Bible Word Study
עִיִּים
ʻÎyîym · Ijim, a place in the Desert.
עִיִּים
Ijim, a place in the Desert.
Definition
עִיִּים (ʻÎyîym) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in the biblical wilderness. It is identified as a stopping point for the Israelites during their desert wanderings after leaving Egypt (Numbers 33:45). The name also appears in a list of towns allotted to the tribe of Judah in the southern part of their territory (Joshua 15:29). The name itself means "ruins" or "heaps," suggesting it was either a known ruin or a desolate place. In both biblical contexts, it functions solely as a geographical name for a place in the arid southern region, with no indication of a separate meaning.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, exclusively as a place name. It first appears in the itinerary of the Exodus in Numbers 33:45, where the Israelites journey from Ijon to Ijim. Its second use is in Joshua 15:29, where it is listed among the cities in the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, in the Negev (south) district. There is no narrative or descriptive usage beyond these geographical listings.
Etymology
The word עִיִּים (ʻÎyîym) is the masculine plural form of the common noun עִי (ʻîy, H5856), which means "ruin," "heap," or "pile of rubble." It is derived from the root עוה (ʻwh), conveying the idea of being bent, twisted, or perverted, hence leading to a state of ruin. As a place name, it likely describes the appearance of the location—either an ancient ruin or a naturally desolate, rocky area.
Semantic Range
As a wilderness place name, Ijim reflects the harsh, nomadic reality of the Exodus generation and the subsequent settlement period. Naming a location "Ruins" would have been a practical, descriptive act for travelers, indicating a landmark of desolation rather than habitation. Its inclusion in both a travel log (Numbers) and a tribal boundary list (Joshua) shows how geographical knowledge was preserved and used for administrative purposes in ancient Israel. עִי (ʻîy, H5856) — The singular form meaning 'ruin' or 'heap,' from which Ijim is directly derived. חָרְבָּה (chorbah, H2723) — A more common term for 'waste place' or 'desolation,' often used for destroyed cities, whereas Ijim is a specific proper name.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]