Lexical Summary Iyye Haabarim: Iyye Haabarim Original Word: עֵיִּי הָעֲבָרִים Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ije-abarim From the plural of iy and the plural of the active participle of abar with the article interposed; ruins of the passers; Ije-ha-Abarim, a place near Palestine -- Ije-abarim. see HEBREW iy see HEBREW abar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Iyyim and abar Definition a place on the E. border of Moab, also a city in S. Judah NASB Translation Iye-abarim (1), Iyeabarim (1). Topical Lexicon Name and Significance The compound designation joins a word for “ruins” or “heaps” with the well-known uplands of Abarim, suggesting “the desolate mounds beside (or toward) the Abarim heights.” The title evokes both the barrenness of Israel’s wilderness march and the looming ridgeline from which Moses would later view the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 32:49; Deuteronomy 34:1). Biblical Occurrences 1. Numbers 21:11 – The nation encamps at Iye-abarim after leaving Oboth. These paired texts are the only occurrences, yet they anchor an important transitional moment late in the forty-year journey. Geographic Setting Iye-abarim lay east of the Dead Sea, opposite Moab and “toward the sunrise” (Numbers 21:11). From here Israel skirted the Valley of Zered and the Arnon Gorge, moving northward along the kings’ highway. The site most plausibly sat on the eastern fringe of the Abarim range, between the barren wastes of Edom and the fertile tableland of Moab, perhaps near modern Khirbet el-Qureiye. Role in Israel’s Journey 1. A marker of progress. Iye-abarim appears after the long desert wanderings and just before the first victories over Sihon and Og. The encampment thus signals the shift from aimless movement to purposeful advance. Connections to the Abarim Heights Mount Nebo, in the same ridge, provided Moses with his final panoramic view (Deuteronomy 34:1–4). The encampment at Iye-abarim therefore foreshadows that moment and links the nation’s progress to the prophetic significance of the range: vision of promise, transition of leadership, and fulfillment of covenant. Theological and Ministry Reflections • God leads through desolation to preparation. The people camp at “ruins,” yet divine direction is unmistakable. Believers may likewise find that seemingly barren experiences precede fresh advance. Later History and Archaeology No subsequent biblical or extrabiblical records place a settled town here after the conquest period, matching the “ruins” nuance of the name. Surveyors have proposed several Iron Age ruins along the southern Abarim ridge, but none can be confirmed with certainty. The fleeting scriptural mention thus preserves the site primarily as a memorial of pilgrimage rather than habitation. Key Lessons for Believers Today 1. God charts precise stages in His people’s progress, even the seemingly obscure ones. Forms and Transliterations הָֽעֲבָרִ֗ים הָעֲבָרִ֖ים העברים hā‘ăḇārîm hā·‘ă·ḇā·rîm haavaRimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 21:11 HEB: וַֽיַּחֲנ֞וּ בְּעִיֵּ֣י הָֽעֲבָרִ֗ים בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ NAS: and camped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness KJV: and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness INT: Oboth and camped Iyeabarim the wilderness which Numbers 33:44 2 Occurrences |
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