MOULD
“destruction”. It was the city that bore the name of Shephat (Judg. 1:17) and that, after its destruction, came to bear the name of Horma.
It is located to the south, on the borders of Edom, near Ziklag.
The Israelites, lacking faith but full of presumption, headed from Kadesh toward Canaan.
The Amalekites and Canaanites defeated them and pursued them to Hormah. In fact, this territory did not receive this name until 38 years later, after the anathema had been dedicated (Num. 14:45; Deut. 1:44).
The Canaanites then returned to attack the Israelites, camped in this region, and they made a vow to Jehovah to destroy the cities of the Canaanites if they were given victory; The destroyed region has since then been called Horma, that is, extermination (Num. 21:1-3).
Horma was attributed to Judah, and later passed to Simeon (Josh. 15:30; 19:4; 1 Chron. 4:30).
David sent his friends in Hormah a portion of the spoils of Ziklag (1 Sam. 30:30), in recognition of the hospitality they had extended to him while he was an outcast.
Horma is probably identified with Tell es-Sheba (also called Tell al-Mshãsh) almost 5 km east of Beersheba.