Original Word: מִתְקָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: Mithqah
Pronunciation: mith-KAH
Phonetic Spelling: (mith-kaw')
KJV: Mithcah
NASB: Mithkah
Word Origin: [feminine of H4987 (מוֹתֶק - sweetness)]

1. sweetness
2. Mithkah, a place in the Desert

Mithcah

Feminine of motheq; sweetness; Mithkah, a place in the Desert -- Mithcah.

see HEBREW motheq

Word Origin
from mathoq
Definition
a place in the desert
NASB Translation
Mithkah (2).

מִתְקָה proper name, of a location a station of Israel in desert Numbers 33:28,29. ᵐ5 Ματεκκα, A Μαθεκκα, ᵐ5 Ματτεκα.

Biblical Record

Mitkah appears twice in the inspired itinerary of Israel’s wilderness journey: “They set out from Terah and camped at Mitkah. They set out from Mitkah and camped at Hashmonah” (Numbers 33:28-29). Both references occur within Moses’ retrospective list of forty-two encampments, written near the plains of Moab just prior to Israel’s entrance into Canaan.

Location and Route

The exact geographical site remains uncertain, yet its placement between Terah and Hashmonah suggests a location in the northwestern sector of the Sinai Peninsula, after Israel had turned from their long detour in the wilderness of Paran and before they approached Mount Hor. Ancient route studies often place Mitkah on the caravan road that skirted the central highlands of Sinai, providing fresh water and a staging point before entering more rugged terrain. Archaeological surveys have proposed several wadis or oasis-like depressions, but none can be confirmed decisively.

Historical Context

1. Post-Kadesh Wanderings: Mitkah belongs to the final phase of Israel’s forty years. Following the refusal to enter the land from Kadesh (Numbers 14), the nation spent decades in the southern deserts. Mitkah is listed after Hor-hagidgad and before Hashmonah—an order reflecting a northerly march that ultimately led to Mount Hor and the Arnon River (Numbers 33:37-47).

2. Covenant Reminder: Each campsite carried covenantal significance; the list in Numbers 33 functions as a historical witness to the LORD’s steadfast guidance. By recording Mitkah, Scripture underscores that no stage of the journey was accidental or insignificant (compare Deuteronomy 8:2-4).

Relationship to Other Encampments

• Terah → Mitkah: The preceding station (Terah) shares root letters with the name of Abram’s father, subtly recalling the patriarchal origins of the nation and linking past promises to present progress.

• Mitkah → Hashmonah: The subsequent camp marks a transition toward the Edomite borderlands. Hashmonah means “fertile” or “fruitful,” indicating that Mitkah served as a threshold from the sparse central desert to comparatively richer terrain.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Guidance in Everyday Stages

Mitkah has no recorded miracle, rebellion, or victory. Its very ordinariness highlights a vital lesson: God’s leading is not limited to dramatic moments. The “by-the-way” camps prove that daily obedience matters as much as climactic events (Psalm 37:23).

2. Memory and Testimony

Mitchelling—literally “recording stops”—was commanded by God (Numbers 33:2). Mitkah therefore stands as testimony that Israel’s journey was supervised, measured, and purposeful. The believer’s walk likewise consists of remembered mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23).

3. Progress toward Rest

Every campsite marked both partial fulfillment and yet-to-be-fulfilled promise. Mitkah is one step closer to the Jordan. Hebrews 4:9-11 draws on these journeys to exhort believers toward entering the ultimate Sabbath-rest through faith and perseverance.

Ministry Applications

• Shepherding: Leaders trace and recount God’s faithfulness to nurture trust in present congregational challenges.
• Discipleship: Individual believers may list their own “Mitkah moments,” seeing how ordinary days prepare them for larger assignments.
• Teaching: Numbers 33 offers a model for biblical history classes, illustrating how narrative geography fosters theological reflection.

Intertextual Observations

While Mitkah is unique to Numbers 33, its narrative setting parallels the travel sections in Exodus 15-18 and Deuteronomy 1-2. These passages blend geography with theology, showing that space and time are arenas for covenant interaction.

Chronological Placement

Approximately year 40 of the Exodus era, a short time before Aaron’s death at Mount Hor (Numbers 33:38). This timing situates Mitkah just prior to renewed encounters with hostile nations (Arad, Edom, Moab) and just before the victories east of the Jordan (Numbers 21).

Summary

Mitkah, though briefly mentioned, embodies the faithful leading of the LORD through the wilderness. Its inclusion in the inspired travel log invites readers to trace God’s sovereign care in seemingly routine stretches of life, reinforcing trust that every stage, however unremarkable, advances the pilgrim people toward the inheritance promised long before.

בְּמִתְקָֽה׃ במתקה׃ מִמִּתְקָ֑ה ממתקה bə·miṯ·qāh bemitKah bəmiṯqāh mim·miṯ·qāh mimitKah mimmiṯqāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts