Kadesh-Barnea
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Introduction:
Kadesh-barnea is a significant location in biblical history, often associated with pivotal events during the Israelites' wilderness wanderings. It is mentioned multiple times in the Old Testament and serves as a geographical and spiritual landmark for the Israelites.

Biblical References:
Kadesh-barnea is first mentioned in the context of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. It is located in the wilderness of Paran and serves as a key encampment site during their 40-year sojourn. The Berean Standard Bible provides several references to Kadesh-barnea, highlighting its importance in the narrative of the Exodus and the subsequent wanderings.

1. The Spies' Mission:
In Numbers 13:26 , Kadesh-barnea is the place from which Moses sends twelve spies to scout the land of Canaan. The verse states, "They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of Israel at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Paran. There they reported to them and the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land." This event marks a turning point, as the negative report from ten of the spies leads to the Israelites' lack of faith and subsequent punishment of wandering for 40 years.

2. Rebellion and Judgment:
Kadesh-barnea is also the site of significant rebellion against God. In Deuteronomy 1:19-46, Moses recounts the Israelites' refusal to enter the Promised Land from Kadesh-barnea due to fear and disbelief. This disobedience results in God's judgment, as stated in Deuteronomy 1:35 : "Not one of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your fathers."

3. Miriam's Death and Moses' Sin:
Numbers 20:1 records the death of Miriam, Moses' sister, at Kadesh. The verse reads, "In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin, and the people stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried." Additionally, Kadesh-barnea is where Moses, in frustration, strikes the rock to bring forth water, an act of disobedience that prevents him from entering the Promised Land (Numbers 20:7-12).

4. Boundary Marker:
Kadesh-barnea is also noted as a boundary marker for the land promised to the Israelites. In Numbers 34:4 , it is described as part of the southern border of Canaan: "Your border will turn from the south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea."

Historical and Geographical Context:
Kadesh-barnea is traditionally identified with the modern site of Ain el-Qudeirat in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula. It served as a strategic location for the Israelites, providing access to water and serving as a base for their movements in the wilderness. The name "Kadesh" means "holy" or "sacred," reflecting its significance as a place of divine encounters and decisions.

Theological Significance:
Kadesh-barnea represents a place of testing and decision for the Israelites. It is a symbol of both God's provision and the consequences of disobedience. The events at Kadesh-barnea underscore themes of faith, trust, and the importance of obedience to God's commands. The Israelites' experiences at this site serve as a reminder of the need for faithfulness and the dangers of unbelief.

Conclusion:
Kadesh-barnea remains a powerful symbol in biblical history, illustrating the challenges and opportunities faced by the Israelites as they journeyed toward the fulfillment of God's promises. Its legacy continues to offer lessons on faith, obedience, and the consequences of turning away from God's guidance.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Kadesh-Barnea

holiness of an inconstant son

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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 (Genesis 14:7; Genesis 16:14; Genesis 20:1). It was an important camp of the Israelites during their wanderings, and seems to have been their headquarters for 38 years (Deuteronomy 1:2; Deuteronomy 2:14; Judith 5:14). There the returning spies found the camp (Numbers 13:26); there Miriam died and was buried (Numbers 20:1); from thence messengers were sent to the king of Edom (Numbers 20:14 Judges 11:16). There the people rebelled because of the want of water, and Moses brought water from the rock (Numbers 20:2); it was called therefore Meribath-or Meriboth-Kadesh (Numbers 27:14 Ezekiel 47:19; Ezekiel 48:28). It was situated in the wilderness of Zin (Numbers 20:1; Numbers 33:36, 37) in the hill country of the Amorites (Deuteronomy 1:19), 11 days' journey from Horeb, by the way of Mt. Seir (Deuteronomy 1:2), "in the uttermost" of the border of Edom (Numbers 20:16), and on the southern border, probably the Southeast corner, of Judah (Ezekiel 47:19; compare Judith 19). See Cobern, Homiletic Review, April and May, 1914.

S. F. Hunter

Strong's Hebrew
6790. Tsin -- a desert area which included Kadesh-barnea
... 6789, 6790. Tsin. 6791 . a desert area which included Kadesh-barnea.
Transliteration: Tsin Phonetic Spelling: (tseen) Short Definition: Zin. ...
/hebrew/6790.htm - 6k

6947. Qadesh Barnea -- a place in the desert
... a place in the desert. Transliteration: Qadesh Barnea Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-dashe'
bar-nay'-ah) Short Definition: Kadesh-barnea. ... Kadesh-barnea. ...
/hebrew/6947.htm - 6k

Library

Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the ...
... I. Because Kadesh-barnea was in the desert of Paran, Numbers 12:16, 14:1. But the
Kadesh, whither they came the fortieth year, was in the desert of Zin ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 7 kadesh rekam and.htm

The Story of the Grapes from Canaan
... many days. At last they came to a place just on the border between the
desert and Canaan, called Kadesh, or Kadesh-barnea. Here ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of the grapes.htm

Sanctified by Faith
... How different this was from those who, forty years previous to this event had been
brought by the hand of God to Kadesh Barnea, who had all the promises of God ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/byers/sanctification/chapter vi sanctified by faith.htm

