Parán (Heb. Pâ’rân, “place of caves” or “beauty”). 1. In Gen 14:6 (JB, NBE, LPD) a certain “El-Parán” (Heb. ‘íŠl Pâ’rân, “mighty tree of Paran”) is mentioned, a place in the southern part of Palestine that some identified with Elat,* in the Gulf of Aqaba; others believe that he cannot be identified (our KJV translates the Hebrew phrase). 2. Monte, or mountainous region, located in the Paran desert. According to Deu 33:2 and Hab 3:3, the desert of Paran would be the high plateau that extended south from Kadeshbarnea to the granite mountains of Sinai. The region is now known as et-T§h. It reaches a height of between 600 and 760 meters above sea level. For other details, see Paran 3. 3. Desert located between Midian and Egypt (1Ki 11:18), and between Sinai and Canaan (Num 10:12). Kadeshbarnea was within its limits (13:26) and possibly also Elath* over the Red Sea. The desert of Zin seems to have been part of it or overlapped in a sector (cf Num 13:26 with 20:1). Ishmael lived there (Gen 21:21), before his descendants spread to other parts of Arabia, and the children of Israel spent 38 years wandering through it. From this area the spies were sent to Canaan and returned to her at the end of her mission (Num 13: 1-3, 25, 26). David spent some time as a fugitive in this region (1Sa 25:1). See Parán 2. Map V, B/C-6.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
1. Desert south of Kadesh in the Sinai peninsula, homeland of the Ishmaelites, Gn 14, 3; 21, 21; Nm 11, 12. Hagar and Ishmael, when they were thrown out of the house of Abraham, arrived at P., Gn 21, 21. On the way to Egypt, when Hadad was fleeing from Solomon, they passed by P., 1 R 11, 17- 18. The Israelites also camped in P. during their march to the Promised Land and Moses sent several explorers to Canaan from there, Nm 13, 3. 2. Mount in Edom, where God appeared, Dt 33, 2; Ha 3, 3.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
(Heb., paran, ornamental). Desert area first mentioned as El-paran (Gen 14:6). Its limits seem uncertain.
It is located in the central area of the Sinai Peninsula. The four kings of the east passed through this region trying to put down the rebellion of their vassals (Gen 14:6). It was the area where Ishmael lived (Gen 21:21). Twice, after leaving Mount Sinai, the Israelites camped in this desert (Num 10:12; Num 12:16). When Moses ordered the spies to watch the land of Canaan as God had commanded, they went up from the desert of Paran (Num 13:3) and later returned to it (Num 13:26). As David mourned the loss of Samuel, he went to Paran (1Sa 25:1). One of the most important commercial routes of that time crossed Paran, for which Hadad, after rebelling against Solomon, crossed it in his flight to Egypt.
The mountains of Paran are mentioned twice in the Scriptures (Deu 33:2; Hab 3:3). There are two mountains that could be identified with this name, but it is believed that the most logical place for its location would be the rugged mountain range located to the west of the Gulf of Hace.
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
Desert in the eastern part of the Sinai Peninsula. The Israelites referred to it in a general way, meaning the desert lands south of Canaan. Biblical references give a rough idea of the area it comprised. Thus, in the time of Abraham the king † ¢ Chedorlaomer and his allies made conquests that reached † œas far as the plain of P., which is next to the desert † (Gen 14: 6), a place that is identified with † ¢ Eilat , on the shores of the Red Sea. Moses spoke to the people “in the Arabah opposite the Red Sea, between P., Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab” (Deu 1:1). It is seen, therefore, that the Red Sea served as the limit to the desert of P. The northern limit can be deduced from the dispatch of the spies “from the desert of P.”, who gave their report “in the desert of P. ., in Kadesh† (Num 13:3, Num 13:26). Then Kadesh was the northern limit.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
tip, REGI MONT
see, PILGRIMAGE THROUGH THE DESERT
sit, a4, 151, 287
vet, Desert region in the south of Canaan and west of Edom. There Ishmael dwelt (Gen. 21:21), and in this region was Kadesh, where the Israelites camped and from where they sent the twelve spies, and there they met again at the end of their pilgrimage (Num. 10:12; 12:16; 13:3, 26; Deut. 1:1). David also took refuge for a time in his wilderness (1 Sam. 25:1; 1 Kings 11:18). Mount Paran is also mentioned, which undoubtedly refers to some mountain in the same region (Deut. 33:2; Hab. 3:3). Parán currently receives the name of “et Tih”; It is between Kadesh and Sinai. (See WILDERNESS PILGRIMAGE.)
