Champaign
What Is a Champaign?
The word "champaign" comes from Old French and refers to a flat, open expanse of country, essentially a plain or lowland. It appears in the King James Version of Deuteronomy 11:30, where Moses describes the location of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal as being "over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh" in the champaign. Modern translations replace this archaic term with "the Arabah" or simply "the plain," making the geographical reference clearer for contemporary readers.
The Arabah: Israel's Great Rift Valley
The Hebrew word behind "champaign" most often refers to the Arabah, the dramatic geological depression that runs from north to south through the land of Israel. This rift valley extends from the Sea of Galilee southward through the Jordan River valley to the Dead Sea, and then continues further south to the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea (Deuteronomy 1:1; 2:8).
The Arabah is mentioned frequently in Scripture as a defining geographical feature. It served as a natural boundary, a travel corridor, and a distinctive landscape. The Jordan River flows through it, and the Dead Sea sits at its lowest point, the lowest place on earth. Moses described the promised land as including "the Arabah, the hill country, the Shephelah, the Negeb, and the seacoast" (Deuteronomy 1:7), showing how this flat valley was one of the recognized regions of Canaan.
The Arabah in Biblical History
Many pivotal events took place in the Arabah. The Israelites crossed the Jordan River near Jericho, where the waters stood up in a heap as the priests carried the ark into the river (Joshua 3:16). The "plains of Jericho" (Joshua 5:10) and the "plains of Moab" (Numbers 22:1; 26:3) were located in this valley, and it was on the plains of Moab that Moses delivered his final addresses to Israel before his death.
The Arabah also appears in military contexts. When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, King Zedekiah fled toward the Arabah before being captured near Jericho (2 Kings 25:4-5; Jeremiah 39:4; 52:7). The valley's openness made it a natural escape route, though in this case it provided no refuge.
Broader Valleys in Scripture
The term translated "champaign" in Ezekiel 37:2 refers to a different Hebrew word describing a broad, open valley. This word appears in references to specific valleys such as the valley of Jericho (Deuteronomy 34:3), the valley of Megiddo (2 Chronicles 35:22; Zechariah 12:11), and the valley of Lebanon (Joshua 11:17). These were wide, fertile plains surrounded by hills or mountains, distinct from narrow gorges or mountain passes.
The valley of Megiddo, for instance, is the broad plain where many ancient battles took place and where Revelation places the final battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). The valley of Lebanon, between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges, was known in later times as Coele-Syria and remains an important geographical region today known as the Beqaa Valley.
The Arabah as Wilderness and Promise
In the prophetic literature, the Arabah symbolizes both desolation and future transformation. Isaiah uses the same Hebrew root to describe wilderness and desert regions (Isaiah 33:9; 35:1; 40:3; 41:19; 51:3). Yet the prophet also envisions a day when "the wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus" (Isaiah 35:1). The Arabah thus becomes a symbol of God's power to transform barren places into fruitful landscapes.
Ezekiel's vision of the river flowing from the temple describes waters that flow down into the Arabah and enter the Dead Sea, making its waters fresh and teeming with life (Ezekiel 47:8). This prophetic vision transforms the most desolate part of the champaign into a picture of divine renewal.
Biblical Context
The champaign or Arabah appears throughout the Pentateuch as a key geographical marker for the promised land (Deuteronomy 1:1, 7; 2:8; 3:17; 11:30). It features in the conquest narratives of Joshua (Joshua 3:16; 8:14; 11:16-17; 12:1-3), in the historical books describing military movements (2 Samuel 2:29; 2 Kings 14:25; 25:4-5), and in prophetic visions of future transformation (Isaiah 35:1; Ezekiel 47:8).
Theological Significance
The Arabah serves as a backdrop for key themes of divine provision and transformation. Israel's crossing of the Jordan in the Arabah echoes the Red Sea crossing, demonstrating God's ongoing faithfulness. The prophetic vision of the desert blooming (Isaiah 35:1) and dead waters coming alive (Ezekiel 47:8) speaks to God's power to bring life where there is none, a theme that resonates with the gospel message of spiritual renewal.
Historical Background
The Arabah rift valley is part of the Great Rift Valley system extending from Syria to East Africa. In ancient times, it served as a trade route connecting the Red Sea port of Ezion-geber with the Mediterranean world. Copper mines in the southern Arabah (Timna and Feinan) were worked from the Chalcolithic period onward. Today the northern section is called the Ghor in Arabic, while the name Arabah is preserved for the section south of the Dead Sea, matching the ancient biblical usage.