Location
Overview
The wilderness of Sin — a place-name unrelated to the English word "sin" — lay "between Elim and Sinai." It is where heaven first fed Israel with bread and meat.
Murmuring for bread
A month out of Egypt, the whole congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron, longing for "the flesh pots" of Egypt (Exodus 16:2–3).
Manna and quail
God answered: "at even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread." Quails came up that evening, and in the morning lay "a small round thing" on the ground. "It is manna... the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat" (Exodus 16:13–15).
The bread from heaven
In this wilderness God established the daily gathering of manna and the rest of the seventh day — a daily lesson in dependence that would feed Israel for forty years (Exodus 16:35).
Events Here
God gives manna and quail in the wilderness of Sin
Scripture References
4 versesExodus2 verses
Exodus 16:1
And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
Exodus 17:1
And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
Numbers2 verses
Numbers 33:11
And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
Numbers 33:12
And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
Archaeology & History
The wilderness of Sin is placed "between Elim and Sinai" (Exodus 16:1) in the south-western Sinai; its name is thought to derive from a local term (possibly linked to the moon-god Sin) and has nothing to do with the English word. It is distinct from the wilderness of Zin near Kadesh, encountered later.
Frequently asked about Wilderness of Sin
Where is Wilderness of Sin today?
Today, Wilderness of Sin corresponds to South-western Sinai (between Elim and Sinai).
What does the name Wilderness of Sin mean?
The name Wilderness of Sin means “Unrelated to the English word "sin"”.
What happened at Wilderness of Sin in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Wilderness of Sin include god gives manna and quail in the wilderness of sin.
Where is Wilderness of Sin first mentioned in the Bible?
Wilderness of Sin is first mentioned in Exodus 16:1.
How often is Wilderness of Sin mentioned in the Bible?
Wilderness of Sin is mentioned in 4 verses across 2 books: Exodus, Numbers.
Is the "wilderness of Sin" about sin?
No — the name is a place-name unrelated to the English word "sin." It is the desert between Elim and Mount Sinai.
What happened in the wilderness of Sin?
God first gave Israel manna ("bread from heaven") in the morning and quail in the evening there, establishing the daily provision that sustained them in the desert.