Jeremiah 48:6 — Word Study
WLCנֻ֖סוּ מַלְּט֣וּ נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
BSAFleenûwç [save your lives, escape] Runmâlaṭ for your livesnephesh [soul, living being] Becomehâyâh▸ like a juniperʻărôwʻêr [heath, scrawny tamarisk tree] in the desertmidbâr [wilderness, open field]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| נֻ֖סוּ | flee | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine plural |
| מַלְּט֣וּ | save | Verb, Piel, imperative second person masculine plural |
| נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם | life your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה | so they may be | Conjunction, verb qal third person feminine plural |
| כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר | like a juniper bush | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ | in the wilderness | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | ‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert. ’ |
| KJV | Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. |
| ASV | Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. |
| YLT | Flee ye, deliver yourselves, Ye are as a naked thing in a wilderness. |
| WEB | Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness. |
| BBE | Go in flight, get away with your lives, and let your faces be turned to Aroer in the Arabah. |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of the urgency of the commands — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around imperative commands, emphasizing the urgency and necessity of action.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנוּס
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Jeremiah 48:6
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Prophecy Against Moabgenerated
Jeremiah 48:6 is part of a prophecy against Moab, where the people are warned of destruction and urged to flee for their lives. The context reveals a sense of urgency and despair as the prophet describes the dire consequences of their situation. This passage highlights the need for immediate action to escape impending danger, much like the instructions given to Lot in Genesis 19:17.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 51:6 | Flee from Babylon! Escape with your lives! Do not be destroyed in her punishment. For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves. |
| 2 | Genesis 19:17 | As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!” |
| 3 | Psalm 11:1 | In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain! |
| 4 | Proverbs 6:4–5 | Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. |
| 5 | Matthew 24:16–18 | then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נֻ֖סוּ, Nu.sugenerated
The verb נוּס (nus) is an imperative form, commanding the people to flee or escape. It conveys a sense of urgency and the necessity of quick action in the face of danger. This word is commonly used in the Hebrew Bible to describe fleeing from threats, emphasizing the importance of survival.
In this context, the command to flee is not merely about physical escape but also about preserving life. The urgency is underscored by its grammatical form, as it directly addresses the people, calling them to act swiftly to save themselves.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which translates the command as Flee!
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb נֻ֖סוּ (flee) governs the entire verse, with two additional verbs מַלְּט֣וּ (save) and תִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה (may be) following it. This structure highlights the urgency of the commands given to the people.
The phrase כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר (like a juniper bush) serves as a simile, illustrating how the people should adapt to their harsh environment. The overall structure emphasizes the need for immediate action and resilience.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נֻ֖סוּ as φεύγετε (G5343), which also means 'to flee.' This choice maintains the urgency of the command in the Greek context, emphasizing the need for escape.
The translation of כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר as ὥσπερ (G5618) indicates a direct comparison to the juniper, reinforcing the metaphor of resilience in a barren landscape.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Jeremiah 48:6 contains a call for the people of Moab to flee and save their lives, comparing their need for survival to that of a juniper bush in the wilderness. This urgent message highlights the danger they face and the necessity of quick action.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The comparison suggests resilience and adaptability in a harsh environment, indicating that just as a juniper survives in the wilderness, the people must also find a way to endure.
The urgency reflects the imminent danger facing the people of Moab, emphasizing the need for immediate action to escape destruction.
In this context, 'soul' refers to the essence of life, highlighting the importance of preserving one's life amidst danger.
This verse connects to themes of deliverance and escape found throughout the Bible, such as the Israelites fleeing Egypt and Lot escaping Sodom.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to take urgent action to escape danger or harm?
- How can I cultivate resilience like the juniper bush in my own life?
- What does it mean for me to preserve my 'soul' in challenging circumstances?
- How can I help others who are in danger to find safety and escape?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 48:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleFlee, save your lives,.... These are either the words of the Moabites, their cry of destruction mentioned in the latter part of Jer 48:5; who, seeing nothing but ruin before their eyes, advise one
Read John Gill on Jeremiah 48 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryFlee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. Flee, save your lives. They exhort one another to flee. Be like the heath - or the juniper (see note, Jeremiah 17:6).
Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 48 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIt is of no great moment whether we understand these as the words of the Moabites, calling one to another to flee, and save their lives, though they lost all they had, and left themselves as bare as a naked tree; or as the words of the prophets speaking to the Moabites to the same sense.
Read Matthew Poole on Jeremiah 48 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJeremiah 48:6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.Ver. 6. Flee, save your lives.] Whatever else ye lose. And be like the heath in the wilderness.] Which is little worth. See Jeremiah 17:6. Sit there sad and solitary.
Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 48 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) Be like the heath in the wilderness.—Here, as in Jeremiah 17:6, the stunted solitary shrub in the desert is taken as the type of desolation. The LXX., which adopts the meaning in Jeremiah 17:6, here strangely enough gives “as a wild ass in the wilderness.” Psalms 11:1 gives us an example of a like comparison. Here probably there is, as before, a paronomasia on the name of the Moabite city Aroer, which closely resembles the Hebrew word for “heath.” In thus finding an ominous significance in the names of cities, Jeremiah follows in the wake of Micah 1.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Jeremiah 48 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 6. Flee, save your lives] The enemy is in full pursuit of you. Be like the heath] כערוער caaroer, "like Aroer;" which some take for a city, others for a blasted or withered tree. It is supposed that a place of this name lay towards the north, in the land of the Ammonites, on a branch of the river Jabbok; surrounded by deserts. Save yourselves by getting into the wilderness, where the pursuing foe will scarcely think it worth his while to follow you, as the wilderness itself must soon destroy you.
Read AdamClarke on Jeremiah 48 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. the heath] See on Jeremiah 17:6. The LXX read somewhat differently from MT., rendering wild ass (as shy and difficult to capture). This is probably right. Cp. Job 39:5.
Read Cambridge on Jeremiah 48 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleLike the heath - Or, Like a destitute man. See the marginal reference note.
Read Albert Barnes on Jeremiah 48 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert. ’
Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness.
‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert.’
They will hear, ‘Run! Save yourselves! Even if you must be like a lonely shrub in the desert!’
Tyndale line
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
Flee and saue your liues, and be like vnto the heath in the wildernesse.
Strictly literal
Flee, save your lives, and be like a shrub in the wilderness.
Flee ye, deliver yourselves, Ye are as a naked thing in a wilderness.
Flee, deliver yourselves, || You are as a naked thing in a wilderness.
Flee, save your life, and be ye like the solitary tree in the wilderness.
Flee! Save your lives and become like a juniper bush in the wilderness.
From the Latin
Flee, save your lives: and be as heath in the wilderness.
Simplified
Run away! Save yourselves! Be like a scrawny tamarisk tree in the desert!
Go in flight, get away with your lives, and let your faces be turned to Aroer in the Arabah.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads נֻ֖סוּ מַלְּט֣וּ נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃, while the Septuagint matches five of the six words, indicating a strong agreement in the message, although the word order and structure differ.
נֻ֖סוּ מַלְּט֣וּ נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Jeremiah 48:6
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
נוּס (nus) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flee or escape. It encompasses various nuances, including taking flight, disappearing, or driving hastily to safety. The word appears in different forms, such as Qal, Polel, Hithpolel, and Hiphil, indicating actions like fleeing, causing to disappear, or putting to flight. An Aramaic equivalent is noted as נוּד (nud).
נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape
Qal
flee
escape
take flight, depart, disappear
fly (to the attack) on horseback.
Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on
Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow
Hiph.
put to flight
drive hastily to a safe place
cause to disappear, hide
base
H5127 נוּס flee, escape
5127 nuwc noos
a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape;
causatively, chase, impel, deliver):--X abate, away, be
displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, X hide,
lift up a standard.
נוּס (nus) — to flee.
1) to flee, escape
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to flee
1a2) to escape
1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear
1a4) to fly (to the attack) on horseback
1b) (Polel) to drive at
1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to put to flight
1d2) to drive hastily
1d3) to cause to disappear, hide
Aramaic equivalent: nud (נוּד "to flee" H5111)
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine pluralHVqv2mp
fle.
See FLY.
מָלַט (malat) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to escape or slip away. It encompasses various nuances such as delivering, saving, and even giving birth in specific contexts. The entries indicate that it can refer to both physical escape and the act of laying eggs. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
[מָלַט] vb. slip away (not in Qal)
Niph.
slip away
escape
pass. be delivered
Pi.
lay (eggs)
let escape
deliver
Hiph.
give birth to a male child
deliver
Hithp.
slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)
escape
base
H4422 מָלַט slip away . . slip away
. escape
. pass. be delivered
. . lay (eggs)
. let escape
. deliver
. . give birth to a male child
. deliver
. . slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)
. escape
4422 malat maw-lat'
a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by
implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively,
to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit
sparks:--deliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone,
let go, preserve, save, X speedily, X surely.
מָלַט (ma.lat) — to escape.
1) to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered
1a)(Niphal)
1a1) to slip away
1a2) to escape
1a3) to be delivered
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to lay, let slip out (of eggs)
1b2) to let escape
1b3) to deliver, save (life)
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to give birth to
1c2) to deliver
1d) (Hithpael)
1d1) to slip forth, slip out, escape
1d2) to escape
V-Piel-Impv-2mp — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine pluralHVpv2mp
sav: In the sense "except," the word came into English through the French (sauf) and is fairly common (38 times, in addition to "saving," the King James Version Ec 5:11; Am 9:8; Mt 5:32; Lu 4:27; Re 2:17). It represents no particular Hebrew or Greek terms but is employed wherever it seems useful. It is still in good (slightly archaic) use, and the Revised Version (British and American) has few modifications (De 15:4 the King James Version; Ps 18:31, etc.), but the English Revised Version has dropped "saving" in
The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
The נפשׁ becomes a living being
The נפשׁ is specif.
The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
נ׳ in D
base
H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
. The נפשׁ becomes a living being
. The נפשׁ is specif.
. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
. נ׳ in D
5315 nephesh neh'-fesh
from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of
(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,
accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,
appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,
X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),
(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,
mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,
thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,
thing, (X she) will, X would have it.
see HEBREW for 05314
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
1g1) uncertain
1h) activity of the will
1h1) uncertain
1i) activity of the character
1i1) uncertain
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2mp
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-2fp — Conjunction · verb qal third person feminine pluralHC/Vqu3fp
עֲרוֹעֵר (arow'er) likely refers to a type of tree or bush, possibly a juniper or cypress. The word is built from a reduplicated form related to the concept of nudity or being stripped. Its meanings include both the physical plant and a sense of being destitute.
עֲרוֹעֵר n.[m.] prob. a tree or bush; juniper?
base
H6176 עֲרוֹעֵר prob. a tree or bush; juniper?
6176 `arow`er ar-o-ayr'
or sarear {ar-awr'}; from 6209 reduplicated; a juniper (from
its nudity of situation):--health.
see HEBREW for 06209
עֲרוֹעֵר (a.ro.er) — juniper.
1) naked, stripped, destitute
2) tree or bush
2a) probably juniper or cypress
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
(1) (ceneh, Ex 3:2-4; De 33:16; batos, Mr 12:26; Lu 6:44, "bramble bush"; 20:37; Ac 7:30,35. All the Old Testament references and the New Testament references, except Lu 6:44, are to the same "bush," namely, Moses' "burning bush"). From its etymology ceneh clearly denotes a "thorny" plant, as does the corresponding batos in the Septuagint and New Testament. In the Latin versions rubus, i.e. "bramble," is used as equivalent. Several varieties of bramble flourish in Palestine, of which the most common is Rubus discolor, but this is not an indigenous plant in Sinai. It…
Bush
In which Jehovah appeared to Moses in the wilderness (Ex. 3:2; Acts 7:30). It is difficult to say what particular kind of plant or bush is here meant. Probably it was the mimosa or acacia. The words “in the bush” in Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37, mean “in the passage or paragraph on the bush;” i.e., in Ex. 3.
The Hebrew word seneh occurs only in those passages which refer to Jehovah’s appearance to Moses "in the flame of fire in the bush." (Exodus 3:2,3,4; 33:16) It is quite impossible to say what kind of thorn bush is intended; but it was probably the acacia a small variety of the shittim tree found in the Sinai region.
מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.
[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3
ref
מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness
tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds
uninhabited land
large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities
fig.
base
H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness
4057 midbar mid-bawr'
from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open
field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;
also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,
wilderness.
see HEBREW for 01696
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.
1) mouth
1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.
1) wilderness
1a) pasture
1b) uninhabited land, wilderness
1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)
1d) wilderness (fig.)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).
This name means wilderness, uninhabited land
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
wil'-der-nes.
See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
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 (
See DESERT.
