Kadesh-barnea — Bible place

Holy, or Kadesh-Barnea, sacred desert of wandering, a place on the south-eastern border of Palestine, about 165 miles from Horeb. It lay in the “wilderness” or “desert of Zin” (Gen. 14:7; Num. 13:3-26; 14:29-33; 20:1; 27:14), on the border of Edom (20:16). From this place, in compliance with the desire of the people, Moses sent forth “twelve spies” to spy the land. After examining it in all its districts, the spies brought back an evil report, Joshua and Caleb alone giving a good report of the land (13:18-31). Influenced by the discouraging report, the people abandoned all hope of entering into the Promised Land. They remained a considerable time at Kadesh. Because of their unbelief, they were condemned by God to wander for thirty-eight years in the wilderness. They took their journey from Kadesh into the deserts of Paran, “by way of the Red Sea” (Deut. 2:1). (One theory is that during these thirty-eight years they remained in and about Kadesh.)

At the end of these years of wanderings, the tribes were a second time gathered together at Kadesh. During their stay here at this time Miriam died and was buried. Here the people murmured for want of water, as their forefathers had done formerly at Rephidim; and Moses, irritated by their chidings, “with his rod smote the rock twice,” instead of “speaking to the rock before their eyes,” as the Lord had commanded him (comp. Num. 27:14; Deut. 9:23; Ps. 106:32, 33). Because of this act of his, in which Aaron too was involved, neither of them was to be permitted to set foot within the Promised Land (Num. 20:12, 24). The king of Edom would not permit them to pass on through his territory, and therefore they commenced an eastward march, and “came unto Mount Hor” (20:22).

This place has been identified with ‘Ain el-Kadeis, about 12 miles east-south-east of Beersheba.

Recorded scripture occurrences (10)

References recorded in the source data; this is not an exhaustive list of mentions.

Show passage in OET: NUM 32:8

OET-RV NUM 32:8

8 Your parents did that at Kadesh -Barnea when I sent them in to survey the land.

OET-LV NUM 32:8

8 Thus fathers _of_your(pl) they _did when_sent_I DOM_them from_Qādēsh- barnēˊa to_see DOM the_earth/land.

Show passage in OET: NUM 34:4

OET-RV NUM 34:4

4 cross south of the Scorpion Pass, continue to Tsin, and go south of Kadesh -Barnea. Then it will go on to Hatsar -Adar and proceed to Atsmon,

OET-LV NUM 34:4

4 And_it _will _turn to/for_you(pl) the_border from_the_south to_the_ascent _of scorpions and_it _will _pass _on to_Tsin/(Zin) and extremities _of_its from_the_south of_Qādēsh- barnēˊa and_it _will _go _out Ḩₐʦar ʼAddār and_it _will _pass _on to_ˊAʦmōn.

Show passage in OET: DEU 1:2

OET-RV DEU 1:2

2 (It takes eleven days to walk from Horev to Kadesh -Barnea via Mt. Se’ir.)

OET-LV DEU 1:2

2 Is_one _plus ten day[s] from_Ḩorēⱱ the _way _of the _mountain _of Sēˊīr to Qādēsh Barnēˊa.

Jump to OET NUM 32:8 section.

Jump to OET NUM 34:4 section.

Jump to OET DEU 1:2 section.