Shur was a wilderness area between Canaan and Egypt, mentioned in connection with Hagar (Gen. 16:7), Abraham (Gen. 20:1; 25:18), the Israelites' wanderings (Exod. 15:22), and Saul's battles (1Sam. 15:7; 27:8).
Shur is a wilderness region located between Canaan and Egypt, often mentioned in the context of travels and events in the patriarchal narratives and the early history of Israel. It first appears in the story of Hagar, who fled from Sarah and encountered the angel of the Lord near a spring on the way to Shur (Gen. 16:7). Later, Abraham settled between Kadesh and Shur, sojourning in Gerar (Gen. 20:1). The descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son with Hagar, are described as dwelling from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt (Gen. 25:18).
During the Exodus, after crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites went three days into the wilderness of Shur before reaching Marah, where God miraculously provided drinkable water (Exod. 15:22). In the time of King Saul, he defeated the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt (1Sam. 15:7). Later, when David was fleeing from Saul, he and his men raided the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites, who inhabited the land from Telam as far as Shur and Egypt (1Sam. 27:8).
The exact boundaries of the wilderness of Shur are not specified in the Bible, but it appears to have been a desert region stretching from the eastern border of Egypt toward Canaan. Its location along the route between these two regions made it a significant area for travel, trade, and military campaigns in biblical times.
Approximate location: 30.235, 33.247 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
An enclosure; a wall, a part, probably, of the Arabian desert, on the north-eastern border of Egypt, giving its name to a wilderness extending from Egypt toward Philistia (Gen. 16:7; 20:1; 25:18; Ex. 15:22). The name was probably given to it from the wall (or shur) which the Egyptians built to defend their frontier on the north-east from the desert tribes. This wall or line of fortifications extended from Pelusium to Heliopolis.
(a wall), a place just without the eastern border of Egypt. Shur is first mentioned in the narrative of Haggar’s flight from Sarah. (Genesis 16:7) Abraham afterward “dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.” (Genesis 20:1) It is also called Ethami. The wilderness of Shur was entered in the Israelites after they had crossed the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:22,23) It was also called the wilderness of Etham. (Numbers 33:8) Shur may have been a territory town east of the ancient head of the Red Sea; and from its being spoken of as a limit, it was probably the last Arabian town before entering Egypt.
SHUR (fort), a place in the wilderness, on the south-west of Palestine, including the whole district between the north-eastern frontier of Egypt and the land of Canaan. The wilderness is also spoken of as the "wilderness of Etham." Num 33:8. We first read of Shur in the account of Hagar's flight, and this region later became the dwelling-place of the wild Ishmaelites. Gen 16:7; Gen 25:18. Abraham dwelt between Kadesh and Shur. Gen 20:1. It was over against Egypt. 1 Sam 15:7; 1 Sam 27:8. Some would identify it with Ayun Musa, 7 or 8 miles from Suez; but Trumbull supposes it to mean "a wall of Egypt," from the Great to the Red Sea. See Etham.
SHUR (fort), a place in the wilderness, on the south-west of Palestine, including the whole district between the north-eastern frontier of Egypt and the land of Canaan. The wilderness is also spoken of as the "wilderness of Etham." Num 33:8. We first read of Shur in the account of Hagar's flight, and this region later became the dwelling-place of the wild Ishmaelites. Gen 16:7; Gen 25:18. Abraham dwelt between Kadesh and Shur. Gen 20:1. It was over against Egypt. 1 Sam 15:7; 1 Sam 27:8.
Some would identify it with Ayun Musa, 7 or 8 miles from Suez; but Trumbull supposes it to mean "a wall of Egypt," from the Great to the Red Sea. See Etham.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
6 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H7793
Now the angel of the Lordfound Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur.
Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,
Ishmaelʼs descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.
Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt.
Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.