Lives of Scripture
Wilderness of Paran
First named: Genesis 21:21
Traditional identification: Generally located in the central or northern Sinai Peninsula; its exact boundaries are not fixed by the text.
A wilderness region where Ishmael settled and where his mother Hagar found him a wife (Genesis 21:21), and later a stage of Israel's wilderness journey between Sinai and Kadesh. It was from Paran that Moses sent out the twelve spies to scout Canaan, ten of whom returned with a discouraging report that provoked God's judgment of forty years' wandering (Numbers 13).
References: Genesis 21:21; Numbers 10:12; Numbers 13:1-3; Numbers 13:26
People connected to Wilderness of Paran
- Abiram (M) — a Reubenite swallowed by the earth for rebelling against Moses in this wilderness
Numbers 16:27-33
- Gaddi (M) — the spy from Manasseh sent from this wilderness into Canaan
Numbers 13:3; Numbers 13:11
- Gaddiel (M) — the spy from Zebulun sent from this wilderness into Canaan
Numbers 13:3; Numbers 13:10
- Geuel (M) — the spy from Gad sent from this wilderness into Canaan
Numbers 13:3; Numbers 13:15
- Hagar (F) — wandered in this wilderness with Ishmael, where God showed her a well
Genesis 21:14-19
- Igal (M) — the spy from Issachar sent from this wilderness into Canaan
Numbers 13:3; Numbers 13:7
- Ishmael (M) — grew up in this wilderness and became an archer there
Genesis 21:20-21