Definition and Etymology:
Shittim, derived from the Hebrew word "שִׁטִּים" (Shittim), refers to the acacia trees that are indigenous to the arid regions of the Middle East. The wood from these trees, known as acacia wood, is noted for its durability and resistance to decay, making it a valuable resource in ancient times.

Biblical Significance:
Shittim holds considerable significance in the biblical narrative, both as a geographical location and as a material used in the construction of sacred objects.

1. Geographical Location:
Shittim is mentioned as a place in the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, where the Israelites encamped before crossing into the Promised Land. It is here that the Israelites fell into sin by engaging in idolatry and immorality with the Moabite women, leading to God's judgment (Numbers 25:1-9). The location is also referenced in Joshua 2:1, where Joshua sends spies from Shittim to scout the land of Jericho.

2. Material for Sacred Objects:
Acacia wood, referred to as "shittim wood" in the King James Version, was used extensively in the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. The Ark of the Covenant, the table for the showbread, and the altar of burnt offering were all made from this wood (Exodus 25:10, 23; 27:1). The use of shittim wood underscores the importance of using durable and precious materials for items dedicated to the worship of God.

Theological Implications:
The events at Shittim serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of idolatry and disobedience to God's commandments. The Israelites' failure at Shittim is a reminder of the need for vigilance and faithfulness in maintaining a covenant relationship with God. The use of shittim wood in the Tabernacle highlights the principle of offering the best to God, reflecting His holiness and the reverence due to Him.

Prophetic Reference:
Shittim is also mentioned in the prophetic literature. In Joel 3:18, a future time of blessing is described when a fountain will flow from the house of the Lord and water the valley of Shittim, symbolizing restoration and divine favor.

Cultural and Historical Context:
The acacia trees of the region, known for their hardiness and ability to thrive in desert conditions, symbolize resilience and endurance. The choice of shittim wood for the Tabernacle's construction reflects the Israelites' resourcefulness and God's provision in the wilderness.

Biblical References:
· Numbers 25:1 : "While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab."
· Joshua 2:1 : "Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, 'Go, look over the land, especially Jericho.'"
· Exodus 25:10 : "They are to make an ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high."
· Joel 3:18 : "And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim."

Shittim, both as a location and a material, plays a significant role in the biblical narrative, illustrating themes of faithfulness, judgment, and divine provision.Shittim

thorns

Shittim

(the acacias), the place of Israel's encampment between the conquest of the transjordanic highlands and the passage of the Jordan. (Numbers 25:1; 33:49; Joshua 2:1; 3:1; Micah 6:5) Its full name appears to be given in the first of these passage --Abel has-Shittim, "the meadow, or moist place, of the acacias." it was "in the Arboth-moab, by Jordan-Jericho," (Numb 22:1; 26:3; 31:12; 33:48,49 That is to say, it was in the Arabah or Jordan valley, opposite Jericho.

Acacias, also called "Abel-shittim" (Numbers 33:49), a plain or valley in the land of Moab where the Israelites were encamped after their two victories over Sihon and Og, at the close of their desert wanderings, and from which Joshua sent forth two spies (q.v.) "secretly" to "view" the land and Jericho (Joshua 2:1). (n.) Alt. of Shittim wood.SHITTAH; TREE; SHITTIM WOOD

shit'a, (shiTTah; Septuagint xulon asepton; the Revised Version (British and American) ACACIA TREE (Isaiah 41:19)); (`ace shiTTim; the Revised Version (British and American) ACACIA WOOD (Exodus 25:5, 10, 13; Exodus 26:15, 26; 27:1, 6 Deuteronomy 10:3)): The word was originally shinTah, derived from the Arabic sanT, now a name confined to one species of acacia, Acacia nilotica (Natural Order, Leguminosae), but possibly was once a more inclusive term. The Acacia nilotica is at present confined to the Sinaitic peninsula and to Egypt. Closely allied species, the Acacia tortilis and Acacia seyal, both classed together under the Arabic name sayyal, are plentiful in the valleys about the Dead Sea from Engedi southward. Those who have ridden from `Ain Jidy to Jebel Usdum will never forget these most striking features of the landscape. They are most picturesque trees with their gnarled trunks, sometimes 2 ft. thick, their twisted, thorny branches, which often give the whole tree an umbrella-like form, and their fine bipinnate leaves with minute leaflets. The curiously twisted pods and the masses of gum arabic which exude in many parts are also peculiar features. The trees yield a valuable, hard, close-grained timber, not readily attacked by insects.

E. W. G. Masterman

SHITTIM

shit'-im (ha-shiTTim, "the acacias"; Sattein):

(1) This marked the last camping-ground of Israel before they crossed the Jordan to begin the conquest of Western Palestine. Here it was that the people fell into the snare set for them by the satanic counsel of Balaam, who thus brought upon them greater evil than all his prohibited curses could have done (Numbers 25:1; 31:16). In Numbers 33:49 it is called Abel-shittim. It was from Shittim that Joshua sent the spies to view out the land and Jericho (Joshua 2:1); and from this point the host moved forward to the river (Joshua 3:1). The place is mentioned by Micah in a passage of some difficulty (Joshua 6:5): after "what Balaam the son of Beor answered," perhaps some such phrase as "remember what I did" has fallen out. This would then be a reference to the display of divine power in arresting the flow of Jordan until the host had safely crossed. Josephus places the camp "near Jordan where the city Abila now stands, a place full of palm trees" (Ant., IV, viii, 1). Eusebius, Onomasticon says Shittim was near to Mt. Peor (Fogor). It may possibly be identical with Khirbet el-Kefrain, about 6 miles South of the Jordan, on the lip of Wady Seiseban, where there are many acacias.

