Lexical Summary erémos: Desert, wilderness, solitary place, desolate Original Word: ἔρημος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance desert, desolate, solitary, wilderness. Of uncertain affinity; lonesome, i.e. (by implication) waste (usually as a noun, chora being implied) -- desert, desolate, solitary, wilderness. see GREEK chora HELPS Word-studies 2048 érēmos – properly, an uncultivated, unpopulated place; a desolate (deserted) area; (figuratively) a barren, solitary place that also provides needed quiet (freedom from disturbance). In Scripture, a "desert" (2048 /érēmos) is ironically also where God richly grants His presence and provision for those seeking Him. The limitless Lord shows Himself strong in the "limiting" (difficult) scenes of life. [2048 (érēmos) in the strict sense expresses a lack of population (not merely "sparse vegetation"). This root (erēmo-) does "not suggest absolute barrenness but unappropriated territory affording free range for shepherds and their flocks. Hepworth Dixon (The Holy Land) says, 'Even in the wilderness nature is not so stern as man. Here and there, in clefts and basins, and on the hillsides, grade on grade, you observe a patch of corn, a clump of olives, a single palm' " (WS, 22).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition solitary, desolate NASB Translation desert (2), deserts (1), desolate (6), open pasture (1), secluded (5), unpopulated (1), wilderness (32). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2048: ἔρημοςἔρημος, ἔρημον (in classic Greek also ἔρημος, ἐρήμη, ἔρημον, cf. Winers Grammar, § 11, 1; (Buttmann, 25 (23); on its accent cf. Chandler §§ 393, 394; Winer's Grammar, 52 (51))); 1. adjective solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited: of places, Matthew 14:13, 15; Mark 1:35; Mark 6:32; Luke 4:42; Luke 9:10 (R G L), 2. a substantive, ἡ ἔρημος, namely, χώρα; the Sept. often for מִדְבַּר; a desert, wilderness (Herodotus 3, 102): Matthew 24:26; Revelation 12:6, 14; Revelation 17:3; αἱ ἔρημοι, desert places, lonely regions: Luke 1:80; Luke 5:16; Luke 8:29. an uncultivated region fit for pasturage, Luke 15:4. used of the desert of Judaea (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 18, 1), Matthew 3:1; Mark 1:3; Luke 1:80; Luke 3:2, 4; John 1:23; of the desert of Arabia, Acts 7:30, 36, 38, 42, 44; 1 Corinthians 10:5; Hebrews 3:8, 17. Cf. Winers RWB under the word Wüste; Furrer in Sehenkel see 680ff; (B. D., see under the words, Strong’s Greek 2048 (erēmos and its inflected forms) speaks of an uninhabited, sparsely populated, or desolate region. Depending on context it may denote (1) an actual geographical desert, (2) an uncultivated countryside beyond settled towns, or (3) a figurative state of spiritual barrenness or isolation. The term does not necessarily imply a sand-dune wasteland; it can equally refer to rugged hill country, wilderness pastureland, or any region outside the comforts of civilization. The Wilderness in Salvation History From the call of Abraham to the exile of Israel, God repeatedly shapes His people in lonely places. The Greek Old Testament (LXX) uses erēmos to translate the Hebrew midbar, the setting of Sinai revelation, tabernacle worship, prophetic preparation, and chastening wanderings. By retaining this vocabulary, the New Testament presents a seamless continuation: the same God who met Israel in the desert now meets His people in Christ. John the Baptist: Herald in the Wilderness Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all cite Isaiah’s prophecy, “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’” (e.g., Matthew 3:3; John 1:23). The physical location underscores John’s message. Rome’s highways boasted imperial power; John stands in erēmos territory proclaiming a greater kingdom. That he “came preaching in the wilderness of Judea” (Matthew 3:1) signals both fulfillment of Scripture and separation from priestly corruption in Jerusalem. Crowds stream out to him, showing that true repentance may require leaving cultural centers to encounter God. Jesus and the Wilderness Motif 1. Temptation and Victory Immediately after His baptism “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). Where Israel failed forty years, the obedient Son triumphs forty days. The wilderness thus becomes the stage of covenant reversal: the last Adam overcomes where the first Adam fell, and where Israel grumbled. 2. Prayer and Solitude Jesus habitually withdrew to erēmos places for communion with the Father (Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42; 5:16). Solitude is not escapism but strategic renewal. Ministry springs from fellowship; power flows from prayer in desolate settings more than from acclaim in populated towns. 3. Miracles of Provision In every Gospel the feeding of the five thousand occurs in a “desolate place” (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14). The setting recalls manna in the wilderness (John 6:31-49). Christ reveals Himself as the greater Moses supplying bread of life, proving that the desert, though lacking resources, is no obstacle to divine provision. 