Lexical Summary erémia: Wilderness, desert, solitary place Original Word: ἐρημία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance desert, wilderness. From eremos; solitude (concretely) -- desert, wilderness. see GREEK eremos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom erémos Definition a solitude, a wilderness NASB Translation deserts (1), desolate place (2), wilderness (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2047: ἐρημίαἐρημία, ἐρημίας, ἡ (ἔρημος), a solitude, an uninhabited region, a waste: Matthew 15:33; Mark 8:4; Hebrews 11:38; opposed to πόλις, 2 Corinthians 11:26, as in Josephus, Antiquities 2, 3, 1. Topical Lexicon OverviewStrong’s Greek 2047 evokes the scene of the “wilderness,” not merely as uninhabited geography but as a stage on which God forms faith, tests motives, supplies provision, and advances redemptive history. Across four New Testament texts the term frames moments of hunger, danger, pilgrimage, and perseverance, uniting diverse accounts around a single thematic backdrop: isolation that becomes opportunity for divine encounter and dependence. The Wilderness in the Synoptic Gospels Matthew 15:33 and Mark 8:4 recount parallel episodes in which the disciples confront their insufficiency before the hunger of a multitude. Their question—“Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread…?”—is vocalized precisely in the wilderness. The physical barrenness accentuates two realities. First, human resources are exposed as inadequate; second, the Messiah’s compassion supplies what the terrain withholds. The multiplication of bread therefore mirrors Israel’s earlier manna experience, proclaiming Jesus as the true Shepherd who feeds His flock even when the setting screams scarcity. Paul’s Apostolic Hardships In 2 Corinthians 11:26 Paul catalogs perils that validate his apostleship. “Perils in the wilderness” sit midway between urban and maritime dangers, reminding the reader that gospel advance ignores geographic boundaries. The wilderness here is not a momentary inconvenience but a habitual risk embraced for the sake of Christ. By including it alongside “perils among false brothers,” Paul hints that isolation can be both physical and relational. Yet the same God who sustained Israel’s forty-year pilgrimage preserves His servant in apostolic mission. Faith’s Pilgrimage in Hebrews Hebrews 11:38 celebrates unnamed saints who “wandered in deserts and mountains.” The wilderness becomes emblematic of a world that is “not worthy” of them, contrasting transient earthly deprivation with eternal heavenly reward. Their habitation of wastelands underscores the epistle’s call to endure reproach and displacement, fixing hope on “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Thus the wilderness motif supports the exhortation, “So then, let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore” (Hebrews 13:13). Intertextual Roots New Testament usage echoes a rich Old Testament tapestry: • Israel’s forty years between Egypt and Canaan (Exodus 16; Deuteronomy 8) These antecedents teach that wilderness seasons, though harsh, are divinely purposed for revelation, refinement, and eventual inheritance. Theological Significance 1. Dependence: God intentionally leads His people into settings that nullify self-sufficiency, compelling trust in His provision. Ministry Applications • Church leadership can view seasons of apparent barrenness as preparatory rather than punitive, leveraging them for prayer, recalibration, and renewed reliance on Christ. Historical Insight Early Christian ascetics, notably the Desert Fathers of the third and fourth centuries, embodied the wilderness calling, seeking uncompromised devotion away from urban distractions. While later monasticism sometimes drifted into excess, its origins testify that believers across eras have recognized the wilderness as fertile ground for holiness. Conclusion Strong’s Greek 2047 crystallizes a biblical paradox: places labeled “desolate” may host the most vibrant demonstrations of God’s sustaining power. Whether feeding multitudes, preserving missionaries, or applauding martyrs, Scripture consistently portrays the wilderness not as abandonment but as arena—where human lack encounters divine sufficiency, and transient hardship yields eternal gain. Forms and Transliterations ερημια ερημία ἐρημίᾳ ερημιαις ερημίαις ἐρημίαις ερημίαν ερημιας ερημίας ἐρημίας ερημικοίς ερημικώ ερημίτη eremia erēmia eremíāi erēmíāi eremiais eremíais erēmiais erēmíais eremias eremías erēmias erēmíasLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 15:33 N-DFSGRK: ἡμῖν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ ἄρτοι τοσοῦτοι NAS: loaves in [this] desolate place to satisfy KJV: bread in the wilderness, as to fill INT: to us in a secluded place loaves so many Mark 8:4 N-GFS 2 Corinthians 11:26 N-DFS Hebrews 11:38 N-DFP Strong's Greek 2047 |
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