(2) In Joel 3:18 we read of the valley of Shittim which is to be watered by a fountain coming forth of the house of the Lord. It must therefore be sought on the West of the Jordan. The waters from the Jerusalem district are carried to the Dead Sea down the Wady which continues the Brook Kidron: Wady en-Nar. The acacia is found plentifully in the lower reaches of this valley, which may possibly be intended by the prophet.

W. Ewing

7851. Shittim -- a place East of the Jordan, also a wadi perhaps ...
... 7850, 7851. Shittim. 7852 . a place ... Jer. Transliteration: Shittim Phonetic
Spelling: (shit-teem') Short Definition: Shittim. Word ...
/hebrew/7851.htm - 6k

63. Abel Hashshittim -- a place in the lowlands of Moab
... a place in the lowlands of Moab. Transliteration: Abel Hashshittim Phonetic Spelling:
(aw-bale' hash-shit-teem') Short Definition: Abel-shittim. ... Abel-shittim. ...
/hebrew/63.htm - 6k

7848. shittah -- acacia (a tree and a wood)
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition acacia (a tree and a wood)
NASB Word Usage acacia (28). shittah, shittim. Feminine ...
/hebrew/7848.htm - 6k

Some Miscellaneous Matters Belonging to the Country About Jericho.
... Numbers 33:49: "They encamped near Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth unto Abel-shittim."""
From Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim were twelve miles." It is a most ...
/.../from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 48 some miscellaneous matters.htm

Sikera, a Manufactured and Spurious Wine, yet Intoxicating; Things ...
... the Holy of holies, sending forth a sweet savour of love to the Lord; for He says,
[2654] "Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim-wood shalt ...
/.../chapter vi sikera a manufactured and.htm

How Intent the Ruler Ought to be on Meditations in the Sacred Law.
... Thou shalt make four rings of gold, which thou shalt put in the four corners of
the ark, and thou shalt make staves of shittim-wood, and overlay them with gold ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xi how intent the.htm

Upon the Character of Balaam. Preached the Second Sunday after ...
... O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam
the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/butler/human nature/sermon vii upon the character.htm

Crossing the River Jordan
... While Joshua was at Shittim, he secretly sent two men as spies, with the command:
"Go, explore the land and especially Jericho." So they went and entered the ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/crossing the river jordan.htm

Scriptural Types.
... length from east to west, and ten cubits in width; the eastern end, which constituted
the front, having only a vail suspended from five pillars of shittim-wood ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

An Old Subscription List
... all jewels of gold.' And then it goes on to 'blue, and purple, and scarlet, and
fine linen, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood.' And ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/an old subscription list.htm

Introduction
... And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their
hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver." From Heb.10:19, 20 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/why four gospels/introduction.htm

The Power of Little Things.
... and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats'
hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, oil ...
/.../moody/to the work to the work/chapter vi the power of.htm

Balaam
... 'Remember,' says the prophet Micah, 'O my people, what Balak, king of Moab, consulted,
and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon xiv balaam.htm

Shittim (34 Occurrences)
... Acacias, also called "Abel-shittim" (Numbers 33:49), a plain or valley in the land
of Moab where the Israelites were encamped after their two victories over ...
/s/shittim.htm - 20k

Abel-shittim (1 Occurrence)
Abel-shittim. Abelshittim, Abel-shittim. Abez . Easton's Bible Dictionary ...
25:1; 31:16). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ABEL-SHITTIM. ...
/a/abel-shittim.htm - 10k

Staffs (47 Occurrences)
... up their rods. (See NAS NIV). Exodus 25:13 And thou shalt make staffs of
shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. (WBS). Exodus 25 ...
/s/staffs.htm - 19k

Abelshittim (1 Occurrence)
... Meadow of the acacias, frequently called simply "Shittim" (Numbers 25:1; Joshua
2:1; Micah 6:5), a place on the east of Jordan, in the plain of Moab, nearly ...
/a/abelshittim.htm - 10k

Staves (50 Occurrences)
... staves. (DBY). Exodus 25:13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood,
and overlay them with gold. (KJV JPS ASV DBY YLT). Exodus ...
/s/staves.htm - 23k

Overlayeth (19 Occurrences)
... Exodus 36:36 and he maketh for it four pillars of shittim 'wood', and overlayeth
them with gold; their pegs 'are' of gold; and he casteth for them four sockets ...
/o/overlayeth.htm - 11k

Overlaid (50 Occurrences)
... round about. (YLT). Exodus 25:13 and thou hast made staves of shittim wood,
and hast overlaid them 'with' gold, (YLT). Exodus 25:24 ...
/o/overlaid.htm - 21k

Maketh (399 Occurrences)
... badgers' skins above. (YLT). Exodus 36:20 And he maketh the boards for the
tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up; (YLT). Exodus 36:23 ...
/m/maketh.htm - 34k

Pegs (22 Occurrences)
... Exodus 26:32 and thou hast put it on four pillars of shittim wood, overlaid 'with'
gold, their pegs 'are' of gold, on four sockets of silver. (YLT). ...
/p/pegs.htm - 12k

Beth-jeshimoth (4 Occurrences)
... House of wastes, or deserts, a town near Abel-shittim, east of Jordan, in the desert
of Moab, where the Israelites encamped not long before crossing the Jordan ...
/b/beth-jeshimoth.htm - 9k

What is the significance of Shittim in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What was Baal Peor in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Places Outside Israel ' Article Index | GotQuestions.org

Shittim: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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