A place in the encampments of Israel; meaning the mourning in Shittim, in the plains of Moab. Num 23:40
a city situate in the plains of Moab, beyond Jordan, opposite to Jericho, Num 25:1, &c.; 23:49; Jos 11:1. Eusebius says it stood in the neighbourhood of mount Peor. Moses encamped at Abel-Shittim some time before the Hebrew army passed the Jordan. Here the Israelites fell into idolatry, and worshipped Baal-peor, for which God punished them by the destruction of twenty-four thousand persons in one day.
A´bel-Shit´tim (Place of acacias), a town in the plains of Moab, on the east of the Jordan, between which and Beth-Jesimoth was the last encampment of the Israelites on that side the river (Num 33:49). It is more frequently called Shittim merely (Num 25:1; Jos 2:1; Mic 6:5). The place is noted for the punishment which was there inflicted upon the Israelites for their worship of Baal-Peor.
Abel-shit’tim. (the meadow of the acacias). In the "plains" of Moab, on the low level of the Jordan valley, opposite Jericho. The last resting-place of Israel before crossing the Jordan. Num 33:49. The place is most frequently mentioned by its shorter name of Shittim. See Shittah Tree, Shittim.
("the meadow or moist place of acacias".) In the plains of Moab, the "Arboth Moab by Jordan Jericho," on the level of the Jordan, in contrast to "the fields" on the higher land. That is to say, it was in the Arabah or Jordan valley opposite Jericho, at that part which belonged to Moab, where the streams from the eastern mountains flourished many acacias. The last resting place of Israel before crossing Jordan (Num 33:49; Num 22:1; Num 26:3; Num 31:12; Num 25:1; Jos 2:1; Jos 3:1; Mic 6:5). Josephus names it: "Abila, 60 stadia from Jordan, embosomed amidst palms, among which Moses delivered Deuteronomy." The acacias still fringe with green the upper terraces of the Jordan. Near mount Peor, at Shittim, in the shade of the acacia groves, Israel was seduced to Baal Peor’s licentious rites; and here also Israel’s judges, by Moses’ direction under God, slew all the men seduced by Midian and Moab under Balaam’s Satanic counsel (24,000) into whoredom and the worship of Baal Peor (Num 25:1; Num 31:16).
(Heb. Abel’ hash-Shittim’,
Abel-Shittim, or Shittim (â’bel-shĭt-tim), meadow of the acacias. Num 33:49; Num 25:1. A town six or seven miles distant from the east bank of the Jordan, opposite to Jericho. It was the last encampment of the Israelites on that side of the river. It was at this place that the Israelites fell into the grossest idolatry, for which they were visited with a desolating plague which destroyed 24,000 people. Num 25:1; Mic 6:5. The spies whom Joshua sent to Jericho went from Shittim. Jos 2:1.
ABEL-SHITTIM (‘meadow of the acacias’).—In the plains of Moab (Num 33:49); otherwise Shittim, the last (Jos 3:1) trans-Jordanic stage where the Israelites encamped. Identified with Ghor es-Seisaban, east of the Jordan, opposite Jericho. It was the scene of the offence of Baal-peor (Num 25:1). Hence Joshua sent his spies (Jos 2:1).
R. A. S. Macalister.
For many weeks before crossing the Jordan, Israel was encamped in the vicinity of the Jordan valley, North of the Dead Sea, East of the river. The notices in the Bible, supplemented by those in Josephus and Eusebius and Jerome, indicate that the camping region was many miles in extent, the southern limit being Beth-jeshimoth, toward the Dead Sea, while Abel of the Acacias was the northern limit and the headquarters. The headquarters are often spoken of as East of the Jordan at Jericho (e.g. Num 22:1; Num 26:3, Num 26:63). During the stay there occurred the Balaam incident (Nu 22 through 24), and the harlotry with Moab and Midian (Nu 25) and the war with Midian (Nu 31), in both of which Phinehas distinguished himself. It was from the Acacias that Joshua sent out the spies, and that Israel afterward moved down to the river for the crossing. Micah aptly calls upon Yahweh’s people to remember all that happened to them from the time when they reached the Acacias to the time when Yahweh had brought them safely across the river to Gilgal.
Josephus is correct in saying that Abel of the Acacias is the place from which the Deuteronomic law purports to have been given. In his time the name survived as Abila, a not very important town situated there. He says that it was “sixty furlongs from Abila to the Jordan,” that is a little more than seven English miles (Ant., IV, viii, 1 and V, i, 1; BJ, IV, vii, 6). There seems to be a consensus for locating the site at Kefrein, near where the wady of that name comes down into the Jordan valley.