מִדְבָּר
𐤌𐤃𐤁𐤓
midbâr
H4057 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An uninhabited or sparsely inhabited region characterized by open space, wildness, and a lack of settled agriculture; most commonly, a steppe, wilderness, or desert, understood in the context of the ancient southern Levant not primarily as barren sand, but as pastureland suitable for seasonal grazing. In some contexts, 'midbâr' may refer more broadly to any non-cultivated open country or wild territory. Rarely, it occurs in the sense of a place of retreat or isolation.
Semantic Range
open country, steppe, grazing pasture, wilderness, desert, uninhabited area, place of isolation, region outside settled land
Root / Etymology
From the root דבר (DBR), 'to speak' or perhaps more fundamentally 'to arrange' or 'lead.' The noun מִדְבָּר is derived with the prefix מ- (indicating location or means) attached to the root. While traditional lexicography associates the form with the verb 'to drive' or 'to lead,' the precise etymological connection between 'speech' and 'wilderness' is debated. Most likely, the root sense is 'arrange, lead,' with the derived noun referring to a place where herds are 'led' or 'driven.' Thus, מִדְבָּר most directly means 'place led into' or 'grazing land.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Throughout the Hebrew Bible, מִדְבָּר is used to describe the arid steppe and open country that formed the backdrop for much of ancient Israelite nomadic life. It is distinct from other Hebrew terms for 'desert' or 'waste' (e.g., שְׁמָמָה, צִיָּה), as מִדְבָּר often retained positive or neutral associations as pastureland, essential for grazing flocks. While it could denote dangerous, uninhabitable places, it was not synonymous with absolute barrenness. The association with 'speech' (דָבַר / דִבֵּר) in Strong's gloss is a confusion based on root homonymy; מִדְבָּר does not mean 'speech' in standard biblical usage. In the wilderness narratives (Exodus, Numbers), it was the primary setting for key moments in Israelite memory and identity; in prophetic texts, it can symbolize desolation or a place of encounter with the deity. In later periods (Second Temple, Hellenistic), the meaning shifts towards a more pronounced sense of isolation and harshness. English 'wilderness' or even 'desert' do not always capture the nuanced role of מִדְבָּר as both a lived landscape and a literary-theological motif. Its use as a toponym, especially for areas south of the settled land (e.g., 'wilderness of Judah'), further indicates its significance in the cultural geography of ancient Israel.
Translation Consistency
'Wilderness' is the most common and natural English rendering in the SILEX data and in standard Bible translations. It covers the primary sense of midbâr as open, uninhabited or sparsely inhabited country (steppe/pasture) and also fits occasional senses of isolation or retreat. Using 'wilderness' yields consistent, readable English across all forms while still allowing context to imply pastureland or desert where appropriate.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from דָבַר 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.
Bantu Hebrew
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chokwe | mufinda | forest, bush | |
| Kimbundu | mfinda | bush, uncultivated land | |
| Kongo | Mfinda | wilderness, forest, bush, uninhabited place | |
| Luba | difinda | bush area | |
| Mbala | mfinda | countryside | |
| Pende | mufinda | forest | |
| Suku | mfinda | bush | |
| Umbundu | omufinda | wilderness | |
| Yaka | mfinda | wilderness |
Root Family
דבר (d-b-r) — arrange, lead, drive, speak
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1682 | דְּבוֹרָה | bees |
| H1683 | דְּבּוֹרָה | Bee-woman |
| H1687 | דְּבִיר | in the innermost sanctuary |
| H1688 | דְּבִיר | Devir |
| H1696 | דָבַר | I will speak |
Word Forms
17 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4057-01 |
בַּ/מִּדְבָּ֑ר | bamidebar | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the wilderness | in the grazing steppe | in the wilderness | 105 |
H4057-10 |
מִדְבַּר | midebar | HNcmsc |
wilderness | grazing-land of | wilderness of | 45 |
H4057-03 |
הַ/מִּדְבָּֽר | hamidebar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the wilderness | the grazing steppe | the wilderness | 35 |
H4057-02 |
בְּ/מִדְבַּ֖ר | bemidebar | HR/Ncmsc |
in the wilderness | in grazing steppe | in the wilderness | 23 |
H4057-12 |
מִ/מִּדְבַּר | mimidebar | HR/Ncmsc |
from the wilderness | from grazing steppe of | from wilderness of | 13 |
H4057-04 |
הַ/מִּדְבָּ֑רָ/ה | hamidebarah | HTd/Ncmsa/Sd |
the wilderness | toward the open country | toward the wilderness | 12 |
H4057-16 |
בַ/מִּדְבָּר֙ | vamidebar | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the wilderness | in the grazing steppe | in the wilderness | 11 |
H4057-11 |
מִדְבַּ֖רָ/ה | midebarah | HNcmsc/Sd |
wilderness of | her grazing-wilderness | her grazing-wilderness | 6 |
H4057-08 |
לְ/מִדְבַּ֥ר | lemidebar | HR/Ncmsc |
for a wilderness | to grazing-land of | to wilderness of | 4 |
H4057-05 |
כַּ/מִּדְבָּ֖ר | kamidebar | HRd/Ncmsa |
like a wilderness | like the grazing steppe | like the wilderness | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
271 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4057-03 |
Genesis 14:6 | הַ/מִּדְבָּֽר | hamidebar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the wilderness | the grazing steppe | the wilderness |
H4057-01 |
Genesis 16:7 | בַּ/מִּדְבָּ֑ר | bamidebar | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the wilderness | in the grazing steppe | in the wilderness |
H4057-02 |
Genesis 21:14 | בְּ/מִדְבַּ֖ר | bemidebar | HR/Ncmsc |
in the wilderness | in grazing steppe | in the wilderness |
H4057-01 |
Genesis 21:20 | בַּ/מִּדְבָּ֔ר | bamidebar | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the wilderness | in the grazing steppe | in the wilderness |
H4057-02 |
Genesis 21:21 | בְּ/מִדְבַּ֣ר | bemidebar | HR/Ncmsc |
in the wilderness | in grazing steppe | in the wilderness |
H4057-01 |
Genesis 36:24 | בַּ/מִּדְבָּ֔ר | bamidebar | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the wilderness | in the grazing steppe | in the wilderness |
H4057-01 |
Genesis 37:22 | בַּ/מִּדְבָּ֔ר | bamidebar | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the wilderness | in the grazing steppe | in the wilderness |
H4057-03 |
Exodus 3:1 | הַ/מִּדְבָּ֔ר | hamidebar | HTd/Ncmsa |
the wilderness, | the grazing steppe | the wilderness |
H4057-01 |
Exodus 3:18 | בַּ/מִּדְבָּ֔ר | bamidebar | HRd/Ncmsa |
into the wilderness | in the grazing steppe | in the wilderness |
H4057-04 |
Exodus 4:27 | הַ/מִּדְבָּ֑רָ/ה | hamidebarah | HTd/Ncmsa/Sd |
into the wilderness | toward the open country | toward the wilderness |