Lexical Definition

‎אֵתָם‎ ʼÊthâm (ay-thawm') Etham ^N:N--L
of Egyptian derivation

Etham.

• § Etham = "with them: their plowshare"
• Etham, a place in the Desert

1) a stopping place for Israel during the Exodus

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎אֵתָם‎ proper name, of a location (perhaps = Egyptian Chetem, compare Eb^{GS 521 f.} but ᵐ5 Ὀθομ, Ὀθωμ, compare Lag^{BN 54}) Exod 13:20 in Egypt, place on edge of desert, so Num 33:6; Num 33:7 ‎אִדְבַּר אֵתָם‎ Num 33:8. ‎אַתֶּם‎ see below ‎אנת‎. ‎אֶתְמוֺל‎ see below ‎תמל‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Etham • Wilderness area where Israelites camped during the Exodus

Etham, a wilderness area on the edge of the desert where the Israelites camped during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

• A location first mentioned at Exo.13.20;
• only referred to as Etham אֵתָם.
  

Etham is mentioned in the Book of Exodus and Numbers as one of the places where the Israelites camped during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. After leaving Succoth, the Israelites camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness (Exodus 13:20; Numbers 33:6).

The location of Etham is described as being on the edge of the wilderness, likely referring to the Sinai desert. It was the last stop before the Israelites turned back and camped near Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea (Numbers 33:7).

The name Etham may be derived from the Egyptian word "khetam," meaning "fortress" or "castle," suggesting that it was a border fortification marking the edge of Egyptian territory. Some scholars propose that Etham was located near the present-day Ismailia, on the eastern edge of the Nile delta, but the exact location remains uncertain.

The wilderness of Etham is also mentioned in Numbers 33:8, referring to the area through which the Israelites passed after crossing the Red Sea. This suggests that the name Etham was associated with a larger region, extending from the edge of the Nile delta to the Sinai desert.

All entries for Etham: אֵתָם