracts of this description were the wilderness of Jericho, those of Judah, En-gedi, Ziph-maon, Beer-sheba, Tekoa, Gibeon, and Bethaven. See these under their respective heads.

WILDERNESS, THE, OF THE WANDERING, usually spoken of as THE WIL'DERNESS, the region in which the Israelites spent forty years, between Egypt and Canaan. It is called sometimes the "great and terrible wilderness" by way of eminence. Deut 1:1; Zech 8:2; Josh 5:6; Neh 9:19, 2 Chr 11:21; Ps 78:40, 2 Kgs 5:52; Ps 107:4; Jer 2:2. In general, it may be identified with the great peninsula of Sinai, the triangular region between the Gulf of Akabah, Seir, and Edom on the east, and the Gulf of Suez and Egypt on the west. See Sinai. In this region there are several smaller wildernesses, as Etham, Paran, Shir, Zin, which see. What is known distinctively as the "wilderness of the Wandering," Badiet et-Tih, is the great central limestone plateau between the granite region of Sinai on the south, the sandy desert on the north, and the valley of the Arabah on the east. The explorations of travellers and the British Ordnance Survey have made this region quite well known. The route of the Israelites from Egypt to Kadesh can be traced with reasonable accuracy. Instead of entering the Promised Land immediately from Kadesh, they were driven back into the wilderness for their disobedience, and there wandered for forty years. It need not be supposed that they were continually on the move or that they were unable to find their way. They probably lived a nomad life, as do the Bedouin Arabs of the present day, moving from place to place and pitching their tents wherever they could find pasture for their flocks. Some of the stations named cannot be identified, though the line of march may be traced until they left the wilderness and advanced toward the Promised Land by Mount Seir and Edom. See Map at end of book. It is said of those composing the British Survey: "Not a single member of the expedition returned home without feeling more firmly convinced than ever of the truth of that sacred history which he found illustrated and confirmed by the natural features of the desert. The mountains and valleys, the very rocks, barren and sun-scorched as they now are, only seem to furnish evidence which none who behold them can gainsay that this was that 'great and terrible wilderness' through which Moses, under God's direction, led his people." - Recovery of Jerusalem, p. 429. (See also Palmer's Desert of the Exodus.) See Sinai, Exodus, Judaea, Wilderness of.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. A tract of land, or a region, uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings, whether a forest or a wide, barren plain; a wild; a waste; a desert; a pathless waste of any kind. The wat'ry wilderness yields no supply. Waller.

2. A disorderly or neglected place. Cowper.

3. Quality or state of being wild; wildness. [Obs.] These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands. Will keep from wilderness with ease. Milton.