And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While this verse simply lists two camping spots, the name "Almon-diblathaim" itself offers a subtle clue. Scholars suggest it may mean "hiding-place of the two circles" or "cakes," hinting at a landscape feature or local legend, reminding us that even mundane locations in Scripture can carry layers of meaning beyond the immediate narrative.
And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After many wilderness wanderings, the Israelites are nearing the end of their journey and have arrived in the plains of Moab, just across the Jordan River from the Promised Land. This verse marks one of their final encampments before God gives Moses final instructions for entering Canaan, highlighting the prolonged journey and God's faithfulness in bringing them so far.
Imagine decades of constant movement, the desert dust clinging to everything. After 40 years, the Israelites are finally nearing their destination. But even this late stage had its own specific stops.
Numbers 33 serves as a detailed travelogue, recounting the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab. Each named location represents a significant stop, a 'station' in their long pilgrimage. While many earlier stops are filled with dramatic events – rebellion, divine judgment, miraculous provision – the latter part of the list, like verse 46 mentioning Dibon-gad and Almon-diblathaim, becomes more factual.
These final encampments mark the very end of their forty years of wandering. They are poised on the edge of the Promised Land, the goal that seemed so distant for so long. The inclusion of these names, even if less dramatic, underscores the faithfulness of God in guiding them, step by step, to the very border of their inheritance.
These last stops weren't just random desert spots. They had political and geographical significance, placing Israel in a sensitive border region.
The locations mentioned in the latter part of Numbers 33, including Almon-diblathaim, are situated in or near the territory of Moab. This is a crucial detail. While the Israelites were given the land of Canaan, they had to pass through or skirt the lands of Edom and Moab, encountering diplomatic challenges along the way.
Almon-diblathaim, identified by commentators as a Moabite town, signifies that Israel was now in close proximity to other nations. This wasn't the wilderness anymore; it was a transition zone. The presence of these towns in the list reminds us that God's plan involved not just spiritual deliverance but also navigating complex political and geographical realities as they prepared to conquer and possess their inheritance.
Ask a follow-up
This verse marks one of the final encampments of the Israelites before entering the Promised Land. The specific locations mentioned, like Almon-diblathaim, were known in later periods and highlight the long and often circuitous route God led His people.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites depart from Rameses in Egypt, beginning their 40-year journey through the wilderness.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
The Israelites make numerous encampments and journeys across the Sinai Peninsula, often returning to the same locations due to their disobedience.
c. 1406 BC
Arrival at the Plains of Moab
After 40 years of wandering, the Israelites arrive on the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River, ready to enter the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Last Wilderness Encampments
The Israelites make their final encampments in the wilderness, moving through locations such as Dibon-gad and Almon-diblathaim.
c. 600 BC
Jeremiah's Prophecy
The prophet Jeremiah mentions Almon-diblathaim as a Moabite town, indicating its continued existence and significance centuries later.
This passage mentions Almon-diblathaim as a town in Moab, helping to locate it geographically and understand its context within the land of Moab, which Israel was nearing.
Ezekiel 6:14This verse also references Diblah (likely related to Dibon or Diblathaim), suggesting a connection to this region and indicating that God's judgment would fall upon such places.
Numbers 21:16-20This section details Israel's journey through Moab, mentioning Beer and other places, providing a broader geographical and historical context for the stages leading up to this part of their travels.
Numbers 33:45This verse immediately precedes the one in question, showing the previous encampment at Dibon-gad, emphasizing the continuous nature of their journey and the methodical recording of their stations.
Numbers 33:47This verse immediately follows, noting their next move to the mountains of Abarim, which helps frame Almon-diblathaim as a resting point between distinct geographical regions in their final approach to the Promised Land.
pulpitNumbers 33:46: "And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim."
Verse 46. - Almon-diblathaim. Probably the same as the Beth-diblathaim mentioned in Jeremiah 48:22 as a Moabitish town contignous to Dibon, Nebo, and Kiriathaim. The name, which signifies "hiding-place of the two circles" or "cakes," was doubtless due either to some local legend, or more probably to the fanciful interpretation of some peculiar feature in the landscape.
gillNumbers 33:46: "And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim."
And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim. Sixteen miles from Dibon, perhaps the same with Diblath, Ezekiel 6:14 , according to the account in Numbers 21:16 , &c. they went from hence to Beer, a place where they found a well, which gave it this name; and several other removes are mentioned there, which are not here, and which, perhaps, were small removes, and not properly stations.
While this verse simply lists two camping spots, the name "Almon-diblathaim" itself offers a subtle clue. Scholars suggest it may mean "hiding-place of the two circles" or "cakes," hinting at a landscape feature or local legend, reminding us that even mundane locations in Scripture can carry layers of meaning beyond the immediate narrative.
After many wilderness wanderings, the Israelites are nearing the end of their journey and have arrived in the plains of Moab, just across the Jordan River from the Promised Land. This verse marks one of their final encampments before God gives Moses final instructions for entering Canaan, highlighting the prolonged journey and God's faithfulness in bringing them so far.
After many wilderness wanderings, the Israelites are nearing the end of their journey and have arrived in the plains of Moab, just across the Jordan River from the Promised Land. This verse marks one of their final encampments before God gives Moses final instructions for entering Canaan, highlighting the prolonged journey and God's faithfulness in bringing them so far.
"And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim." — While this verse simply lists two camping spots, the name "Almon-diblathaim" itself offers a subtle clue. Scholars suggest it may mean "hiding-place of the two circles" or "cakes," hinting at a lands…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026