What does 'the backside of the desert' mean in Exodus 3?
In Exodus 3, 'the backside of the desert' means a remote, desolate wilderness area far from civilization. It is described as worse than the boondocks, way out in the wilderness part of the desert, miles from any civilized city, where Moses came to Mount Sinai.
Les explains that 'the backside of the desert' is a remote, isolated place—like the boondocks, but worse, 'boondocky boondocks.' It is way out in the wilderness part of the desert, miles from any civilized city. Moses came to Mount Sinai, which is the same as Mount Horeb. Les notes the Sinai Peninsula is rugged wilderness country, not a nice place to spend 40 years; Moses would have 80 years out there.
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.