ἐρῆμος G2048
Wilderness, desert; desolate or uninhabited place; forsaken, left desolate (prophetic)
In the Gospels and Acts, eremos most often functions as a noun meaning 'the wilderness' -- that stark geographic region where Israel wandered, John the Baptist preached, and Jesus faced temptation (Matt 3:1; 4:1). As an adjective it describes remote, lonely places where Jesus withdrew to pray or where crowds gathered far from towns (Mark 1:35; 6:31). A third, prophetically charged use appears when Jesus declares 'your house is left desolate' (Matt 23:38), and Paul quotes Isaiah on the 'desolate' barren woman who will rejoice (Gal 4:27). Spanish distinguishes desierto (geographic) from desolada (prophetic abandonment).
Senses
1. wilderness (noun, geographic place) — The substantival use where eremos stands alone as a proper geographic designation: 'the wilderness.' This is the desert of Israel's forty years, the Jordan wilderness of John's baptism (Matt 3:1-3), and the place of Jesus' testing (Matt 4:1). With 36 occurrences it dominates New Testament usage. All major translation traditions render it with a single dedicated noun -- desierto, desert, Wueste. 36×
AR["البَرِّيَّةِ", "الْبَرِّيَّةِ", "بَرِّيَّةِ"]·ben["প্রান্তরে", "মরুভূমি।", "মরুভূমিতে", "মরুভূমিতে,", "মরুভূমির"]·DE["Wueste", "Wüste"]·EN["wilderness"]·FR["désert"]·heb["הַמִּדְבָּר", "מִדְבַּר", "מִדְבָּר"]·HI["के", "जंगल", "जंगल,", "जंगल-में", "निरजन-मेइन"]·ID["itu", "padang-gurun", "padang-gurun,", "padang-gurun."]·IT["deserto"]·jav["ara-ara-samun", "ara-ara-samun,", "ara-ara-samun.", "pasamunan"]·KO["광야", "광야-로", "광야-에", "광야-에서", "광야에", "광야에서", "광야의"]·PT["deserto", "deserto,", "deserto.", "deserto:"]·RU["пустыне", "пустыне.", "пустыни", "пустыню"]·ES["desierto"]·SW["jangwa", "jangwa,", "jangwa.", "jangwani", "msitoke"]·TR["çölde", "çölde,", "çöle", "çöle.", "çölün", "çölünde"]·urd["بیابان", "بیابان-کے", "بیابان،", "بیابان۔", "سرکنڈا"]
2. desolate / deserted place — The adjectival sense describing a place as deserted, remote, or uninhabited. Jesus 'withdrew to a desolate place' (Matt 14:13); the disciples note 'this is a deserted place' (Mark 6:31). The focus is not geographic identity but the quality of emptiness and solitude. French and German use the same word (desert/Wueste), but context and syntax distinguish this from the noun usage. 9×
AR["أَمَاكِنَ", "قَفْرٌ", "قَفْرٍ", "مَوضِعٍ", "مَوْضِعٍ"]·ben["নির্জন"]·DE["Wueste", "Wüste"]·EN["Desolate", "a-deserted", "a-desolate", "desolate"]·FR["désert"]·heb["מִדְבָּר", "מִדְבָּרִי", "שְׁמֵמִים", "שָׁמֵם"]·HI["उजाड़", "जगह", "निरजन", "निर्जन", "बाहर", "में", "सुनसान"]·ID["Sepi", "Sunyi", "sepi", "sunyi", "tempat-sunyi"]·IT["deserto"]·jav["Sepi", "Suwung", "ara-ara-samun", "panggenan-sepi", "sepi", "suwung"]·KO["광야-한", "광야의", "빈", "황량하다", "황량한"]·PT["Deserto", "deserto", "desertos"]·RU["Пустынно", "Пустынное", "пустынное", "пустынном", "пустынных"]·ES["Desierto", "desierto", "desiertos"]·SW["Jangwa", "Ukiwa", "jangwa", "mahali", "mahali-pa-ukiwa", "ukiwa"]·TR["Issız", "çöl", "ıssız"]·urd["ویران"]
3. desolate / forsaken (prophetic, metaphorical) — A metaphorical and prophetic sense of abandonment or desolation. Jesus' pronouncement over Jerusalem -- 'your house is left to you desolate' (Matt 23:38) -- evokes judgment. Paul cites Isaiah's promise that 'the desolate woman has more children' (Gal 4:27), and Peter applies Psalm 69 to Judas' forsaken habitation (Acts 1:20). Spanish desolada and desierta mark this emotional-prophetic register distinctly. 3×
AR["المَهجورَةِ", "خَرابًا", "خَرَابًا"]·ben["জনশূন্য", "ধ্বংস", "নির্জনের"]·DE["Wueste", "Wüste"]·EN["desolate"]·FR["désert"]·heb["הָ-שְׁמָמָה", "שְׁמָמָה", "שָׁמֵם"]·HI["उजाड़", "न-हो", "सुन्नसन"]·ID["sunyi", "sunyi,", "yang-ditinggalkan"]·IT["deserto"]·jav["ingkang-kesepèn", "suwung", "suwung,"]·KO["버려진-자의", "황폐한", "황폐한-것-으로"]·PT["deserta"]·RU["одинокой", "пустым", "пустым,"]·ES["desierta", "desolada", "‹desolada›"]·SW["Ninawaambia", "aliyeachwa", "tupu"]·TR["issiz", "terk-edilmişin", "ıssız"]·urd["ویران", "چھوڑی-ہوئی-کے"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
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…