BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY
How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.
GREEK · G2047
erēmia — desert
ἐρημία, -ας, ἡ (ἔρημος), [in LXX: Isa.60:20, Eze.35:4 (חָרַב, חׇרְבָּה), Eze.35:9 (שְׁמָמָה), Wis.17:17, Sir.47:17, Bar.4:33, 4Ma.18:8 * ;] a solitude, wilderness: Mat.15:33, Mrk.8:4, 2Co.11:26, Heb.11:38.† (AS)
4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5307
na.phal — to fall: fall
: fall/drop/fail 1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to fall 1a2) to fall (of violent death) 1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before 1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of 1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result 1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to 1a7) to lie, lie prostrate 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate 1b2) to overthrow 1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot 1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.) 1b5) to cause to fall 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon 1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself 1d) (Pilel) to fall
352 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5800
a.zav — to leave: forsake
1) to leave, loose, forsake 1a) (Qal) to leave 1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone 1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise 1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be left to 1b2) to be forsaken 1c) (Pual) to be deserted
199 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8074
sha.mem — be desolate: destroyed
: destroyed/deserted 1) to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled 1a2) to be appalled, be awestruck 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be desolated, be made desolate 1b2) to be appalled 1c) (Polel) 1c1) to be stunned 1c2) appalling, causing horror (participle) 1c2a) horror-causer, appaller (subst) 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to devastate, ravage, make desolated 1d2) to appal, show horror 1e) (Hophal) to lay desolate, be desolated 1f) (Hithpolel) 1f1) to cause to be desolate 1f2) to be appalled, be astounded 1f3) to cause oneself desolation, cause oneself ruin
59 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6160
a.ra.vah — Arabah
§ desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness
56 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4080
mid.yan — Midian
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.2; son of: Abraham (H0085) and Keturah (H6989); half-brother of: Ishmael (H3458) and Isaac (H3327); brother of: Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); father of: Ephah (H5891), Epher (H6081), Hanoch (H2585I), Abida (H0028) and Eldaah (H0420) § Midian or Midianite = "strife" 1) son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians 2) the tribe descended from Midian 3) the territory of the tribe descended from Midian; located principally in the desert north of the Arabian peninsula; land to which Moses went when he fled from Pharaoh
55 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →GREEK · G2048
erēmos — deserted
ἔρημος (in older Gk. ἔρῆμος), -ον [in LXX chiefly for מִדְבָּר ;] solitary, lonely, desolate, deserted: (a) of persons, γυνή, Gal.4:27 (LXX); (b) of places, Mat.14:13, 15 23:38 (WH, om.), Mrk.1:36 6:32, Luk.4:42 9:12, al.; as subst., ἡ ἔ. (sc. χώρα; as in Hdt., ii, 32, al.), the desert, Mat.3:1, 3, Mrk.1:3-4, Jhn.3:14, al.; pl., αἱ ἔ., desert places, Luk.1:80 5:16 8:29 (AS)
48 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5203
na.tash — to leave
1) to leave, permit, forsake, cast off or away, reject, suffer, join, spread out or abroad, be loosed, cease, abandon, quit, hang loose, cast down, make a raid, lie fallow, let fall, forgo, draw 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to leave, let alone, lie fallow, entrust to 1a2) to forsake, abandon 1a3) to permit 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be forsaken 1b2) to be loosened, be loose 1b3) to be let go, spread abroad 1c) (Pual) to be abandoned, be deserted
36 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2608
cha.nan.yah — Hananiah
