Arabah

Biblical References

The term Arabah appears frequently in the Old Testament as a geographical designation.

• Sea of the Arabah: The Dead Sea is called "the sea of the plain, even the salt sea" (Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16). According to 2 Kings 14:25, Jeroboam II, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, restored its territory "from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain."
• Wilderness journey: Deuteronomy 1:1 states that Moses delivered his words "in the wilderness, in the plain." Deuteronomy 2:8 records that Israel, bypassing the land of Edom, marched "through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber."
• Route of flight and travel: Abner and his men "walked all that night through the plain" (2 Samuel 2:29). When Jerusalem fell, King Zedekiah fled "the way toward the plain" and was captured "in the plains of Jericho" (2 Kings 25:4–5).
• Plural form "plains": The plural form arboth is usually rendered "plains" in the New Korean Revised Version. Examples include "the plains of Moab" (Numbers 22:1) and "the plains of Jericho" (Joshua 5:10), where the Exodus generation encamped just before entering Canaan.

Background

The Arabah is part of a vast rift valley (a valley formed where the earth's crust has split apart and subsided) that extends from the Sea of Galilee in the north through the Jordan River valley and the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba in the south. The surface of the Dead Sea lies more than 400 meters (about 1,300 feet) below sea level and is known as the lowest point on the earth's surface.

Because the region is hot and receives little rainfall, most of it is barren. In the southern Arabah, however, evidence of copper mining and smelting dating from ancient times has been identified. Scholars differ on which biblical period these sites should be associated with.

Today the Arabic name Wadi Arabah refers only to the stretch from south of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, which currently forms the border between Israel and Jordan. The biblical Arabah often denotes a broader area.

Significance Across Scripture

In the prophetic books, Arabah also serves as a symbol of dry and desolate land. The word rendered "desert" in Isaiah 35:1 ("the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose") and in Isaiah 40:3 ("make straight in the desert a highway for our God") is Arabah. The New Testament applies Isaiah 40:3 to the ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3; John 1:23).

In Ezekiel 47:8, the waters flowing out from the temple "go down into the desert, and go into the sea," and the waters are healed. The image portrays a land of death receiving life through God's restoration.

Interpretation and Issues

• Differences in translation: Depending on the context, the same word is rendered as a proper place name (Arabah), as a common noun (wilderness, desert), or in its plural form (plains). As a result, readers relying on a Korean Bible alone may find it difficult to recognize that a single Hebrew word is involved.
• Phrasing of Isaiah 40:3: The structure of the Hebrew text supports the reading "In the wilderness prepare the way." The New Testament and the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), by contrast, read "The voice of one crying in the wilderness." Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, documents of the Qumran community are also known to have applied this verse to the community's own life in the wilderness.
• Distinction from Arabia: The Arabah is not the same place as Arabia, where Paul stayed (Galatians 1:17).

There are no significant denominational differences in the understanding of this place name.

In the Korean Church

The name "Arabah" itself rarely appears in sermons. However, Isaiah 35 and 40, where the word occurs, are frequently preached as texts of restoration in which a way opens in the wilderness and the desert blossoms. They are especially often read in connection with John the Baptist during Advent.