Word study · Greek
erēmos
wilderness, deserted
Say it: EH-ray-moss (approximate)
ἔρημος
What it means
Empty, uninhabited, wild: the open country away from towns. In Scripture the wilderness is where Israel was formed after the exodus and tested for forty years, and where prophets like Elijah met God. In Mark it's where John preaches (1:3-4), where Jesus is tested (1:12-13), and where he goes to pray and to be alone (1:35, 1:45, 6:31-32).
Range of meaning
- DesertedEmpty of people.
- WildernessWild, open country.
- A lonely placeWhere someone goes to be alone.
In Mark
- Chapter 1
John in the wilderness, the temptation, and Jesus praying in deserted places (1:3-4, 1:12-13, 1:35, 1:45).