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.28.1; son of: Azzur (H5809H) § Hananiah = "God has favoured" 1) the godly friend of Daniel whom Nebuchadnezzar renamed Shadrach; one of the three friends who with Daniel refused to make themselves unclean by eating food from the king's table which went against the dietary laws which God had given the Jews; also one of the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a graven image of Nebuchadnezzar and who were saved by the angel of the Lord. See also, 'Shadrach' (H07714 or H07715) 2) one of the 14 sons of Heman and chief of the 16th course 3) a general in the army of King Uzziah 4) father of Zedekiah in the time of Jehoiakim 5) son of Azur, a Benjamite of Gibeon and a false prophet in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah 6) grandfather of Irijah, the captain of the ward at the gate of Benjamin who arrested Jeremiah on the charge of deserting to the Chaldeans 7) a head of a Benjamite house 8) son of Zerubbabel from whom Christ derived His descent also called 'Joanna' by Luke 9) one of the sons of Bebai who returned with Ezra from Babylon 10) a priest, one of the makers of the sacred ointments and incense, who built a portion of the wall of Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah 11) head of the priestly course of Jeremiah in the days of Joiakim 12) ruler of the palace at Jerusalem under Nehemiah and also, along with Hanani, the Tirshatha's brother, entrusted with the arrangements of guarding the gates of Jerusalem 13) Two post exilic Israelites
28 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6539
pa.ras — Persia
§ Persia = "pure" or "splendid" the empire Persia; encompassed the territory from India on the east to Egypt and Thrace on the west, and included, besides portions of Europe and Africa, the whole of western Asia between the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian and the Jaxartes on the north, the Arabian desert, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the south Persia proper was bounded on the west by Susiana or Elam, on the north by Media, on the south by the Persian Gulf and on the east by Carmania Persian, of Persia "pure" or "splendid"
22 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2722
cho.rev — Horeb
Horeb = "desert" another name for Mount Sinai from which God gave the law to Moses and the Israelites Another name of si.nay (סִינַי "Sinai" H5514G)
17 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4074
ma.day — Madai
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.2; son of: Japheth (H3315); brother of: Gomer (H1586), Magog (H4031), Javan (H3120), Tubal (H8422), Meshech (H4902) and Tiras (H8494) § Media or Medes or Madai = "middle land" 1) a people descended from the son of Japheth and who inhabited the territory of Media 2) land inhabited by the descendants of Japheth; located northwest of Persia proper, south and southwest of the Caspian Sea, east of Armenia and Assyria, and west and northwest of the great salt desert of Iram
16 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6723
tsiy.yah — dryness
dryness, drought, desert
14 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3452
ye.shi.mon — Jeshimon
§ waste, wilderness, desert, desolate place
13 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →GREEK · G1459
egkataleipō — to leave behind
ἐγκαταλείπω, [in LXX chiefly for עזב ;] 1. to leave behind: ἡμῖν σπέρμα, Rom.9:29 (LXX). 2. to abandon, desert, forsake: with accusative of person(s), Mat.27:46 (LXX), Mrk.15:34 (ib.), Act.2:27 (LXX) (WH, ἐνκ-), 2Ti.4:10, 16 Heb.13:5" (LXX) ; τ. ἐπισυναγωγήν (cf. MM, Exp., xi), Heb.10:25. Pass., Act.2:31 (WH, ἐνκ-), 2Co.4:9. † (AS)
10 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6290
pa.ran — Paran
§ Paran = "place of caverns" wilderness area bounded on the north by Palestine, on the west by the wilderness of Etham, on the south by the desert of Sinai, and on the east by the valley of Arabah; the exodus was through this area and probably all 18 stops were in this area
10 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →GREEK · G620
apoleipō — to leave
ἀπο-λείπω [in LXX for H2308 יָתַר, etc. ;] 1. to leave, leave behind (in π. a term. techn. in wills; see MM, see word): 2Ti.4:13 4:20, Tit.1:5; pass., to be reserved, remain: Heb.4:6, 9 10:26. 2. to desert, abandon: Ju 6.† (AS)
9 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3103
yo.vav — Jobab
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.29; son of: Joktan (H3355); brother of: Almodad (H0486), Sheleph (H8026), Hazarmaveth (H2700), Jerah (H3392), Hadoram (H1913A), Uzal (H0187), Diklah (H1853), Obal (H5745), Abimael (H0039), Sheba (H7614H), Ophir (H0211) and Havilah (H2341I) § Jobab = "a desert" 1) the last in order of the sons of Joktan, a descendant of Shem 2) one of the kings of Edom 3) the king of Madon, located in northern Canaan, and one of the kings who opposed Joshua during the conquest and who were routed at Meron 4) head of a Benjamite house 5) another Benjamite
9 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4809
me.ri.vah — Meribah
§ Meribah = "strife" or "contention" 1) a fountain at Rephidim, in the desert of Sin; so called because the Israelites murmured against God 2) the name of the water supply at Kadesh on the southern border of the promised land; the people also murmured here against God
