adjective
erēmos
Strong’sG2048
deserted, desolate, a desert
stem erēm-48 times in the New Testamentin 9 of 27 books10 of 26 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Desolate or lonely, describing a person who is bereft, solitary, or without others around them, as of a woman without a husband 1. Strong's likewise notes the basic sense of "lonesome" underlying the word 2.
Deserted or desert, describing a place that is empty, uninhabited, or wilderness 124. Used as a noun, it means the desert or wilderness itself, and in the plural can refer to desert or deserted places generally 1. LSJ confirms this same sense of desolate, empty places, including examples of land or even a public space standing empty 3.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
ἔρημος
(in older Gk. ἔρῆμος), -ον [in LXX chiefly for מִדְבָּר;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G2048 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saider'-ay-mos
Fromof uncertain affinity; lonesome, i.e. (by implication) waste (usually as a noun, G5561 being implied)
King Jamesdesert, desolate, solitary, wilderness.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
feminine ἐρήμη Refs 8th c.BC+: Attic dialect ἔρημος, ον, accusative to Hdn.Gr.Refs: comparative -ότερος Refs 5th c.BC+: superlative -ότατοςRefs 5th c.BC+:—desolate, lonely, solitary,
1 of places, ἐς νῆσον ἐρήμην Refs 8th c.BC+; τὰ ἐ. τῆς Λιβύης the desert parts.., Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ ἐρῆμος (i.e. χώρα) Refs 5th c.BC+; empty, πνύξ Refs 5th c.BC+
2 of personsor animals, τὰ δ᾽ ἐρῆμα φοβεῖται (i.e. the sheep), Refs 8th c.BC+; frequently of poor, friendless persons, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐρημότεροι, opposed to δυνατώτεροι, Refs 5th c.BC+solitary, not gregarious, Refs 1st c.AD+ adverb, ἔρημα κλαίω I weep in solitude, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἔρημον ἐμβλέπειν to look vacantly, Refs 5th c.BC+
3 of conditions, πλάνος Refs 5th c.BC+
II with genitive, reft of, void or destitute of, [χώρη] ἐ. πάντων Refs 5th c.BC+; τῇ ἦν ἐρημότατον τῶν πολεμίων (i.e. τὸ τεῖχος) Refs 5th c.BC+
II.2 of persons, bereft of, συμμάχων Refs 5th c.BC+; so ἔ. οἶκος a house without heirs, Refs 4th c.BC+
II.3 with no bad sense, wanting, without, ἐσθὴς ἐρῆμος ὅπλων Refs 5th c.BC+; free from, ἀνδρῶν κακῶν ἔρημος πόλις Refs 5th c.BC+
III ἐρήμη, rarely ἔρημος (with or more commonly without γραφή, δίκη, δίαιτα), ἡ, an undefended action, in which one party does not appear, and judgement goes against him by default, ἤλπιζε.. τὴν γραφὴν..ἐρήμην ἔσεσθαι would be undefended, Refs 5th c.BC+; δίκην εἷλον ἐρήμην I got judgement by default, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὴν ἔρημον δεδωκότα having given it by default in one's favour, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἔρημον ὦφλε δίκην he let it go by default, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐρήμην κατηγορεῖν to accuse in a case where there was no defence, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐρήμην or ἐξ ἐρήμης κρατεῖν, Refs 2nd c.AD+
III.2 unclaimed, vacant, Refs 4th c.BC+
III.3 for ἐρήμας τρυγᾶν see entry τρυγάω.
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | erēmos3×Ἔρημός | erēmas2×ἔρημος | erēmem | erēmois | erēmais | erēmeim |
| object accusative | erēmon5×ἔρημον | erēman8×ἔρημον | erēmoin | erēmain1×ἐρήμους | ||
| direct address vocative | erēmor | erēmar | erēmoir | erēmair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | erēmou | erēmau2×ἐρήμου | erēmeu | erēmoiu | erēmaiu | erēmeiu |
| to, for dative | erēmo1×ἐρήμῳ | erēma23×ἐρήμῳ | erēme | erēmoi1×ἐρήμοις | erēmai2×ἐρήμοις | erēmei |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
erēm is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
48 occurrences, every one of them listed
erēmos“deserted”subjectnominative singular3×
Matthew 14:15“deserted”… generantau proserchala auto tois mathētois legarōntois; Erēmos atō tos topos kai tas hōras …… evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already …
Matthew 23:38idou afiēkotō vi tos oikos vu erēmos.… your house is left to you desolate.
Mark 6:35“deserted”… auto tois mathētois autou legale hoti Erēmos atō tos topos, kai ēdē hōras …… late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late.
erēmon“deserted”objectaccusative singular5×
Matthew 14:13“deserted”… Iēsus anachōrata ekeithen en ploie eis erēmon topon kata idian; kai akouarantois tois …When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found …
Mark 1:35“deserted”… liōs anastēarantos exerchata kai aperchata eis erēmon topon kakei proseuchote.… dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.
Mark 6:31“deserted”… Deute vis autois kata idian eis erēmon topon kai anapauevar oligem. ale gar …… with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and …
Mark 6:32“deserted”kai aperchala en te ploie eis erēmon topon kata idian.So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.
