Wilderness of Zin in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

The N.E. portion of the wilderness of Paran. (See PARAN.) The spring of Kadesh lay in it (Numbers 20:1; Numbers 27:14; Deuteronomy 32:51). frontKADESH.) It probably stretched from the Arabah on the E. to Kadesh on the W. The wilderness of Zin formed the immediate boundary of Canaan (Numbers 13:21; Numbers 34:3), and comprised also the whole rugged mountain region S. of wady el Murrah, and wady el Fikrah as far E. as the Arabah, and as far W. as Ain Kadeis (fountain of Kadesh) and wady el Arish ("the river of Egypt".) The Arabah separated it from the mountains of Edom. On the declivity of a commanding hill within Edom's territory stands the village Dhana which may correspond to Zin. Though the wilderness of Zin does not strictly belong to Edom, yet it was connected with Edom; hence Judah's cities are said to lie "toward the coast of Edom" (Joshua 15:21). The wilderness of Kadesh is identical with the western part of the wilderness of Zin (Numbers 33:36). Kadesh was "in the uttermost border of Edom," i.e. in the uttermost W. of the wilderness of Zin which borders Edom (Numbers 20:16). The name Zin, i.e. coldness, however may be given from some cold fountain at the head of wady el Murrah. Do not confound it with "the wilderness of Sin."