What is…
Paran

also known as: Pharan , Faran, Midbar Pa'ran

Hebrew: פָארָן —transliteration: Paran —meaning: abounding in foliage, or abounding in caverns

This is a place in the desert of the Sinai peninsula (the Sinai wilderness).

Location

It forms the northeastern division of the Sinai peninsula, lying between the Arabah on the east and the wilderness of Shur on the west.

It is intersected in a northwest direction by the Wady el 'Arish. It bears the modern name of Badiet et-Tih, i.e., “the desert of the wanderings.”

The wilderness of Paran is one of the places that God’s pillar of cloud set down (Numbers 10:12).

This district, through which the children of Israel wandered, lay three days’ march from Sinai (Numbers 10:12, 10:33).

Mt. Paran and God

Mount Paran is mentioned in Deuteronomy and Habakkuk.

And he said,
“Yahweh came from Sinai,
And He dawned on them from Seir;
He shone forth from Mount Paran,
And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones;
At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them. —Deuteronomy 33:2 LSB

God comes from Teman,
And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah.
His splendor covers the heavens,
And the earth is full of his praise. —Habakkuk 3:3

Hagar and Ishmael

Hagar and her son Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran (Gen 21:21). While he lived there his mother obtained a wife for him from her native land of Egypt.

Spies

From Kadesh, in this wilderness, spies were sent to spy the land of Canaan (Num. 13:3, Num 13:26).

David and King Saul

Long afterwards, David found refuge here from King Saul (1 Samuel 25:1, 4).

After Samuel died and was buried, King “David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran” (1 Samuel 25:1).

More information

Article Version: September 20, 2024