Land that is wild and sparsely inhabited or unfit for permanent human settlement. Wilderness areas may be deserts, mountains, forests, or marshes.
What Is the Wilderness Like?
In the Near East, the wilderness is characteristically dry, desolate, and mostly rock and sand. It is rough, uneven, and crossed by dry riverbeds. The wilderness is not completely barren but provides seasonal pasture for flocks, depending on the rainfall.
Joel 2:22 declares that "the pastures of the wilderness are green." Psalm 65:12 states that the pastures of the wilderness drip with richness. But Jeremiah says that "the pastures of the wilderness are dried up" (Jeremiah 23:10; compare Joel 1:20). Job refers to the wilderness as a land where no human can live (Job 38:26). The wilderness is a place for various animals and birds, such as wild asses, jackals, vultures, and owls (Psalms 102:6; Jeremiah 2:24; Isaiah 13:22; 34:13–15).
Named Wilderness Areas in the Bible
Certain wilderness tracts are identified by name and are related to definite cities, persons, or events. For example, Hagar wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba (Genesis 21:14).
In the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites traveled or stopped in several named wilderness areas:
Shur (Exodus 15:22)
Sinai (19:1–2)
Zin (Numbers 13:21; 20:1)
Kadesh (Psalms 29:8)
Moab (Deuteronomy 2:8)
While fleeing from Saul, David hid in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph (1 Samuel 23:14–15). He also took refuge in the wilderness of Maon (verses 24–25), and in the wilderness of En-gedi (24:1).
Villages or towns are sometimes associated with a wilderness setting. Joshua 15:61–62 lists the names of six cities and their villages "in the wilderness." Isaiah proclaimed the future joy of the towns of the desert (Isaiah 42:11).
What Was the Spiritual Meaning of the Wilderness?
The wilderness is associated with both austerity and temptation. Elijah, by his way of life and his dress, is often thought of in connection with the wilderness. His successor, Elisha, needed to minister in the wilderness of Edom (2 Kings 3:4–27).
Isaiah prophesied about John the Baptist's message. John preached in the wilderness of Judea (Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1–3; Mark 1:2–4; Luke 3:1–6; John 1:23). Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days. There he was tempted by the devil (compare Luke 4:1–2). Angels also ministered to Jesus there (Mark 1:13).
The anchorites (hermits) of Egypt and the Qumran community near the Dead Sea used the wilderness as an escape from the evils of urban life. Jesus, however, used the wilderness as a place of prayer and communion with the Father (Luke 5:16).