Vengeance and Retribution

II. מִדְבָּר270 n.m. wilderness—Dt 32:10 +; c. ה loc. מִדְבָּ֫רָה Jos 18:12 + 15 times; cstr. Ex 15:22 +; מִדְבַּ֫רָה 1 K 19:15; sf. מִדְבָּרָהּ Is 51:3;— 1. tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds, דָּֽשְׁאוּ נְאוֹת מִדְבָּר the pastures of the wilderness put forth green grass Jo 2:22; יִרְעֲפוּ נ׳ מ׳ the pastures of the wilderness drop (fertility) ψ 65:13; יָֽבְשׁוּ נ׳ מ׳ are dried up Je 23:10, cf. Je 9:9 Jo 1:19, 20. 2. uninhabited land, מִדְבָּר לֹא־אָדָם בּוֹ wilderness in which is no man Jb 38:26; the abode of pelicans ψ 102:7; wild asses Jb 24:5 Je 2:24; jackals Mal 1:3; ostriches Lam 4:3; מִי־יִתְּנֵנִי בַמִּדְבָּר מְלוֹן אֹרְחִים וְאֶֽעֶזְבָה אֶת־עַמִּי O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfarers, that I might leave my people Je 9:1; טוֹב שֶׁבֶת בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious woman Pr 21:19; בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵל יְשִׁמֹן in a desert land, and in a waste howling wilderness Dt 32:10. 3. large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities: יִשְׂאוּ מִדְבָּר וְעָרָיו חֲצֵרִים תֵּשֵׁב קֵדָר let the wilderness and its cities lift up (their voice), the villages that Kedar doth inhabit Is 42:11. There were six cities in the wilderness of Judah Jos 15:61, 62; הַמִּדְבָּר usually = wilderness of the wanderings Gn 14:6 Nu 14:16, 29, 32, 33(×2) +, or the great Arabian desert Ju 11:22 +; but may also refer to any other Ct 3:6; 8:5. Special tracts—(a) of the wilderness of the wanderings were מ׳ שׁוּר Ex 15:22, סין Ex 16:1 +, סיני Ex 19:1 +, פארן Nu 13:26 +, צן Nu 20:1 +, קדשׁ ψ 29:8, אתם Nu 33:8; (b) in W. Pal. מ׳ יהודה Ju 1:16 ψ 63:1 cf. Jos 15:61, מעוֹן 1 S 23:24, 25, זיף 1 S 23:15; 26:2, באר שׁבע Gn 21:14, עין גדי 1 S 24:2, תקוע 2 Ch 20:20, ירואל 2 Ch 20:16, גבעון 2 S 2:24; (c) in East. Palestine מואב Dt 2:8, אדום 2 K 3:8, קדמות Dt 2:26. 4. fig. וְשַׂמְתִּיהָ כַמִּדְבָּר וְשַׁתִּהָ כְּאֶרֶץ צִיָּה and (lest I) make her as a wilderness and set her like a dry land Ho 2:5; הֲמִדְבָּר הָיִיתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל have I been a wilderness to Israel? Je 2:31.

† I. עֲרָבָה61 n.f. desert-plain, steppe; abs. ע׳ 2 S 4:7 +, sf. עַרְבָתָהּ Is 51:3; pl. עֲרָבוֹת Je 5:6 ψ 68:5, cstr. עַרְבוֹ�� 2 K 25:5 +, עַרְבֹת Je 52:8;— 1. earliest use: a. arid steppe W. of Dead Sea (in S. Judah) 1 S 23:24, also Ez 47:8; Is 51:3, whence name יָם הָע׳ Jos 3:16 (JE ‖ יָם הַמֶּלַח), also 2 K 14:25; Dt 4:49, and (‖ id.) 3:17 Jos 12:3 (D); נַחַל הָעֲרָבָה Am 6:14 must be E. of Dead Sea, si vera l., but read prob. נ׳ מִצְרַיִם v. נַ֫חַל" dir="rtl" >נַחַל. b. Jordan-valley W. of river + adjacent plain; near ford (opp. Jericho) 2 S 2:29, cf. Jos 8:14 (JE); also Dt 11:30; 2 K 25:4 = Je 39:4 = 52:7;—2 S 15:28; 17:16 v. עֲבָרָה" dir="rtl" >עֲבָרָה. c. Jordan-valley E. of river 2 S 4:7. 2. in D: a. especially of E. Jordan plain Dt 1:1 (prob.) Jos 12:1, 3, E. half of Jordan-valley Dt 3:17; 4:49; of entire Jordan-valley (between כִּנֶּרֶת and Dead Sea, mod. El-Ghôr, the Depression) Dt 1:7; Jos 11:2, 16; W. Jordan plain only Jos 12:8; depression S. of Dead Sea (mod. Wady el-ʿArabah) Dt 2:8. 3. in P always pl. cstr. עַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב (E. Jordan) Nu 22:1 + 11 times (v. מוֹאָב); ע׳ יְרֵחוֹ (W. Jordan) Jos 4:13; 5:10, also 2 K 25:5 = Je 39:5 = 52:8. 4. appar. N. Arabian desert Is 40:3; 41:19. 5. in gen. the steppe (often ‖ מִדְבָּר), Je 17:6; 50:12 Is 33:9; 35:1, 6; Jb 24:5; 39:6 ψ 68:5; זְאֵב עֲרָבוֹת Je 5:6 (fig. of invader); cf. description of Exodus אֶרֶץ עֲרָבָה וְשׁוּחָה Je 2:6; in sim., of a plain, of future land of Judah Zc 14:10.—Vid. Dr Dt 1:1 and reff. BuhlGeogr. 111.

