BDB1830 [H4057]

1. tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds, דָּֽשְׁאוּ נְאוֺת מִדְבָּר the pastures of the wilderness put forth green grass Joel 2:22 ׳מ ׳יִרְעֲפוּ נ the pastures of the wilderness drop (fertility) Ps 65:13 ׳מ ׳יָָֽבְשׁוּ נ are dried up Jer 23:10, compare Jer 9:9; Joel 1:19; Joel 1:20.

2. uninhabited land, מִדְבָּר לֹאאָֿדָם בּוֺ wilderness in which is no man Job 38:26 the abode of pelicans Ps 102:7 wild asses Job 24:5; Jer 2:24 jackals Mal 1:3 ostriches Lam 4:3 מִייִֿתְּנֵנִי בַמִּדְבָּר מְלוֺן אֹרְחִים וְֶ˜אעֶזְבָה אֶתעַֿמִּי O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfarers, that I might leave my people Jer 9:1 טוֺב שֶׁבֶת בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious woman Prov 21:19 בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵל יְשִׁמֹן in a desert land, and in a waste howling wilderness Deut 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 Isa 42:11. There were six cities in the wilderness of Judah Josh 15:61; Josh 15:62 הַמִּדְבָּר usually = wilderness of the wanderings Gen 14:6; Num 14:16; Num 14:29; Num 14:32; Num 14:33 (twice in verse) +, or the great Arabian desert Judg 11:22 +; but may also refer to any other Song 3:6; Song 8:5. Special tracts — (a) of the wilderness of the wandering were שׁוּר ׳מ Exod 15:22, סיןExod 16:1 +, סיני Exod 19:1 +, פארן Num 13:26 +, צן Num 20:1 +, קדשׁ Ps 29:8, אתם Num 33:8 (b) in West Palestine יהודה ׳מ Judg 1:16; Ps 63:1 compare Josh 15:61, מעוֺן 1Sam 23:24; 1Sam 23:25, זיף 1Sam 23:15; 1Sam 26:2, באר שׁבע Gen 21:14, עין גדי 1Sam 24:2, תקוע 2Chr 20:20, ירואל 2Chr 20:16, גבעון 2Sam 2:24 (c) in Eastern Palestine מואב Deut 2:8, אדום 2Kgs 3:8, קדמות Deut 2:26.

4. figurative וְשַׂמְתִּיהָ כַמִּדְבָּר וְשַׁתִּהָ כְּאֶרֶץ צִיָּה and (lest I) make her as a wilderness and set her like a dry land Hos 2:5 הֲמִדְבָּר הָיִיתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל have I been a wilderness to Israel ? Jer 2:31.