מִדְבָּר

Desert

mid-BAR

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Meanings

DesertWilderness

About “Desert” in Hebrew

The desert holds deep spiritual significance in Judaism—the Torah was given in the midbar, and the Israelites' forty years of wandering forged them into a nation. The word midbar shares a root with davar (word/thing), suggesting the desert is a place where God's word is heard most clearly. Israel's Negev desert covers more than half the country and is home to ancient sites, Bedouin culture, and stunning landscapes.

Example

הַמִּדְבָּר יָפֶה בַּלַּיְלָה.

The desert is beautiful at night.

Gematria of “Desert” (מדבר)

In Hebrew numerology (gematria), each letter has a numerical value. The word מדבר (mid-BAR) has a gematria value of 246.

40מ+

4ד+

2ב+

200ר

total246

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“Desert” in the Bible

Verses from the Torah and Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) mentioning “desert”.

Deuteronomy 32:10דברים 32:10

ימצאהו בארץ מדבר ובתהו ילל ישמן יסבבנהו יבוננהו יצרנהו כאישון עינו

[God] found them in a desert region, In an empty howling waste— Then engirded them, watched over them, Guarded them as the pupil of one’s eye.

Esther 6:1אסתר 6:1

בלילה ההוא נדדה שנת המלך ויאמר להביא את ספר הזכרנות דברי הימים ויהיו נקראים לפני המלך

That night, sleep deserted the king, and he ordered the book of records, the annals, to be brought; and it was read to the king.

Ezekiel 7:27יחזקאל 7:27

המלך יתאבל ונשיא ילבש שממה וידי עם הארץ תבהלנה מדרכם אעשה אתם ובמשפטיהם אשפטם וידעו כי אני יהוה

The king shall mourn, the prince shall clothe himself with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall tremble. I will treat them in accordance with their own ways and judge them according to their deserts. And they shall know that I am GOD.

English translation: THE JPS TANAKH, Revised Edition (2023) © Jewish Publication Society, via Sefaria. CC BY-NC 4.0

This word starts with the Hebrew letter mem.