5963. Almon Diblathayemah

Lexical Summary

Almon Diblathayemah: Almon Diblathaim

Original Word: עַלְמֹן דִּבְלָתָיְמָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Almon Diblathaymah
Pronunciation: al-MONE dib-lah-thah-YE-mah
Phonetic Spelling: (al-mone' dib-law-thaw'-yem-aw)
KJV: Almon-dilathaim
NASB: Almon-diblathaim
Word Origin: [from the same as H5960 (עַלמוֹן - Almon) and the dual of H1690 (דְּבֵלָה - cake) with enclitic of direction]

1. Almon towards Diblathajim
2. Almon-Diblathajemah, a place in Moab

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Almon-Diblathajemah, a place in Moab

From the same as Almown and the dual of dbelah (compare Beyth Diblathayim) with enclitic of direction; Almon towards Diblathajim; Almon-Diblathajemah, a place in Moab:

see HEBREW Almown

see HEBREW dbelah

see HEBREW Beyth Diblathayim

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from alam and debelah
Definition
a place in Moab (the same as NH1015)
NASB Translation
Almon-diblathaim (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

עַלְמוֺן דִּבְלָתָ֑יְמָה proper name, of a location in Moab, Numbers 33:46,47 (P), ᵐ5 Γελμων Δεβλαθαιμ; = ׳בֵּית ד q. v.

Topical Lexicon

Location and Setting

Almon Diblathaimah was a wilderness encampment in the Transjordan plain of Moab, situated between Dibon-gad and the Abarim range near Mount Nebo (Numbers 33:46-47). The site lay a short march north-east of the Dead Sea, on a plateau where pastureland met arid steppe, providing a natural staging ground before Israel’s final ascent to the heights that overlook the Promised Land.

Place in the Exodus Itinerary

Numbers 33 records forty-two stations that trace Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Jordan. Almon Diblathaimah is the fortieth stop, marking the threshold of completion. Only two verses mention it, yet its position—just prior to the Abarim mountains where Moses would view Canaan—highlights the nearness of God’s promise after decades of testing.

“Then they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. They set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, near Nebo.” (Numbers 33:46-47)

Historical Associations

1. Moabite Territory: The camp lay within Moab’s northern marches, a region later condemned for idolatry (Jeremiah 48:22; Isaiah 15–16). The proximity to pagan strongholds underscores Israel’s call to remain separate while passing through foreign lands.
2. Possible Continuity of Name: Prophets target “Beth-diblathaim” (Jeremiah 48:22), suggesting an enduring settlement that preserved the root Dibla(thaim). This continuity affirms the historical reliability of the Numbers itinerary.
3. Archaeological Indicators: Tell el-Blat and Khirbet el-Mekhayyat have been proposed sites. Pottery from Late Bronze horizons in these locales harmonizes with the fifteenth-to-thirteenth-century dating of the Exodus, though no definitive identification is yet confirmed.

Theological Emphases
• Divine Guidance: Almon Diblathaimah stands as evidence of Yahweh’s unbroken leadership. Each stop on the list, including this obscure camp, attests that “the LORD went before them” (compare Exodus 13:21).
• Nearness of Fulfillment: The location’s closeness to Nebo models perseverance; Israel’s decades-long pilgrimage was almost complete, yet vigilance remained essential (Deuteronomy 32:48-52).
• Separation and Purity: Encamping within Moab but resisting assimilation anticipates later exhortations, “Do not learn the ways of the nations” (Jeremiah 10:2). The wilderness community foreshadows the church’s call to holiness amid a hostile world.

Ministry and Devotional Insights
• Transitional Seasons: Leaders shepherding congregations through change can draw on Almon Diblathaimah as a reminder that God ordains interim places. These may appear insignificant but position believers for imminent breakthroughs.
• Faithful Record-Keeping: Moses’ meticulous log of camps (Numbers 33:2) models the value of memorializing God’s past acts to bolster present faith.
• Finishing Well: As Israel moved from Almon Diblathaimah to the Abarim heights, the narrative warns that reaching the border of promise is not identical with entering it. Endurance, obedience, and wholehearted trust remain vital until God’s objective is fully possessed.

Key References

Numbers 33:46-47; Jeremiah 48:22; Deuteronomy 32:48-52; Exodus 13:21; Jeremiah 10:2.

Forms and Transliterations

דִּבְלָתָ֑יְמָה דִּבְלָתָֽיְמָה׃ דבלתימה דבלתימה׃ diḇ·lā·ṯā·yə·māh diḇlāṯāyəmāh divlaTayemah

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 33:46
HEB: וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּעַלְמֹ֥ן דִּבְלָתָֽיְמָה׃
NAS: and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
KJV: and encamped in Almondiblathaim.
INT: Gad and camped Almon-diblathaim

Numbers 33:47
HEB: וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵעַלְמֹ֣ן דִּבְלָתָ֑יְמָה וַֽיַּחֲנ֛וּ בְּהָרֵ֥י
NAS: They journeyed from Almon-diblathaim and camped
KJV: And they removed from Almondiblathaim, and pitched
INT: journeyed Almon-diblathaim and camped the mountains

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5963
2 Occurrences

diḇ·lā·ṯā·yə·māh — 2 Occ.