The Israelites
... not far on the one hand from the borders of Palestine, nor on the other from the
block of mountains within which was the desert sanctuary of Kadesh-barnea. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

Out of and Into
... It was the intention of God that Israel should enter the land of Canaan from
Kadesh-Barnea, immediately after He had made His covenant with them at Sinai. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/murray/the deeper christian life/iv out of and into.htm

Author's Preface.
... The Sinaitic covenant. Purpose of the Mosaic Law. Several parts of the law. Journey
to Kadesh-Barnea. Twelve spies. Period lessons. Topics for discussion. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tidwell/the bible period by period/authors preface.htm

Introductory Chapter
... and in verse 6, speaking of the fact that some did not enter rest because of unbelief,
allusion is made to the failure to enter Canaan from Kadesh-barnea. ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/introductory chapter.htm

Exploring Canaan by Faith
... "When we twelve first left Kadesh-barnea for Canaan [Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33], I noticed
that ten of the spies kept close together; but Joshua and I were eager ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter five exploring canaan by.htm

The Moody Colportage Library
... Amy LeFeuvre 30 Good News. Robert Boyd 32 The Secret of Guidance. FB Meyer 34 The
Second Coming of Christ 40 The Power of a Surrendered Life, or Kadesh-Barnea. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/moodys stories/the moody colportage library.htm

Chapter xx
... Genesis 12:9. There his dwelling place"always shifting because he is a nomad"is
in the broad stretch between Kadesh, ie, Kadesh Barnea (see Genesis 14:7 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xx.htm

Thesaurus
Kadeshbarnea (9 Occurrences)
...KADESH-BARNEA. ka'-desh-bar'-ne-a (qadhesh barnea`; Kades): Mentioned 10 times;
called also "Kadesh" simply. ...Kadeshbarnea (9 Occurrences). ...
/k/kadeshbarnea.htm - 11k

Kadesh-barnea (9 Occurrences)
Kadesh-barnea. Kadeshbarnea, Kadesh-barnea. Ka'desh-bar'nea . Int. ...
Kadeshbarnea, Kadesh-barnea. Ka'desh-bar'nea . Reference Bible.
/k/kadesh-barnea.htm - 12k

Ka'desh-bar'nea (9 Occurrences)
Ka'desh-bar'nea. Kadesh-barnea, Ka'desh-bar'nea. Kadmiel . ... Numbers 32:8 Your
fathers did so when I sent them from KadeshBarnea to see the land. (See RSV). ...
/k/ka'desh-bar'nea.htm - 9k

Barnea (10 Occurrences)
... Barnea (10 Occurrences). Numbers 32:8 Your fathers did so when I sent them from
KadeshBarnea to see the land. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV). ...
/b/barnea.htm - 9k

Zin (9 Occurrences)
... ZIN. (1) A town in the extreme South of Judah, on the line separating that province
from Edom, named between the ascent of Akrabbim and Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 34 ...
/z/zin.htm - 11k

Kadesh (30 Occurrences)
... Holy, or Kadesh-Barnea, sacred desert of wandering, a place on the south-eastern
border of Palestine, about 165 miles from Horeb. ... KADESH. See KADESH-BARNEA. ...
/k/kadesh.htm - 21k

Hezron (19 Occurrences)
... (2.) The older of the two sons of Pharez (Genesis 46:12). (3.) A plain in the
south of Judah, west of Kadesh-barnea (Joshua 15:3). Int. ...
/h/hezron.htm - 13k

Wanderings (7 Occurrences)
... SECOND JOURNEY 1. The Stay at Sinai 2. Site of Kadesh-barnea 3. The Route: Hazeroth
to Moseroth 4. The Camps between Hazeroth and Moseroth IV. ...
/w/wanderings.htm - 40k

Kedesh (12 Occurrences)
... Sanctuary. (1.) A place in the extreme south of Judah (Joshua 15:23). Probably the
same as Kadesh-barnea (qv). (2.) A city of Issachar (1 Chronicles 6:72). ...
/k/kedesh.htm - 14k

Massah (5 Occurrences)
... God put the Levites to proof (Deuteronomy 33:8). 2. Second Instance: The second
narrative describes what took place at Kadesh (ie "Kadesh-barnea") when the ...
/m/massah.htm - 12k

Resources
What is the significance of Kadesh Barnea in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Meribah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of the Negev in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Kadesh-barnea (9 Occurrences)

Numbers 32:8
Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Deuteronomy 1:2
It is eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Deuteronomy 1:19
And we journeyed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which ye saw, by the way to the hill-country of the Amorites, as Jehovah our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Deuteronomy 2:14
And the days in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, were thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were consumed from the midst of the camp, as Jehovah sware unto them.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Deuteronomy 9:23
And when Jehovah sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Joshua 10:41
And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Joshua 14:6
Then the children of Judah drew nigh unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that Jehovah spake unto Moses the man of God concerning me and concerning thee in Kadesh-barnea.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Joshua 14:7
Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my heart.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Joshua 15:3
and it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea, and passed along by Hezron, and went up to Addar, and turned about to Karka;
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS)

Subtopics

Kadesh-Barnea

Related Terms

Kadesh-barnea (9 Occurrences)

Kadmiel (8 Occurrences)

Kadeshbarnea
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