Lexical Summary Qehelathah: Qehelathah Original Word: קְהֵלָתָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Kehelathah From qahal; convocation; Kehelathah, a place in the Desert -- Kehelathah. see HEBREW qahal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as qahal Definition "assembly," a place in the desert NASB Translation Kehelathah (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs קְהֵלָ֫תָה proper name (assembly) station of Israel in wilderness Numbers 33:22,23 (P); ᵐ5 Μακελλαθ. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrences Numbers 33:22 records, “They set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah”. Verse 23 immediately continues, “They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher”. These two verses form the sole biblical record of Qehelathah, marking it as one of the transient staging‐points in Israel’s wilderness itinerary. Historical Setting in the Wilderness Journey Qehelathah stands in the middle portion of the march between Sinai and the plains of Moab. By the time Israel reached this camp, the covenant at Sinai had been ratified, the priesthood installed, the tabernacle dedicated, and the rebellions of Taberah and Kibroth‐Hattaavah were already behind them. Each subsequent stop, including Qehelathah, underscored both Israel’s dependence upon daily provision and the steadfastness of the divine presence. The cloud by day and fire by night still determined every departure and encampment (Numbers 9:15–23), and the listing of stations in Numbers 33 functions as a memorial of the LORD’s faithfulness. Proposed Location While modern scholarship offers several suggestions—ranging from a site in the north‐central Sinai to a point south of Et‐Tih—no archaeological consensus has been attained. The surrounding stations (Rissah and Mount Shepher) are themselves difficult to place, so the exact coordinates of Qehelathah remain unknown. What can be affirmed is that it lay along the desert route that eventually brought Israel to Kadesh and, forty years later, to the Jordan. Its obscurity highlights how many of God’s works occur in places history quickly forgets, yet Scripture preserves them for perpetual remembrance. Theological Themes and Ministry Relevance 1. Guidance. Each camp, however briefly occupied, testifies that “the steps of a man are ordered by the LORD” (Psalm 37:23). Qehelathah therefore invites believers to trust divine guidance even when the destination is unclear. Lessons for Worship and Community • Remember the itinerary of grace. Just as Israel carried a written record of every stop, so modern disciples ought to recount how the Lord has led. Testimony fuels gratitude. Related Scriptures Exodus 13:21; Deuteronomy 8:2; Psalm 107:4–7; 1 Corinthians 10:1–13; Hebrews 11:8–10 Forms and Transliterations בִּקְהֵלָֽתָה׃ בקהלתה׃ מִקְּהֵלָ֑תָה מקהלתה bikheLatah biq·hê·lā·ṯāh biqhêlāṯāh mikkeheLatah miq·qə·hê·lā·ṯāh miqqəhêlāṯāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 33:22 HEB: מֵרִסָּ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בִּקְהֵלָֽתָה׃ NAS: from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. KJV: and pitched in Kehelathah. INT: Rissah and camped Kehelathah Numbers 33:23 2 Occurrences |
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