ἐρῆμος, ον, feminine ἐρήμη Refs 8th c.BC+: Attic dialect ἔρημος, ον, accusative to Hdn.Gr.Refs: comparative -ότερος Refs 5th c.BC+: superlative -ότατοςRefs 5th c.BC+:—desolate, lonely, solitary, __1 of places, ἐς νῆσον ἐρήμην Refs 8th c.BC+; τὰ ἐ. τῆς Λιβύης the desert parts.., Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ ἐρῆμος (i.e. χώρα) Refs 5th c.BC+; empty, πνύξ Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 of personsor animals, τὰ δ᾽ ἐρῆμα φοβεῖται (i.e. the sheep), Refs 8th c.BC+; frequently of poor, friendless persons, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐρημότεροι, opposed to δυνατώτεροι, Refs 5th c.BC+solitary, not gregarious, Refs 1st c.AD+ adverb, ἔρημα κλαίω I weep in solitude, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἔρημον ἐμβλέπειν to look vacantly, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 of conditions, πλάνος Refs 5th c.BC+ __II with genitive, reft of, void or destitute of, [χώρη] ἐ. πάντων Refs 5th c.BC+; τῇ ἦν ἐρημότατον τῶν πολεμίων (i.e. τὸ τεῖχος) Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 of persons, bereft of, συμμάχων Refs 5th c.BC+; so ἔ. οἶκος a house without heirs, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II.3 with no bad sense, wanting, without, ἐσθὴς ἐρῆμος ὅπλων Refs 5th c.BC+; free from, ἀνδρῶν κακῶν ἔρημος πόλις Refs 5th c.BC+ __III ἐρήμη, rarely ἔρημος (with or more commonly without γραφή, δίκη, δίαιτα), ἡ, an undefended action, in which one party does not appear, and judgement goes against him by default, ἤλπιζε.. τὴν γραφὴν..ἐρήμην ἔσεσθαι would be undefended, Refs 5th c.BC+; δίκην εἷλον ἐρήμην I got judgement by default, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὴν ἔρημον δεδωκότα having given it by default in one's favour, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἔρημον ὦφλε δίκην he let it go by default, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐρήμην κατηγορεῖν to accuse in a case where there was no defence, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐρήμην or ἐξ ἐρήμης κρατεῖν, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __III.2 unclaimed, vacant, Refs 4th c.BC+ __III.3 for ἐρήμας τρυγᾶν see entry τρυγάω.

† יְשִׁימוֹן n.m. waste, wilderness;—abs. יְשִׁימוֹן 1 S 23:19 + 5 times; יְשִׁימֹן Nu 21:20 + 3 times; יְשִׁמוֹן Is 43:19; יְשִׁמֹן Dt 32:10; cstr. יְשִׁימוֹן ψ 107:4;—waste, wilderness: a. c. art., alm. n.pr. Nu 21:20 (commanded by Pisgah), 23:28 (by Peʿor; both JE), frequented by David as an outlaw 1 S 23:19, 24; 26:1, 3. Probably some part of the wilderness of Judah, bordering on Dead Sea (ConderTent Work, ch. 15; BuhlGeogr. § 61); according to others, at least in Nu. (v. Di), part of the ʿArábah NE. of the Dead Sea (in which was בֵּית הַיְשִׁימֹת Nu 33:49 al.) b. without art., a waste or wilderness (only poet.), of scene of Israel’s wanderings (after the Exodus), בְּתֹהוּ יְלֵל יְשׁ׳ Dt 32:10 (‖ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר), ψ 68:8; 78:40; 106:14; with ref. to returning exiles Is 43:19, 20; בִּי׳דֶּרֶךְ ψ 107:4 in the waste (desert) a way (cf. 𝔊 𝔖).

† II. [צִי] n.m. Je 50:39 a wild beast, proposes either desert-dweller (denom. from צִיָּה, so most), or crier, yelper (√* צוה = ضوى [yelp, Dozy], BaNB 188, cf. Ew§ 146 g, note);—in any case a specif. animal, but not certainly identif.; BoHieroz. i, lib. 3, § 14, cp. Arabic ضَيْوَنٌ wild cat;—pl. צִיִּים Is 13:21 (f. אִיִּים v 22), 23:13; 34:14 (+ אִיִּים), Je 50:39 (id.; all betokening desolation); לְעַם לְצ׳ ψ 74:14 (read לְעַם צ׳ Hup-Now Bae); appar. of people 72:9, but prob. corrupt, Ol conj. צָרִים (‖ אֹיְבָיו), and so most moderns.

ἐρημ-ία, ἡ, __I of places, a solitude, desert, wilderness, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἕρπει εἰς τὰς ἐρημίας to solitary places, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II as a state or condition, solitude, loneliness, ἐρημίαν ἄγειν, to keep alone, Refs 5th c.BC+; of persons, isolation, destitution, Refs 5th c.BC+; δι᾽ ἐρημίαν from being left alone, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.b of places, desolation, ἐρημίᾳ δοῦναί τι Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐρημία..πόλιν ὅταν λάβῃRefs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 with genitive, want of, absence, φίλων Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀρσένων, βροτῶν, ἀνδρῶν, Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.; δι᾽ ἐρημίας πολεμίων πορευόμενος without finding any enemy, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὴν ἐ. τῶν κωλυσόντων ὁρῶν seeing that there would be none to hinder him, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐ. σώματος, ={κενόν}, Refs 4th c.BC+; even ἐ. κακῶν freedom from evil, Refs 5th c.BC+