9 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6790
tsin — Zin
§ Zin = "flat" name given to a portion of the desert tract between the Dead Sea and Arabah on the east in which Kadesh-barnea was located
9 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5780
uts — Uz
A man of the Syrians living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.23; son of: Aram (H0758); brother of: Hul (H2343), Gether (H1666) and Mash (H4851) § Uz = "wooded" 1) son of Aram and grandson of Seth 2) son of Nahor by Milcah 3) an Edomite, son of Dishan and grandson of Seir 4) the country of Job; probably east and southeast of Palestine somewhere in the Arabian desert
8 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6540
pa.ras — Persia
Aramaic of pa.ras (פָּרַס "Persia" H6539) § Persia = "pure" or "splendid" the empire Persia; encompassed the territory from India on the east to Egypt and Thrace on the west, and included, besides portions of Europe and Africa, the whole of western Asia between the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian and the Jaxartes on the north, the Arabian desert, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the south 1a) Persia proper was bounded on the west by Susiana or Elam, on the north by Media, on the south by the Persian Gulf and on the east by Carmania Persian, of Persia "pure" or "splendid"
6 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6728
tsiy.yi — wild beast
1) a wild beast, desert-dweller, crier, yelper 1a) a specific wild beast but not certainly identified
6 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4076
ma.day — Mede
also called Mede frequently Aramaic of me.dan (מְדָן "Medan" H4091) § Medes = "middle land" 1) the territory inhabited by the Medes 2a) located northwest of Persia proper, south and southwest of the Caspian Sea, east of Armenia and Assyria, and west and northwest of the great salt desert of Iram
5 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →(1.) Heb. midbar, “pasture-ground;” an open tract for pasturage; a common (Joel 2:22). The “backside of the desert” (Ex. 3:1) is the west of the desert, the region behind a man, as the east is the region in front. The same Hebrew word is rendered “wildernes,” and is used of the country lying between Egypt and Palestine (Gen. 21:14, 21; Ex. 4:27; 19:2; Josh. 1:4), the wilderness of the wanderings. It was a grazing tract, where the flocks and herds of the Israelites found pasturage during the whole of their journey to the Promised Land. The same Hebrew word is used also to denote the wilderness of Arabia, which in winter and early spring supplies good pasturage to the flocks of the nomad tribes than roam over it (1 Kings 9:18). The wilderness of Judah is the mountainous region along the western shore of the Dead Sea, where David fed his father’s flocks (1 Sam. 17:28; 26:2). Thus in both of these instances the word denotes a country without settled inhabitants and without streams of water, but having good pasturage for cattle; a country of wandering tribes, as distinguished from that of a settled people (Isa. 35:1; 50:2; Jer. 4:11). Such, also, is the meaning of the word “wilderness” in Matt. 3:3; 15:33; Luke 15:4. (2.) The translation of the Hebrew Aribah’, “an arid tract” (Isa. 35:1, 6; 40:3; 41:19; 51:3, etc.). The name Arabah is specially applied to the deep valley of the Jordan (the Ghor of the Arabs), which extends from the lake of Tiberias to the Elanitic gulf. While midbar denotes properly a pastoral region, arabah denotes a wilderness. It is also translated “plains;” as “the plains of Jericho” (Josh. 5:10; 2 Kings 25:5), “the plains of Moab” (Num. 22:1; Deut. 34:1, 8), “the plains of the wilderness” (2 Sam. 17:16). (3.) In the Revised Version of Num. 21:20 the Hebrew word jeshimon is properly rendered “desert,” meaning the waste tracts on both shores of the Dead Sea. This word is also rendered “desert” in Ps. 78:40; 106:14; Isa. 43:19, 20. It denotes a greater extent of uncultivated country than the other words so rendered. It is especially applied to the desert of the peninsula of Arabia (Num. 21:20; 23:28), the most terrible of all the deserts with which the Israelites were acquainted. It is called “the desert” in Ex. 23:31; Deut. 11:24. (See JESHIMON.) (4.) A dry place; hence a desolation (Ps. 9:6), desolate (Lev. 26:34); the rendering of the Hebrew word horbah’. It is rendered “desert” only in Ps. 102:6, Isa. 48:21, and Ezek. 13:4, where it means the wilderness of Sinai. (5.) This word is the symbol of the Jewish church when they had forsaken God (Isa. 40:3). Nations destitute of the knowledge of God are called a “wilderness” (32:15, midbar). It is a symbol of temptation, solitude, and persecution (Isa. 27:10, midbar_; 33:9, _arabah).
Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.
