זֶרֶד
Zered, a brook East of the Dead Sea
Definition
Zered is a proper noun referring to a significant geographical feature in the biblical narrative: a brook or wadi located east of the Dead Sea. It served as a crucial boundary marker for the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings, specifically marking the end of their 38-year period of judgment in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:14). The name itself likely describes the valley's lush, overgrown character. In all its biblical occurrences, it consistently identifies this specific location, with no alternative meanings.
Biblical Usage
The word זֶרֶד (Zered) is used exclusively as a geographical proper noun in three Old Testament verses, all within the context of recounting Israel's journey toward the Promised Land. It appears in the historical summary in Numbers 21:12 and is referenced twice in Moses's retrospective speech in Deuteronomy 2:13-14. Its usage is strictly to identify a pivotal location where the generation that left Egypt finally died off, marking a transition point in Israel's history.
Etymology
The name זֶרֶד (Zered) is derived from an unused Hebrew root suggesting 'to be exuberant in growth' or 'to be luxuriant.' This implies the brook or its valley was notably lined with vegetation or shrubbery, a distinctive feature in the arid Transjordan region. It is a place-name whose meaning is descriptive of its physical environment.
Semantic Range
The Brook Zered holds theological significance as a landmark of divine judgment and transition. Crossing it marked the end of the 38-year period of wandering, during which the faithless generation died off as God had decreed (Deuteronomy 2:14). It symbolizes a turning point where God's promise moves forward with a new generation, underscoring themes of God's faithfulness to His word, the seriousness of rebellion, and the hope of new beginnings.
In the ancient Near East, wadis (seasonal riverbeds) like the Brook Zered were vital geographical markers, often serving as tribal boundaries and landmarks for travel. Its name, describing lush growth, would have been a practical identifier for travelers in a region where such verdant areas were notable and served as natural resting points or waypoints on journeys.
נַחַל (nakhal, H5158) — A more general Hebrew term for a wadi, stream, or valley, while Zered is the specific name of one.
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.
Full methodology & sources →