Places & biblical world
Wilderness
Land away from settled towns, appearing in biblical scenes of travel, testing, provision, and refuge.
Also called · desert · desolate place
What it means
In Exodus 16, Israel complains to Moses and Aaron about food in the wilderness of Sin. God promises a daily portion and says he will test whether the people follow his instruction.
Deuteronomy 8 looks back on forty years in the wilderness. It connects humbling and testing with God’s provision of manna and the lesson that people live by God’s word, not bread alone.
How it appears in the Bible
In Mark 1, John preaches repentance in the wilderness and Jesus is tempted by Satan there. Elijah receives food after fleeing into the wilderness; Revelation 12 depicts a woman fleeing to a place God has prepared.
Translation note
Wilderness need not mean a landscape of sand alone. Mark 6 describes a deserted place but also has the people sit on green grass.