Luke 4:42“deserted”Generantau de hēmerau exercharantos poreuita eis erēmon topon; kai tois ochlois epizētale auton, …… daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, and the crowds were looking for Him. They came to Him and tried to …
erēmo“deserted”to, fordative singular1×
Luke 9:12“deserted”… kai heuriskaleia episitismon, hoti hōde en erēmo topo anō.… for lodging and provisions. For we are in a desolate place here.”
erēmas“desert”subjectnominative singular2×
Acts 1:20“desolate”… bibla psalmoiu; Genitar tas epaulias autou erēmas kai mē atōr tos katoikarōntos en …… written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and …
Acts 8:26… apo Ierousalēm eis Gazan; houtas atō erēmas.… up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem …
erēman“wilderness”objectaccusative singular8×
Matthew 4:1Tote tos Iēsus anagita eis tan erēman hupo teu pneumeu, peirazira hupo tou …… led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 11:7… peri Iōannou; Tinem exerchava eis tan erēman theasera? kalamon hupo anemou saleuorōnton?… did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in …
Mark 1:12… tem pneumem auton ekbalatō eis tan erēman.… the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness,
Luke 7:24… peri Iōannou; Tinem exerchava eis tan erēman theasera? kalamon hupo anemou saleuorōnton?… did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in …
Acts 21:38… hēmeraiu anastatarantos kai exagarantos eis tan erēman toin tetrakischilioi androin toiu sikarioiu?… members of the Assassins into the wilderness?”
Revelation 12:6kai tas gunaikas fugata eis tan erēman, hopou echatō ekei topon hetoimazorēnton apo …And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place …
Revelation 12:14… tou megou, hina petoteiō eis tan erēman eis ton topon autau, hopou trefotō …… serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a …
Revelation 17:3kai apoferata min eis erēman en pneume. kai horama gunaikan kathorōntan …… away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting …
erēmau“desolate”of, belonging togenitive singular2×
John 11:54… ekeithen eis tan chōran engus tau erēmau, eis Efraim legorōntan polan, kakei menata …… Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the …
Galatians 4:27… ōdinarōntar; hoti polleim teim tekneim tau erēmau mallon ē tau echarōntau ton andron.… more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has …
erēma“wilderness”to, fordative singular23×
Matthew 3:1… Iōannos tos baptistos kērussarōntos en ta erēma tau Ioudaiau… the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
Matthew 3:3… profētou legarōntou; Fōnas boarōntou en ta erēma; Hetoimazavar tan hodan kuriou, euthuain poiavōr …… voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord …
Matthew 24:26… oun legaleia vi; Idou en ta erēma atō, mē exerchaveia; Idou en tei …… you, ‘There He is, in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Here …
Mark 1:3fōnas boarōntou en ta erēma; Hetoimazavar tan hodan kuriou, euthuain poiavōr …… voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord …
Mark 1:4geneta Iōannos tos baptizarōntos en ta erēma kērussarōntos baptismem metanoiau eis afesian hamartaiu.John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for …
Mark 1:13“wilderness”kai ate en ta erēma tesserakonta hēmerain peirazorōntos hupo tou Satanou, …and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals …
Luke 3:2… Iōannon ton Zachariou huion en ta erēma.… John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
Luke 3:4… tou profētou; Fōnas boarōntou en ta erēma; Hetoimazavar tan hodan kuriou, euthuain poiavōr …… voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord …
Luke 4:1… agote en te pneume en ta erēma… led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luke 15:4“wilderness”… kataleipatō teim enenēkonta ennea en ta erēma kai poreuotō epi tem apolarēntem heōs …… does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds …
John 1:23fēate; Mis fōnas boarōntou en ta erēma; Euthunavar tan hodan kuriou, kathōs legata …… voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the …
John 3:14… Mōusos hupsata ton ofion en ta erēma, houtōs hupsira datō ton huion tou …… lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must …
John 6:31… nu tem manna esthiala en ta erēma, kathōs atō graforēntem; Arton ek tou …… fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave …
John 6:49tois patrois vu esthiala en ta erēma tem manna kai apothnēskala;… fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.
Acts 7:30“wilderness”… eteiu tesserakonta horita auto en ta erēma teu oreu Sina angelos en floga …After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
Acts 7:36… en Eruthra Thalassa kai en ta erēma eteim tesserakonta.… and for forty years in the wilderness.
Acts 7:38… generantos en ta ekklēsa en ta erēma meta tou angelou tou lalarōntou auto …… was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to …
Acts 7:42… prosferava mi eteim tesserakonta en ta erēma, oikor Israēl?… and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
Acts 7:44… ate toi patroi nu en ta erēma, kathōs diatasseta tos lalarōntos to Mōuso …… the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God …
Acts 13:18… tesserakontaeton chronon tropoforata autoin en ta erēma,… for about forty years in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:5… tos theos, katastrōnnuila gar en ta erēma.… they were struck down in the wilderness.
Hebrews 3:8… tan hēmeran tou peirasmou en ta erēma,… the day of testing in the wilderness,
Hebrews 3:17… hoiu teim kōleim piptata en ta erēma?… sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
erēmoi“deserted”to, fordative plural1×
Mark 1:45“deserted”… eis polan eiserchara, alla exō epi erēmoi topoi ate; kai erchole pros auton …… went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every …
erēmain“desert”objectaccusative plural1×
Luke 8:29“desert”… elaunote hupo teu daimoneu eis tain erēmain.… and been driven by the demon into solitary places.
erēmai“wilderness”to, fordative plural2×
Luke 1:80… krataiote pneume, kai ate en tai erēmai heōs hēmerau anadeixiau autou pros ton …… spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public …
Luke 5:16autos de ate hupochōrarōntos en tai erēmai kai proseuchorōntos.Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.