תַּבְעֵרָה
Taberah, a place in the Desert
Definition
Taberah is a proper noun referring to a location in the wilderness where God's judgment by fire fell upon the Israelites during the Exodus. The name itself means 'burning' or 'conflagration,' derived directly from the event it commemorates. It is mentioned in Numbers 11:1-3, where the people's complaining provoked the Lord's anger, causing fire to consume the outskirts of the camp. In Deuteronomy 9:22, it is listed as one of the sites where Israel provoked God, alongside Massah, Kibroth-hattaavah, and Kadesh-barnea.
Biblical Usage
The word Taberah is used exclusively as a place name in two Old Testament passages. It appears in the historical narrative of Numbers 11:3, which records the event that gave the place its name. It is used again in Deuteronomy 9:22 within Moses's sermonic review of Israel's rebellions in the wilderness. Its usage is strictly tied to remembering a specific act of divine judgment.
Etymology
The name Taberah (תַּבְעֵרָה) is a noun derived from the Hebrew root בָּעַר (ba'ar, H1197), meaning 'to burn, consume, or kindle.' It is formed as a feminine noun indicating the location or result of the burning action. The name is therefore not a pre-existing geographic name but a descriptive title given to the site because of what happened there.
Semantic Range
Taberah serves as a sobering theological landmark, illustrating God's holiness and His intolerance of grumbling and ingratitude among His covenant people. It highlights the serious consequences of faithlessness, even for those who have experienced redemption. Understanding the Hebrew meaning ('burning') enriches the reading by connecting the place name directly to the act of judgment, making it a perpetual memorial within the biblical narrative of God's justice amidst His provision.
In ancient Israelite culture, significant locations were often named after events that occurred there (e.g., Massah, 'testing'; Meribah, 'quarreling'). Taberah fits this pattern, serving as a geographic reminder and oral history lesson for future generations about the dangers of complaining against God and His appointed leaders during their wilderness journey.
None directly applicable as a proper place name. Theologically, the event relates to concepts of judgment: אֵשׁ (ʼesh, H784) — the generic word for 'fire,' the instrument of judgment at Taberah. כִּבְרָה (Kibroth-hattaavah, H6914) — another wilderness location named for an event ('graves of craving') following Taberah in the narrative sequence.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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