KADESH OR KADESH-BARNEA
- Easton's
- Nave's
- Torrey's
| EASTON'S BIBLE DICTIONARY |
holy, or Kadesh-Barnea, sacred desert of wandering, a place on
the south-eastern border of Palestine, about 165 miles from Horeb. It lay in
the "wilderness" or "desert of Zin" (Genesis
14:7; Numbers
13:3-26; 14:29-33;
20:1;
27:14), on the border of Edom (20:16).
From this place, in compliance with the desire of the people, Moses sent forth
"twelve spies" to spy the land. After examining it in all its districts, the
spies brought back an evil report, Joshua and Caleb alone giving a good report
of the land (13:18-31).
Influenced by the discouraging report, the people abandoned all hope of
entering into the Promised Land. They remained a considerable time at Kadesh.
(See HORMAH; KORAH .) Because of their unbelief, they were condemned by God to
wander for thirty-eight years in the wilderness. They took their journey from
Kadesh into the deserts of Paran, "by way of the Red Sea" (Deuteronomy
2:1
). (One theory is that during these thirty-eight years they remained in and
about Kadesh.)
At the end of these years of wanderings, the tribes were a second time gathered
together at Kadesh. During their stay here at this time Miriam died and was
buried. Here the people murmured for want of water, as their forefathers had
done formerly at Rephidim; and Moses, irritated by their chidings, "with his
rod smote the rock twice," instead of "speaking to the rock before their eyes,"
as the Lord had commanded him (Compare
Numbers 27:14; Deuteronomy
9:23; Psalms
106:32,33). Because of this act of his, in which Aaron too was
involved, neither of them was to be permitted to set foot within the Promised
Land (Numbers 20:12,24).
The king of Edom would not permit them to pass on through his territory, and
therefore they commenced an eastward march, and "came unto Mount Hor" (20:22
).
This place has been identified with 'Ain el-Kadeis, about 12 miles
east-south-east of Beersheba. (See SPIES.)
| TORREY'S "THE NEW TOPICAL TEXTBOOK" (additional material included) |
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