Wilderness Wanderings* — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they spent some 40 years wandering in the wildernesses of the Sinai Peninsula and the Negev. Then they moved on to conquer the Promised Land. The most significant events in this period are described in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.

According to the Bible, their experiences during these hard years in the desert molded the various tribes of former Egyptian slaves into a nation. In Sinai they became one people with one God and one national goal, the conquest of Canaan.

Numbers 33:38 and Deuteronomy 1:3 describe the wilderness wanderings as lasting 40 years. Though 40 is sometimes used in the Bible as a large round number, the exactness of many of the dates in these narratives implies it should be taken literally. However, it is hard to know when this period began and ended.

Show passage in OET: NUM 33:38

OET-RV NUM 33:38

38 Aharon (Aaron) the priest climbed Mt. Hor following Yahweh’s instructions, and then died there on the 5th of the first month, forty years after the Israelis had left Mitsrayim (Egypt).

OET-LV NUM 33:38

38 And_ ʼAhₐron the_priest/officer _he/it _ascended to Hor the_mountain on the _mouth _of YHWH and_he/it _died there in_year (the)_forty of_ of _the _people _of of _Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) _the _coming _out from_the _land _of Miʦrayim/(Egypt) in_month (the)_fifth on_day_one of_month.

Show passage in OET: DEU 1:3

OET-RV DEU 1:3

3 Forty years after the Israelis had left Mitsrayim (Egypt) Mosheh passed on to them everything that Yahweh had instructed him

OET-LV DEU 1:3

3 And_he/it _was in_forty year in_the_one _plus _of ten month on_day_one of_month Mosheh he _spoke to the _people _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) according_to _all that YHWH he _had _commanded DOM_him/it to_them.

Jump to OET NUM 33:38 section.

Jump to OET DEU 1:3 section.

According to 1 Kings 6:1, Solomon started to build the temple 480 years after the Israelites left Egypt. The building of the temple began about 960 BC, which would mean the exodus must have taken place about 1440 BC and the conquest about 1400 BC. However, contemporary scholars generally date the exodus and conquest more than a century later (1290–1250 BC) on the grounds that this agrees with archaeological discoveries. But as yet, convincing proof for either position is lacking. Within the 40-year period of wanderings, there are full details of the first year and a half spent in the desert, from the exodus to the return of the spies (Ex 12–Nm 14), and of the final year or so that involved the conquest of Transjordan (Nm 20–Dt 34). Little is known of the intervening years when the tribes camped in the desert near such oases as Kadesh-barnea. The episodes described in Numbers 15–17 OET NUM 15:1–41 · OET NUM 16:1–50 · OET NUM 17:1–13 presumably date from this little-known period.

Show passage in OET: KI1 6:1

OET-RV KI1 6:1

6 So it was that four hundred and eighty years after the Israelis left Mitsrayim (Egypt), in the second month of the fourth year of Shelomoh’s (Solomon’s) reign over Yisrael (Israel), he began the construction of Yahweh’s residence.

OET-LV KI1 6:1

6 And_he/it _was in_eighty year and_four hundred(s) year of_ of _the _people _of of _Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) _the _coming _out from_the _land _of Miʦrayim/(Egypt) in_year (the)_fourth in_the _month _of Ziv that was_the_month the_second of_ of _Shəlomoh/(Solomon) _the _reigning over Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) and_he/it _built the_house to/for_YHWH.

Show passage in OET: DEU 34:1–12

OET-RV DEU 34:1

34 Then Mosheh (Moses) went from the plains of Moav (Moab) up to Mt. Nevo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Yeriho (Jericho), and Yahweh showed him all the Gilead region as far as Dan,

OET-RV DEU 34:2

2 all Naftali (Naphtali), the land of Efrayim (Ephraim) and Menasheh (Manasseh), all the land of Yehudah (Judah), to the Mediterranean sea,

OET-RV DEU 34:3

3 the Negev, and the plain of the Valley of Yeriho (Yeriho, the Palm City) as far as Tsoar.

OET-RV DEU 34:4

4 Then Yahweh told him, “That’s the land that I promised to Avraham, to Yitshak (Isaac), and to Ya’akov (Jacob), saying, ‘I’ll give it to your descendants.’ I’ve showed it to you for you to look at, but you won’t go over there into it.”

