King James Bible Dictionary

Abounding in foliage, or abounding in caverns, (Genesis 21:21), a desert tract forming the north-eastern division of the peninsula of Sinai, lying between the Arabah on the east and the wilderness of Shur on the west. It is intersected in a north-western direction by the Wady el-Arish. It bears the modern name of Badiet et-Tih, i.e., "the desert of the wanderings." This district, through which the children of Israel wandered, lay three days' march from Sinai (Numbers 10:12, 33). From Kadesh, in this wilderness, spies (q.v.) were sent to spy the land (13:3, 26). Here, long afterwards, David found refuge from Saul (1 Samuel 25:1, 4).

beauty; glory; ornament

Desert or wilderness of
Genesis 21:21; Numbers 10:12; Numbers 12:16; Numbers 13:3; Numbers 13:26; Deuteronomy 1:1

Mountains of
Deuteronomy 33:2; Habakkuk 3:3

Israelites encamp in
Numbers 12:16

David takes refuge in
1 Samuel 25:1

Hadad flees to
1 Kings 11:17-18

(peace of caverns), a desert or wilderness, bounded on the north by Palestine, on the east by the valley of Arabah, on the south by the desert of Sinai, and on the west by the wilderness of Etham, which separated it from the Gulf of Suez and Egypt. The first notice of Paran is in connection with the invasion of the confederate kings. (Genesis 14:6) The detailed itinerary of the children of Isr'l in (Numbers 33:1) ... does not mention Paran because it was the name of a wide region; but the many stations in Paran are recorded, chs. 17-36. and probably all the eighteen stations were mentioned between Hazeroth and Kadesh were in Paran. Through this very wide wilderness, from pasture to pasture as do modern Arab tribes, the Isr'lites wandered in irregular lines of march. This region through which the Isr'lites journeyed so long is now called by the name it has borne for ages

Bedu et-Tih , "the wilderness of wandering." ("Bible Geography," Whitney.) "Mount" Paran occurs only in two poetic passages, (33:2); Habakkuk 3:3 It probably denotes the northwestern member of the Sinaitic mountain group which lies adjacent to the Wady Teiran . (It is probably the ridge or series of ridges lying on the northeastern part of the desert of Paran, not far from Kadesh.

ED.)

Probably the hilly region or upland wilderness on the north of the desert of Paran forming the southern boundary of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 33:2; Habakkuk 3:3).

PARANTHINE. [See Scapolite.]

PAR'ANYMPH, noun [Gr. by, and a bride or spouse.]

1. A brideman; one who leads the bride to her marriage.

2. One who countenances and supports another.