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Most of the vast desert region through which the nation of Israel wandered for some thirty-eight years before entering the Promised Land. (Nu 10:11, 12; De 2:14) Although it occupied the central and northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula, it had no fixed boundaries. To the E. was the part of the great cleft known as the Arabah and also the Gulf of `Aqaba; to the S., the desert of Sinai; to SW., the desert of Sin; and to NO. and to the N., the deserts of Ezam and Sur. In the region of the Dead Sea, to the NE., Paran encompassed the desert of Zin and perhaps reached as far as Beer-sheba, in the vicinity of the mountains of Judah. (1Sa 25:1, 2)
Parán was mainly a rugged mountainous limestone region, with some plateaus. The central section, which ranged between 600 and 750 m. high (De 33:2; compare Hab 3:3), it was also part of “that great and fear-inspiring wilderness” mentioned at Deuteronomy 1:1, 19; 8:15. Except during brief rainy seasons, the gravel surface of this rugged terrain is devoid of green vegetation, and springs are few and far between. These factors emphasize that the nation of Israel—whose population may have numbered 3,000,000—was totally dependent on Jehovah for miraculous provision of food and water during their years of wandering in the wilderness. (Ex 16:1, 4, 12-15, 35; De 2:7; 8:15, 16)
Apparently, the first reference to this desert of Paran is made in the days of Lot, when Kedorlaomer and his allies defeated several cities in the vicinity of the Dead Sea and Edom as far as El-paran, S. (Ge 14:4- 6.) Later, Ishmael settled in the desert of Paran after being sent away by his father Abraham, and devoted himself mainly to hunting. (Ge 21:20, 21)
However, the main references to Paran are related to the time when the Israelites wandered in the desert. After departing from Mount Sinai to the N., Israel camped at Taberah, at Chibrot-hataavah, and then at Hazerot, on the southern border of Paran, before moving on to Kadesh-barnea. (Nu 10:12, 33; 11:3, 34, 35; 12:16) Shortly after entering Paran, the twelve spies were sent to explore Canaan. (Nu 13:3, 26) The misreporting of most of them when they returned resulted in Jehovah decreeing that the nation was to prolong their sojourn in the wilderness until all those who were registered and had murmured against God had died . (Nu 13:31-33; 14:20-34) Most of the places where Israel camped during those forty years, from Egypt to the Promised Land, were in Paran. (Nu 33:1-49.)
Although the Greek Septuagint says that David went to the desert of Maon after the death and burial of Samuel, the Masoretic text, as well as the Syriac Peshitta and the Latin Vulgate, indicate that he went to the desert of Paran. (1Sa 25: 1) After David ascended the throne and fought against Edom, the young Edomite prince Hadad escaped to Egypt together with some servants of his father. On the way, when he passed through Paran, some men joined him. (1Ki 11:15-18.)
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
Desert located in the eastern central region of the Sinai Peninsula, NE of traditional Sinai and SSE of Kadesh, with the Arabah and the Gulf of Acaba on its eastern edge. Hagar and Ishmael went to this desert when they were thrown out of Abraham’s house (Gen. 21.21). The Israelites crossed it when they undertook the exodus from Egypt (Num. 10.12; 12.16), and from there the men that Moses sent to spy out the land of Canaan departed (Num. 13.3, 26). This desert was also traversed by the Edomite Hadad when he fled from Egypt (1 Kings 11.18).
1 S. 25.1 relates that David went to the desert of Paran when the prophet Samuel died, but in this case we can read, with the Greek, “desert of Maon”.
He-paran, which according to Gn. 14.6 (°vm) was located by the desert, it may have been an ancient name for Elat. The Mt. of Paran in the song of Moses (Dt. 33.2) and of Hab. 3.3 was, possibly, a prominent peak in the mountain chain on the western coast of the Gulf of Ácaba (* zinc) (see pp. 1044).
RAHG
Douglas, J. (2000). New Biblical Dictionary: First Edition. Miami: United Bible Societies.
Source: New Bible Dictionary