Original Word: עִיִּים
Part of Speech: Proper name
Transliteration: `Iyiym
Pronunciation: ee-yeem
Phonetic Spelling: (ee-yeem')
KJV: Iim
NASB: Iim, Iyim
Word Origin: [plural of H5856 (עִי - heap of ruins)]

1. ruins
2. Ijim, a place in the Desert

Iim

Plural of iy; ruins; Ijim, a place in the Desert. -- Iim.

see HEBREW iy

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a place on the E. border of Moab
NASB Translation
Iim (1), Iyim (1).

עִיִּים proper name, of a location Γαι, etc. (as if עַי):

1 station of Israel on east border of Moab, before דִּיבֹן גָּד Numbers 33:45, = עִיֵּי הָעֲבָרִים Numbers 33:44; Numbers 21:11 (all P; ᵐ5 ignores הָעֲבָרִים).

2 city in Judah Joshua 15:29 (P).

עֵילוֺם see עוֺלָם below עלם.

General Meaning

The name עִיִּים (Iim, also rendered Iyyim) denotes “ruins” or “heaps.” As a place–name it evokes the image of a desolate or deserted location, a vivid reminder of the transience of human settlements apart from the sustaining hand of God.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Numbers 33:45 situates Iim on the route of Israel’s wilderness journey: “They set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad.” This brief notation places the site between the stations of Oboth and Dibon-gad during the final approach to the Plains of Moab.
2. Joshua 15:29 lists Iim among the southern towns allotted to the tribe of Judah: “Baalah, Iim, Ezem.” Here the name appears in a catalog of villages marking Judah’s Negev frontier.

Geographical Context

In the Exodus itinerary, Iim lies east of the Dead Sea, likely in the arid region south of Moab. After the conquest, the same or a similarly named site is counted within Judah’s Negev, an expansive desert borderland. Some scholars propose two distinct places; others view the Joshua reference as a resettled or renamed location within the promised land. In either case, Iim represents territory on the margins—wilderness becoming inheritance, desolation giving way to covenant possession.

Historical Significance

For the generation in Numbers, encamping at Iim marked continued progress under the cloud and fire of the Lord’s guidance. Each station in Numbers 33 is a testament to divine faithfulness—forty-two named stops culminating in entry into Canaan. When Joshua records Iim inside Judah’s allotment, the transformation is complete: what once was a way-station in a barren landscape now lies inside Israel’s tribal boundaries. The shift from nomadic encampment to settled inheritance embodies the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise (Genesis 15:18-21).

Theological Themes

1. God turns ruins into dwelling places. Iim’s very name (“ruins”) contrasts with its eventual inclusion in the land grant, illustrating Isaiah 58:12, “You will raise up the age-old foundations.”
2. The meticulous record of encampments (Numbers 33) underscores providential ordering of life’s journey. Even a brief halt at a remote locale is etched into Scripture, assuring believers that no season is insignificant.
3. Boundary towns in Joshua emphasize covenant faithfulness. The catalog demonstrates that every promise, down to the farthest desert village, is kept intact (Joshua 21:45).

Lessons for Ministry and Personal Application

• Seasons that feel like “ruins” may be transitional stations en route to God’s appointed inheritance.
• Faith communities can draw hope from Iim: barren places today may become centers of future fruitfulness when yielded to the Lord.
• Leaders should record and remember God’s guidance at each stage; such chronicles fortify faith in later trials.
• Evangelism and church planting in overlooked regions echo the transformation of Iim—bringing the gospel where little life appears, confident that God can populate the desolate with praise.

Related Biblical Parallels

• Elim (Exodus 15:27) contrasts Iim: from “ruins” to “oases,” God shepherds through varied terrains.
• Isaiah 35 foretells deserts blossoming, resonating with Iim’s movement from wilderness stop to inherited land.
• Nehemiah’s rebuilding of Jerusalem’s ruins (Nehemiah 2:17-18) further reveals the divine pattern of renewal.

Summary

Though mentioned only twice, Iim encapsulates a grand biblical motif: God leads His people through wastelands and turns desolation into possession. The name stands as a memorial that no place or season is beyond His power to redeem, and every step of the journey is woven into His faithful purposes.

וְעִיִּ֖ים ועיים מֵעִיִּ֑ים מעיים mê‘îyîm mê·‘î·yîm meiYim veiYim wə‘îyîm wə·‘î·yîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts