Tarah(thara)
“Wandering; Delay”
Summary
Tarah was a wilderness encampment of the Israelites during their journey from Egypt to Canaan.
☩Location in the Journey
Tarah is listed among the stations of the Israelites in the desert during their wanderings after the Exodus. It was located between Tahath and Mithcah in the itinerary recorded in Numbers 33. The exact site has not been identified, but it was probably in the great Wady el-Jerafeh, opposite Mount Hor.
☩Name and Significance
The name Tarah means 'wandering' or 'delay,' which aptly describes the condition of Israel during their wilderness journeys. Some scholars have connected the name with the Tawarah Arabs who inhabit the region today. The station is simply listed without any recorded events, being one of many places where Israel briefly camped during their forty years in the wilderness.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Tarah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Tarah," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Tarah," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Tarah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).