AI illustration: Horeb - Mountain of God

What is Horeb in the Bible?

The mountain where the LORD spoke to Israel out of the fire and made his covenant with them.

Horeb is a mountain in the wilderness that Scripture calls the mountain of God. Moses comes there while keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law (Exodus 3:1).

Horeb in the Bible

God tells Moses to strike the rock in Horeb so that water will come out for the people to drink (Exodus 17:6). Deuteronomy places Horeb eleven days' journey from Kadeshbarnea by the way of mount Seir (Deuteronomy 1:2). It recalls Horeb as the place where the LORD spoke to Israel out of the midst of the fire and made a covenant with them (Deuteronomy 4:15; Deuteronomy 5:2).

There the people also provoked the LORD to wrath (Deuteronomy 9:8) and made a calf and worshipped the molten image (Psalms 106:19). Moses placed the two tables of stone in the ark at Horeb (1 Kings 8:9). Later the prophet Elijah travels forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God (1 Kings 19:8).

Malachi calls on Israel to remember the law of Moses commanded in Horeb (Malachi 4:4).

Name meaning
Dryness, desolation
Name origin
Hebrew
Role
Mountain of God
First mention
Exodus 3:1
Appearances in the Bible
17 mentions

Questions about Horeb

What is Horeb in the Bible?

Horeb is a mountain in the wilderness that Scripture calls the mountain of God. Moses comes there while keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law (Exodus 3:1). God tells Moses to strike the rock in Horeb so that water will come out for the people to drink (Exodus 17:6). Deuteronomy places Horeb eleven days' journey from Kadeshbarnea by the way of mount Seir (Deuteronomy 1:2). It recalls Horeb as the place where the LORD spoke to Israel out of the midst of the fire and made a covenant with them (Deuteronomy 4:15; Deuteronomy 5:2). There the people also provoked the LORD to wrath (Deuteronomy 9:8) and made a calf and worshipped the molten image (Psalms 106:19). Moses placed the two tables of stone in the ark at Horeb (1 Kings 8:9). Later the prophet Elijah travels forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God (1 Kings 19:8). Malachi calls on Israel to remember the law of Moses commanded in Horeb (Malachi 4:4).

What does the name Horeb mean?

The name Horeb means “Dryness, desolation”. Origin: Hebrew.

Where is Horeb first mentioned in the Bible?

Horeb is first mentioned in Exodus 3:1.

How many times is Horeb mentioned in the Bible?

Number of mentions in the Bible: 17.