People who moved about from place to place, having no settled abode. They lived in tents and frequented desert places
Examples of nomads
The patriarchs
Psalm 105:12–13; Hebrews 11:8–9 See also Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:3, Genesis 13:15, Genesis 13:18, Genesis 26:25, Genesis 31:25, Genesis 35:21; Deuteronomy 26:5; 1 Chronicles 16:18–20
When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land, they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
Israel during her desert wanderings
Numbers 32:13 See also 1 Chronicles 17:5–6 The Tabernacle was designed as a place of worship during this nomadic existence.
The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.
Other nomadic peoples
Genesis 4:20 Jabal; Judges 4:17 the Kenites; Judges 6:3; Habakkuk 3:7; Psalm 120:5; Jeremiah 49:28–29; Ezekiel 25:4; Isaiah 13:20 Arabs; Jeremiah 35:1–11 The Recabites retained their nomadic ways long after Israel had settled in the land of Canaan.
Desert tracks followed by nomads
The nomadic life as a spiritual symbol
1 Peter 2:11 See also Hebrews 11:13–16; 1 Peter 1:17
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
Jesus Christ as a nomad
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.