Deuteronomy 1:2

Authorized King James Version

PDF

(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.)

Original Language Analysis

אַחַ֨ד There are eleven H259
אַחַ֨ד There are eleven
Strong's: H259
Word #: 1 of 10
properly, united, i.e., one; or (as an ordinal) first
עָשָׂ֥ר H6240
עָשָׂ֥ר
Strong's: H6240
Word #: 2 of 10
ten (only in combination), i.e., -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth
יוֹם֙ days H3117
יוֹם֙ days
Strong's: H3117
Word #: 3 of 10
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
מֵֽחֹרֵ֔ב journey from Horeb H2722
מֵֽחֹרֵ֔ב journey from Horeb
Strong's: H2722
Word #: 4 of 10
choreb, a (generic) name for the sinaitic mountains
דֶּ֖רֶךְ by the way H1870
דֶּ֖רֶךְ by the way
Strong's: H1870
Word #: 5 of 10
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
הַר of mount H2022
הַר of mount
Strong's: H2022
Word #: 6 of 10
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
שֵׂעִ֑יר Seir H8165
שֵׂעִ֑יר Seir
Strong's: H8165
Word #: 7 of 10
seir, a mountain of idumaea and its indigenous occupants, also one in palestine
עַ֖ד H5704
עַ֖ד
Strong's: H5704
Word #: 8 of 10
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
קָדֵ֥שׁ H0
קָדֵ֥שׁ
Strong's: H0
Word #: 9 of 10
בַּרְנֵֽעַ׃ unto Kadeshbarnea H6947
בַּרְנֵֽעַ׃ unto Kadeshbarnea
Strong's: H6947
Word #: 10 of 10
kadesh-barnea, a place in the desert

Analysis & Commentary

The eleven-day journey from Horeb (Sinai) to Kadesh-barnea highlights the tragic consequence of Israel's unbelief. What should have been an eleven-day journey became a forty-year wandering due to their refusal to enter Canaan after the spies' negative report (Numbers 13-14). The specific temporal and geographical detail emphasizes how disobedience transforms blessing into discipline, proximity into distance, and immediate inheritance into generational delay.

Historical Context

Mount Seir refers to the region of Edom southeast of the Dead Sea. The eleven-day journey calculation shows Moses' intimate knowledge of the geography and serves as a poignant reminder of opportunity lost. This verse was written after the forty years of wandering, making the contrast between what could have been and what actually occurred painfully clear.

Questions for Reflection

Related Resources

Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.

Study Resources