Wilderness
“Midbar, from dabar 'to drive cattle,' indicating a pasturing ground rather than barren waste”
Summary
The biblical wilderness (Hebrew midbar) refers not to sandy desert but to uninhabited pastureland where nomadic peoples grazed their flocks, serving as the setting for Israel's formative years and Jesus' temptation.
☩Nature of the Biblical Wilderness
The Hebrew midbar does not convey the idea of sandy desert or complete desolation. The word derives from a root meaning 'to pasture,' indicating feeding-ground for cattle. These regions lacked regular cultivation and permanent inhabitants but were used for grazing flocks. Towers were sometimes erected in them for protection, and in spots they were occasionally cultivated. The wilderness was the territory of nomadic peoples living between settled agricultural districts and truly uninhabitable regions.
☩Specific Wildernesses
Scripture mentions numerous specific wildernesses. The Wilderness of Judah was a rocky region in eastern Judah extending to the Dead Sea, including the wildernesses of Engedi, Maon, Ziph, and Tekoa. Here David hid from Saul and later Judas Maccabaeus found refuge. The wilderness of Beersheba lay south toward the Et-Tih desert. The Wilderness of Jericho extended between that city and Bethany, containing the rough terrain of Jesus' temptation. The great wildernesses of Sinai, Paran, and Shur were traversed during Israel's wanderings.
☩Spiritual Significance
The wilderness served as a place of testing where Israel learned dependence upon God. Moses reminded them that God led them through the wilderness to humble them and prove what was in their hearts. John the Baptist spent his youth in the wilderness before beginning his ministry there, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of a voice crying in the wilderness. Jesus Himself was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, recapitulating Israel's testing but emerging victorious. The wilderness typifies the believer's testing ground between salvation and glory.
Related Verses293 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Wilderness," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "Wilderness," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 3.George Morrish, "Wilderness," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).