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• KABZEEL gathering of God, a city in the extreme south of Judah, near to
  Idumaea (Joshua 15:21), the birthplace of Benaiah, one of David’s chief
  warriors (2 Samuel 23:20; 1 Chronicles 11:22). It was called also Jekabzeel
  (Nehemiah 11:25), after the Captivity.


• KADESH holy, or Kadesh-Barnea, sacred desert of wandering, a place on
  the south-eastern border of Palestine, about 165 miles from Horeb. It lay
  in the “wilderness” or “desert of Zin” (Genesis 14:7; Numbers 13:3-26;
  14:29-33; 20:1; 27:14), on the border of Edom (20:16). From this place, in
  compliance with the desire of the people, Moses sent forth “twelve spies”
  to spy the land. After examining it in all its districts, the spies brought
  back an evil report, Joshua and Caleb alone giving a good report of the land
  (13:18-31). Influenced by the discouraging report, the people abandoned
  all hope of entering into the Promised Land. They remained a considerable
  time at Kadesh. (See HORMAH; KORAH.) Because of their unbelief,
  they were condemned by God to wander for thirty-eight years in the
  wilderness. They took their journey from Kadesh into the deserts of
  Paran, “by way of the Red Sea” (Deuteronomy 2:1). (One theory is that
  during these thirty-eight years they remained in and about Kadesh.)

At the end of these years of wanderings, the tribes were a second time
gathered together at Kadesh. During their stay here at this time Miriam
died and was buried. Here the people murmured for want of water, as their
forefathers had done formerly at Rephidim; and Moses, irritated by their
chidings, “with his rod smote the rock twice,” instead of “speaking to the
rock before their eyes,” as the Lord had commanded him (comp. Numbers
27:14; Deuteronomy 9:23; Psalm 106:32, 33). Because of this act of his, in
which Aaron too was involved, neither of them was to be permitted to set
foot within the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12, 24). The king of Edom
would not permit them to pass on through his territory, and therefore they
commenced an eastward march, and “came unto Mount Hor” (20:22).

This place has been identified with ‘Ain el-Kadeis, about 12 miles
east-south-east of Beersheba. (See SPIES.)