OET-RV DEU 34:5

5 So Yahweh’s servant Mosheh (Moses) died there in Moav (Moab) just as Yahweh had said would happen

OET-RV DEU 34:6

6 and he buried him there in the valley opposite Beyt -Pe’or, but to this day, no one knows where his grave is.

OET-RV DEU 34:7

7 Mosheh was one hundred and twenty when he died, but he still had excellent eyesight and strength in his body.

OET-RV DEU 34:8

8 The Israelis mourned thirty days for him there in the Moav plain.

OET-RV DEU 34:9

9 Meanwhile, Nun’s son Yehoshua (Joshua) was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Mosheh had placed his hands on him and prayed over him, so the Israelis listened to him and did what Yahweh had commanded Mosheh.

OET-RV DEU 34:10

10 No prophet like Mosheh who Yahweh knew face to face, has ever emerged in Yisrael (Israel) since then,

OET-RV DEU 34:11

11 or performed all the miracles and amazing things that Yahweh sent him to do in Mitsrayim (Egypt), to Par’oh (Pharaoh), and to all his servants, and to all his land.

OET-RV DEU 34:12

12 No other prophet has been able to do all the incredible but terrifying things that Mosheh did while all Yisrael watched.

OET-LV DEU 34:1

34 And_ Mosheh _he/it _ascended from_the _wilderness _plains _of Mōʼāⱱ to the _mountain _of Nəⱱō the _top _of (the)_Pişgāh which is_on the _face _of Yərīḩō/(Jericho) and_he_showed _him YHWH DOM all _of the_earth/land DOM (the)_Gilˊād to Dān.

OET-LV DEU 34:2

2 And_DOM all _of Naftālī and_DOM the _land _of ʼEfrayim and_Mənashsheh and_DOM all _of the _land _of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) to the_sea (the)_western.

OET-LV DEU 34:3

3 And_DOM the_Negeⱱ and_DOM the_district in _the _valley _of Yərīḩō the _city _of the _palm _trees to Tsoˊar/(Zoar).

OET-LV DEU 34:4

4 And_ YHWH _he/it _said to_him/it this the_earth/land which I _swore to_ʼAⱱrāhām to_Yiʦḩāq/(Isaac) and_to_Yaˊₐqoⱱ to_say to_offspring _of_your I_will _give _it I_have _let _you _see_it with_your _two’s _own _of_eyes and_to_(to) not you _will _pass _over.

OET-LV DEU 34:5

5 And_he/it _died there Mosheh the _servant _of YHWH in_land of _Mōʼāⱱ on the _mouth _of YHWH.

OET-LV DEU 34:6

6 And_he _buried DOM_him/it in_valley in_land of _Mōʼāⱱ opposite _to Bēyt Pəˊōr and_not anyone he _knows DOM grave _of_his until the_day (the)_this.

OET-LV DEU 34:7

7 And_Mosheh was_a _son _of one _hundred and_twenty year[s] when_died _of_he not eye _of_his it _had _grown _dim and_not vigor _of_his it _had _fled.

OET-LV DEU 34:8

8 And_ the _people _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) _they _wept _for DOM Mosheh in_the _wilderness _plains _of Mōʼāⱱ thirty day[s] and_ the _days _of the _weeping _of the _mourning _of Mosheh _they _were _completed.

OET-LV DEU 34:9

9 And_Yəhōshūˊa/(Joshua) the _son _of Nūn he _was _full a _spirit _of wisdom if/because Mosheh he _had _laid DOM hands _of_his on/upon/above_him/it and_they _listened to_him/it the _people _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) and_they _did just_as YHWH he _had _commanded DOM Mosheh.

OET-LV DEU 34:10

10 And_not a _prophet he _has _arisen again in_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) like_Mosheh whom he_knew _him YHWH face to face.

OET-LV DEU 34:11

11 To/from_all/each/any/every the_signs and_the_wonders which he_sent _him YHWH for_doing in_land of _Miʦrayim/(Egypt) to_Parˊoh and_to/for_all servants _of_his and_to/for_all land _of_his.

OET-LV DEU 34:12

12 And_to/for_all the_hand (the)_strong and_to/for_all the_terror (the)_great which Mosheh he _did to_the _eyes _of all _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

Jump to OET KI1 6:1 section.

Jump to OET DEU 34:1–12 section.