The Hebrew Elim (אֵלִם) is the plural of el (terebinth/oak) and names the second campsite of the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea. Elim was an oasis with twelve springs and seventy palm trees — a place of refreshment and rest after the bitter waters of Marah. The number twelve corresponds to the twelve tribes, and seventy to the elders of Israel.
Elim stands as a type of divine provision and rest after the bitterness of testing. The sequence Marah-then-Elim is the wilderness pattern: God allows bitterness but always leads His people to a place of refreshment. The twelve springs and seventy palms are not random numbers — they mirror the structure of Israel itself (twelve tribes, seventy elders). God's oases are designed precisely for His people's needs. For the Christian, Elim foreshadows the rest available in Christ after the bitter waters of trial — the 'living water' that satisfies completely (John 4:14).