Original Word: יָטְבָתָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Yotbathah
Pronunciation: yoht-bah-THAH
Phonetic Spelling: (yot-baw'-thaw)
KJV: Jotbath, Jotbathah
NASB: Jotbathah
Word Origin: [from H3192 (יָטבָּה - Jotbah)]

1. Jotbathah, a place in the Desert

Jotbath, Jotbathah

From Yotbah; Jotbathah, a place in the Desert -- Jotbath, Jotbathah.

see HEBREW Yotbah

Word Origin
from yatab
Definition
"pleasantness," a place in the desert
NASB Translation
Jotbathah (3).

יָטְבָ֫תָה proper name, of a location (pleasantness) station of Israel in wilderness Numbers 33:33,34 (P), Deuteronomy 10:7, site unknown.

Geographical Setting

Yotvathah is identified as an oasis-like encampment in the Arabah, probably between the modern Gulf of Aqaba and the central plateau of Edom. Its location south of Ezion-geber and north of the Red Sea headwaters positions it along the ancient caravan route that later became the King’s Highway. Surface geology attests to copper-bearing strata, abundant acacia, and permanent springs—features that match the biblical description of “a land with streams of water” (Deuteronomy 10:7).

Biblical Narrative

1. Numbers 33:33-34 records Yotvathah as the eighteenth station of Israel’s wilderness itinerary, immediately after Punon and before Abronah.
2. Deuteronomy 10:6-7 recounts the journey “from Moserah to Bene-Jaakan, from Bene-Jaakan to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water.” The reference follows Moses’ summary of Aaron’s death and the setting apart of the Levites, locating Yotvathah within a pivotal covenant context.

Historical and Archaeological Considerations

Early explorers connected the site with modern-day Wadi el-Taba or Wadi el-Itm, where perennial water, copper slag, and Egyptian mining inscriptions dating to the Late Bronze Age have been unearthed. The evidence supports sustained human occupation, metallurgical activity, and ample water—conditions that render the place a logical stopover for a migratory nation numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

Theological Insights

• Divine Provision: After the hardship of Punon, where serpents and copper characterize judgment and suffering (Numbers 21:6-9), Yotvathah offers living water. The sequence highlights God’s pattern of discipline followed by refreshment.
• Covenant Renewal: In Deuteronomy, Yotvathah is framed by the replacement of Aaron and the charge to the Levites (Deuteronomy 10:8-9). The oasis underscores the Lord’s faithfulness to sustain both people and priesthood as they carry the tablets of the covenant.
• Symbol of Goodness: The very name, associated with “pleasantness,” foreshadows the Promised Land’s abundance, prefiguring the spiritual rest believers enjoy in Christ, “the fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 2:13).

Applications for Ministry

1. Spiritual Refreshment: Yotvathah reminds congregations that seasons of dryness in ministry are often followed by divinely appointed places of renewal (Psalm 23:2).
2. Leadership Transition: As Aaron’s death and Eliezer’s succession bracket the narrative, Yotvathah offers a pattern for orderly, God-directed leadership change.
3. Discipleship Pathways: Just as Israel’s route included both hardship and refreshment, believers are taught to embrace the full journey, trusting that every stage is purposeful (Romans 8:28).

Summary

Yotvathah, though mentioned only three times, stands as a tangible testimony to the Lord’s sustaining grace in the wilderness, a strategic waypoint on Israel’s way to Canaan, and a living parable of the goodness that flows from obedience and covenant faithfulness.

בְּיָטְבָֽתָה׃ ביטבתה׃ יָטְבָ֔תָה יטבתה מִיָּטְבָ֑תָה מיטבתה bə·yā·ṭə·ḇā·ṯāh bəyāṭəḇāṯāh beyateVatah mî·yā·ṭə·ḇā·ṯāh mîyāṭəḇāṯāh miyateVatah yā·ṭə·ḇā·ṯāh yāṭəḇāṯāh yateVatahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts