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ἔρημος

érēmos

G2048 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Root ἐρημ- uninhabited, deserted, solitary

Definition

Primarily, ἔρημος means 'uninhabited' or 'deserted'—referring to a place that is void of permanent human settlement. In various contexts, it denotes (1) a wilderness or desert—an expanse of land lacking cultivation and habitation, (2) a deserted or unpopulated area, (3) by extension, any place considered isolated, solitary, or remote. The term can function both adjectivally ('desolate, uninhabited, abandoned') and substantivally ('wilderness, desert, remote region'). The semantic domain includes not only physical environments but conditions marked by absence or abandonment.

Semantic Range

desert, wilderness, uninhabited area, solitary/remote place, desolate region, abandoned (place or city), place for solitude

Root / Etymology

From the root ἐρῆμος (solitary, deserted), likely tied to ἐρῆμος in classical Greek; possibly related to the verb ἐρῶ (to speak), in the sense of being 'left without speech or company,' but such a derivation is uncertain. Usage traces back to Homer and classical literature as well as later Hellenistic and Koine contexts.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἔρημος is used to describe any place lacking inhabitants, such as deserted cities or rural wastelands. In the Septuagint (LXX), it frequently translates the Hebrew מִדְבָּר (midbar), denoting the semi-arid steppe or wilderness areas especially east and south of the settled land. In the New Testament, ἔρημος most often refers to geographic regions outside settled areas (e.g., places where John the Baptizer or Yeshua retreat for solitude, reflecting both the literal 'wilderness' and a space for spiritual withdrawal). English versions commonly render ἔρημος as 'wilderness,' 'desert,' or rarely as 'solitary place.' This, however, can narrow the sense, since in Greek the term does not strictly imply sand-deserts (like the Egyptian or Arabian deserts) but any uninhabited, undeveloped land. While 'desolate' can be an appropriate translation in some contexts, elsewhere (especially in LXX and New Testament narratives) the term carries neutral or positive connotations—places for encounter with the divine, or removal from societal demands. Unlike later usage, ἔρημος does not inherently indicate barrenness but rather the absence of settled human presence or activity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain affinity; lonesome, i.e. (by implication) waste (usually as a noun, χώρα being implied):--desert, desolate, solitary, wilderness.

Root Family

ἔρημος (erēmos) — uninhabited, deserted, solitary

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G2263 ἤρεμος uninhabited region

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G2048-01 ἐρήμῳ eremo ADJ.S DAT F SG wilderness in an uninhabited place 24
G2048-03 ἔρημον eremon ADJ.S ACC F SG wilderness a deserted region 13
G2048-04 ἔρημός eremos ADJ.P NOM M SG desert uninhabited 5
G2048-02 ἐρήμοις eremois ADJ.A DAT M PL desert in uninhabited places 3
G2048-05 ἐρήμου eremou ADJ.S GEN F SG desolate of the uninhabited region 2
G2048-06 ἐρήμους eremous ADJ.S ACC F PL desert places uninhabited regions 1

Occurrences in Scripture

48 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G2048-01 Matthew 3:1 ἐρήμῳ eremo ADJ.S DAT F SG wilderness in an uninhabited place
G2048-01 Matthew 3:3 ἐρήμῳ eremo ADJ.S DAT F SG wilderness in an uninhabited place
G2048-03 Matthew 4:1 ἔρημον eremon ADJ.S ACC F SG a deserted region
G2048-03 Matthew 11:7 ἔρημον eremon ADJ.S ACC F SG a deserted region
G2048-03 Matthew 14:13 ἔρημον eremon ADJ.A ACC M SG a deserted region
G2048-04 Matthew 14:15 ἔρημός eremos ADJ.P NOM M SG uninhabited
G2048-04 Matthew 23:38 ἔρημος eremos ADJ.S NOM M SG uninhabited
G2048-01 Matthew 24:26 ἐρήμῳ eremo ADJ.S DAT F SG in an uninhabited place
G2048-01 Mark 1:3 ἐρήμῳ eremo ADJ.S DAT F SG wilderness in an uninhabited place
G2048-01 Mark 1:4 ἐρήμῳ eremo ADJ.S DAT F SG wilderness in an uninhabited place
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