Elim

Biblical Record

Elim appears in Exodus and Numbers. After the crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites traveled for three days in the Wilderness of Shur without finding water. At Marah the water was too bitter to drink, but when Moses cast into the water a tree that God had shown him, the water was made sweet (Exodus 15:22-26). The people then came to Elim. Exodus 15:27 records that there were "twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees" there, and that the people "encamped there by the waters."

According to Exodus 16:1, the people set out from Elim and came to the Wilderness of Sin, "which is between Elim and Sinai." This took place on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from Egypt. The account of the manna and quail follows in the Wilderness of Sin. Numbers 33:9-10, which lists the encampments of the wilderness journey in order, also mentions the springs and palm trees of Elim. Numbers, however, states that after leaving Elim the people first encamped by the Red Sea, thus recording one more stopping point than Exodus does.

Background

The Hebrew place name Elim is related to a word for large trees (such as oaks or terebinths) and is commonly interpreted to mean "trees." Understood this way, the name fits the text's description of an oasis with springs and palm trees.

The location of Elim depends on how one reconstructs the route of the Exodus. Traditionally it has been placed at a site with water and trees among the wadis (dry valleys) along the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula, such as the area of Wadi Gharandel. No location, however, has been firmly established.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Within the flow of the narrative, Elim is a place of provision and rest given after the hardship of finding no water and then only bitter water. At the same time, it was not a place where the people were to remain and settle. Israel left Elim and went back into the wilderness.

The New Testament does not mention Elim directly. Paul, however, read the entire wilderness journey as an example for later believers (1 Corinthians 10:11-12). Some preachers also connect the springs of Elim with the image of the Lamb who leads His people "unto living fountains of waters" (Revelation 7:9-17).

Interpretations and Points of Discussion

• Numerical symbolism: In the allegorical tradition of interpretation, which seeks a spiritual meaning hidden behind the text, the twelve springs have sometimes been linked to the twelve tribes of Israel or the twelve apostles, and the seventy palm trees to the seventy elders or the seventy whom Jesus sent out (Luke 10:1). The text itself does not state such meanings. Many Protestant commentators therefore read the numbers as a record of the actual size of the oasis and treat symbolic interpretations separately, as illustrative applications.
• The "Elim after Marah" pattern: Applying the passage as a general principle that rest always follows hardship is common in preaching. The text, however, goes on to relate that after Elim the people again experienced hunger and murmuring (Exodus 16:2-3). For this reason, some interpreters regard Elim not as a final rest but as a providential provision given in the course of the journey.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, the theme "from Marah to Elim" is frequently used when speaking of comfort and restoration after hardship. The name "Elim," with its connotations of rest and renewal, is also used in the names of churches, prayer houses, and retreat centers.