A site on the Moab plains. The Israelites camped there after defeating Sihon and Og (Numbers 21:21–35) and before crossing the Jordan (Numbers 25:1). According to Numbers 33:49, this camp was near the Jordan River. The campsite spread from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim. Abel-shittim seems to be the full name of the place, while Shittim is the more common, shorter name.
At Shittim, Balak, who ruled Moab, wanted to prevent the Israelites from entering Canaan. He paid Balaam to speak curses against them (Numbers 22–24). Later, following Balaam's advice, the Israelite men had sexual relations with women from Midian and Moab (Numbers 25:1–5; compare 31:15–16). The Israelites turned away from God to worship false gods through these sexual acts. This made God angry, and he sent a deadly disease among the people at Peor (Numbers 25:1–18; compare 1 Corinthians 10:6–8).
At Shittim, Moses and Eleazar counted all the people in each tribe. Here also, Joshua was chosen in front of everyone to be the next leader after Moses (Numbers 27:18–22). Joshua then sent two men from Shittim to secretly look at the city of Jericho (Joshua 2:1). After this, the Israelites left Shittim and went to the Jordan River, getting ready to cross it (Joshua 3:1).
The name Shittim appears in only two other places in the Bible outside of the first six books: the books of Joel and Micah. In Joel 3:18, the prophet talks about the "valley of Shittim," which is also called the "Valley of Acacias." This is not talking about a real place. Instead, it is a picture of how God will make dry, empty land good for growing plants when he brings his people back in the final days.
In Micah 6:5, God tells the people to remember their journey from Shittim to Gilgal. This refers to when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, and God's covenant promise to give them their own land. Micah then talks about the many ways God had helped his people.