4. Instruction and Revelation After John’s imprisonment, Jesus points to the crowds who once flocked “into the wilderness to see” the prophet (Matthew 11:7; Luke 7:24). In Him the wilderness no longer merely foretells, it unveils the awaited Messiah. Israel’s Wilderness as Apostolic Paradigm Stephen’s defense (Acts 7) contains five references: the burning bush “in the wilderness” (7:30), the signs and wonders performed “in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness” (7:36), the “church in the wilderness” receiving living oracles (7:38), and the years of rebellion (7:42-44). Stephen’s message: Israel’s history shows God present outside sacred geography; resisting His word in the wilderness is as serious as resisting Christ in the temple. Paul develops the same lesson. God “endured their conduct in the wilderness” (Acts 13:18), yet “with most of them God was not pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:5). Hebrews echoes, “Do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness” (Hebrews 3:8, 17). The wilderness generation becomes a permanent caution against unbelief. Symbolic and Prophetic Dimensions 1. Desolation of Judgment Jesus laments over Jerusalem, “Look, your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:38), echoing Jeremiah’s warnings of the temple becoming an erēmos. Acts 1:20 applies Psalm 69 to Judas: “May his place be deserted.” Desolation is the logical outcome of rejecting God’s presence. 2. Refuge for the Remnant Revelation employs erēmos thrice: the woman (Israel or the faithful community) flees “to the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God” (Revelation 12:6, 14). Here the desert reverses connotation: once a place of danger, it becomes divinely prepared sanctuary during tribulation. 3. Lure of Spiritual Counterfeits Jesus warns, “If they say to you, ‘He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out” (Matthew 24:26). Last-days deception mimics earlier manifestations; discernment prevents one from chasing false messiahs into supposed sacred isolation. 4. Apocalyptic Vision John is carried “in the Spirit into a wilderness” to see Babylon the prostitute (Revelation 17:3). The desolate backdrop accentuates her moral emptiness; worldly splendor is exposed as barren under divine scrutiny. Personal Spiritual Application The Holy Spirit still leads believers into wilderness seasons—times of hiddenness, purification, and deepened dependence. The pattern is consistent: • Separation from distractions (Mark 6:31). Thus erēmos experiences are not interruptions but integral to discipleship. Churches and leaders do well to honor rhythms of retreat and to regard spiritual dryness as opportunity for renewed grace. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Value Solitude Congregational planning should provide sabbath spaces—literal or scheduled—where prayer, fasting, and Scripture meditation occur away from electronic and urban noise. 2. Prepare in Hiddenness Emerging servants of the Lord often lament anonymity; yet Scripture shows that commissioning follows wilderness seasoning. 3. Guard against Romanticizing Isolation While God calls to desert seasons, He also sends back to cities with the gospel. Balanced ministry avoids both escapist monasticism and frenzied activism. 4. Teach Through Typology The Exodus narrative, manna miracles, and Revelation’s wilderness imagery tie together apologetics, pastoral care, and eschatology. Highlighting these connections reinforces the unity of Scripture and equips believers to interpret trials in biblically realistic terms. Conclusion Strong’s 2048 threads from Genesis to Revelation, portraying the wilderness as crucible, classroom, and sometimes courtroom. Whether depicting John’s austere pulpit, Jesus’ secret prayer chamber, Israel’s testing ground, or the church’s end-time refuge, erēmos underscores God’s sovereignty in seemingly barren places and His power to transform desolation into dwelling. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 3:1 Adj-DFSGRK: ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας NAS: preaching in the wilderness of Judea, KJV: preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, INT: in the wilderness of Judea Matthew 3:3 Adj-DFS Matthew 4:1 Adj-AFS Matthew 11:7 Adj-AFS Matthew 14:13 Adj-AMS Matthew 14:15 Adj-NMS Matthew 23:38 Adj-NMS Matthew 24:26 Adj-DFS Mark 1:3 Adj-DFS Mark 1:4 Adj-DFS Mark 1:12 Adj-AFS Mark 1:13 Adj-DFS Mark 1:35 Adj-AMS Mark 1:45 Adj-DMP Mark 6:31 Adj-AMS Mark 6:32 Adj-AMS Mark 6:35 Adj-NMS Luke 1:80 Adj-DFP Luke 3:2 Adj-DFS Luke 3:4 Adj-DFS Luke 4:1 Adj-DFS Luke 4:42 Adj-AMS Luke 5:16 Adj-DFP Luke 7:24 Adj-AFS Luke 8:29 Adj-AFP Strong's Greek 2048 |
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