Kadesh

Kadesh - (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" (Gen. 14:7; Num. 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 [331]HORMAH; [332]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" (Deut. 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 (comp. Num. 27:14; Deut. 9:23; Ps. 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 (Num. 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 [333]SPIES.)

See KADESH-BARNEA.

ka'-desh-bar'-ne-a (qadhesh barnea`; Kades): Mentioned 10 times; called also "Kadesh" simply. The name perhaps means "the holy place of the desert of wandering." There are references to Kadesh in early history. At En-mishpat ("the same is Kadesh") Chedorlaomer and his allies smote the Amalekite and Amorite. Abraham dwelt near Kadesh, and it was at Beer-lahai-roi between Kadesh and Bered that the Angel of Yahweh appeared to Hagar (Ge 14:7; 16:14; 20:1). It was an important camp of the Israelites during their wanderings, and seems to have been their headquarters for 38 years (De 1:2; 2:14; Judith 5:14). There the returning spies found the camp (Nu 13:26); there Miriam died and was buried (Nu 20:1); from thence messengers were sent to the king of Edom (Nu 20:14; Jud 11:16). There the people rebelled because of the want of water, and Moses brought water from the rock (Nu 20:2); it was called therefore Meribath--or Meriboth-Kadesh (Nu 27:14; Eze 47:19; 48:28). It was situated in the wilderness of Zin (Nu 20:1; 33:36,37) in the hill country of the Amorites (De 1:19), 11 days' journey from Horeb, by the way of Mt. Seir (De 1:2), "in the uttermost" of the border of Edom (Nu 20:16), and on the southern border, probably the Southeast corner, of Judah (Eze 47:19; compare Judith 19). See Cobern, Homiletic Review, April and May, 1914.

S. F. Hunter

Definition

The names Kadesh, Kadesh Barnea, and Meribah Kadesh all refer to an important city in Israel’s history which was located in the southern part of Israel, near the region of Edom.

• The city of Kadesh was an oasis, a place where there was water and fertile soil in the middle of a desert named Zin.
• Moses sent twelve spies into the land of Canaan from Kadesh Barnea.
• Israel also encamped at Kadesh during the wandering in the wilderness.
• Kadesh Barnea was where Miriam died.
• It was at Meribah Kadesh where Moses disobeyed God and hit a rock to get water for the Israelites, instead of speaking to it as God had told him to do.
• The name “kadesh” comes from the Hebrew word meaning “holy” or “set apart.”

(Translation suggestions: How to Translate Names)

(See also: desert, Edom, holy)

Bible References

• Ezekiel 48:28
• Genesis 14:7-9
• Genesis 16:14
• Genesis 20:1-3
• Joshua 10:40-41
• Numbers 20:1

Word Data

• Strong’s: H4809, H6946, H6947