Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 13:18
But God led the people about, [through] the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
18. Instead of leading them straight on, across the N. part of the isthmus of Suez, by the direct route mentioned above, God led the people about (or round), in the direction of the wilderness, i.e. the Egyptian wilderness, S. of the Wdy umlt, and West of the N. end of the Gulf of Suez (a shallow extension of which reached perhaps at this time as far N. as L. Tims: see p. 125 ff.), to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Suez, or its ancient Northern extension, just referred to).
the Red Sea ] Heb., as always, the Sea of sph; probably, the Sea of reeds. The origin of the name is uncertain. Sph (outside this expression) is used of reeds or rushes (cf. Luther’s Schilfmeer, ‘Reed-sea’) growing along the Nile (Exo 2:3 [see note], 5, Isa 19:6 ), and of sea-weed (Jon 2:6 ): it seems also to correspond to the late Eg. thuf, Copt. joouf, ‘papyrus.’ Reeds or rushes however do not grow in the salt water of the Red Sea, though (Di.) clumps of them have been found on spots S. of Suez, where fresh water mixes with the salt; but they abound in Lake Tims. ‘This lake with its large marshes full of reeds, exactly at the entrance of Goshen, would fulfil all conditions for the Exodus and for the Heb. name’ (W. M. Mller, EB., Red Sea). If it is true that there was once a shallow extension of the Gulf of Suez reaching to L. Tims, it is possible that it was called by the Hebrews, from these growths, the ‘Sea of reeds’; and that afterwards the name was extended to the ‘Red Sea’ generally (so Di. as well as W. M. Mller).
armed ] The Heb. word is a rare one (Jos 1:14; Jos 4:12, Jdg 7:11 ; read also conjecturally by many in Num 32:17), and its precise meaning is uncertain. It in any case implies that the Israelites were prepared for hostile encounters.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Harnessed – More probably, marshalled or in orderly array. There is not the least indication that the Israelites had been disarmed by the Egyptians, and as occupying a frontier district frequently assailed by the nomads of the desert they would of necessity be accustomed to the use of arms. Compare Exo 1:10.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. But God led the people about] Dr. Shaw has shown that there were two roads from Egypt to Canaan, one through the valleys of Jendilly, Rumeleah, and Baideah, bounded on each side by the mountains of the lower Thebais; the other lies higher, having the northern range of the mountains of Mocatee running parallel with it on the right hand, and the desert of the Egyptian Arabia, which lies all the way open to the land of the Philistines, to the left. See his account of these encampments at the end of Exodus. See Clarke on Ex 40:38.
Went up harnessed] chamushim. It is truly astonishing what a great variety of opinions are entertained relative to the meaning of this word. After having maturely considered all that I have met with on the subject, I think it probable that the word refers simply to that orderly or well arranged manner in which the Israelites commenced their journey from Egypt. For to arrange, array, or set in order, seems to be the ideal meaning of the word chamash. As it was natural to expect that in such circumstances there must have been much hurry and confusion, the inspired writer particularly marks the contrary, to show that God had so disposed matters that the utmost regularity and order prevailed; and had it been otherwise, thousands of men, women, and children must have been trodden to death. Our margin has it by five in a rank; but had they marched only five abreast, supposing only one yard for each rank to move in, it would have required not less than sixty-eight miles for even the 600,000 to proceed on regularly in this way; for 600,000 divided by five gives 120,000 ranks of five each; and there being only 1,760 yards in a mile, the dividing 120,000 by 1,760 will give the number of miles such a column of people would take up, which by such an operation will be found to be something more than sixty-eight miles. But this the circumstances of the history will by no means admit.-Harmer. The simple meaning therefore appears to be that given above; and if the note on the concluding verse of the preceding chapter be considered, it may serve to place this explanation in a still clearer point of view.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Or, armed, or girt with swords and belts about the fifth rib, as the Hebrew word may imply. But it doth not appear how or whence they should get their arms, nor how the Egyptians would permit so numerous a people to have and to keep arms, especially when they had a long time oppressed and exasperated them, and made them desperate. It is true, some few of them might procure arms, but this word is here used concerning the whole body of them. Others render it by fives, five and five in a rank, that is, by a usual synecdoche, in military order, not doubtfully and fearfully, but confidently and courageously; not confusedly, as men that steal or run away, but in good order, so as one might not hinder another. Which interpretation is strengthened by comparing Jos 1:14. It may be rendered girt, to wit, about the fifth rib, as the word implies, the place where men used to gird their garments, this being the usual posture for travellers: he implies that they went out resolved upon and prepared for their journey.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. God led the people about,through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, c.Thiswondrous expanse of water is a gulf of the Indian ocean. It wascalled in Hebrew “the weedy sea,” from the forest of marineplants with which it abounds. But the name of the Red Sea is not soeasily traced. Some think it was given from its contiguity to thecountries of Edom (“red”) others derive it from its coralrocks; while a third class ascribe the origin of the name to anextremely red appearance of the water in some parts, caused by anumberless multitude of very small mollusca. This sea, at itsnorthern extremity, separates into two smaller inletsthe easterncalled anciently the Elanitic gulf, now the gulf of Akaba; and thewestern the Heroopolite gulf, now the gulf of Suez, which, there canbe no doubt, extended much more to the north anciently than it doesnow. It was toward the latter the Israelites marched.
went up harnessedthatis, girded, equipped for a long journey. (See Ps105:37). The Margin renders it “five in a rank,”meaning obviously five large divisions, under five presidingofficers, according to the usages of all caravans; and a spectacle ofsuch a mighty and motley multitude must have presented an imposingappearance, and its orderly progress could have been effected only bythe superintending influence of God.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But God led the people about,…. Instead of their going to the west, or northwest, towards Gaza, c. and the Mediterranean sea, the Lord going before them in a pillar of cloud and fire, as after related, directed them to turn off to the right, between the east and south, to the southeast:
through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: the wilderness of Etham, by the Red sea:
and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt or “girt” m about the loins under the fifth rib not with armour, as some n understand it, for it is not likely that they could, or that Pharaoh would suffer them to be furnished with armour, but their garments were girt about them, and so fit for travelling; or they went up “by fives” o, as it may be rendered, either by five in a rank, or rather in five bodies or squadrons, and so marched out, not in a disorderly and confused way, but in great order and regularity. The latter is much more reasonable to suppose, for five in a rank is too small a number for an army of 600,000 men to march in; since allowing the ranks to be but three feet asunder, and a mile to consist of about two thousand yards, the front and rear of the army would be sixty miles distant from each other p.
m “accincti”, Fagninus, Vatablus, Cartwright; so Onkelos, Aben Ezra. n Kimchi & Pen Melech. o “Quintati”, Montanus: “quini”, Piscater, Rivet. p See the Bishop of Clogher’s Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 272.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18. The children of Israel went up harnessed. The word חמשים, (148) chemishim, is derived from “Five,” from whence some have explained it, that they were furnished with five kinds of arms, but this is too absurd. The Hebrews, because they could conjecture nothing better or more probable, almost with one consent would understand it, that they were armed under the fifth rib. But whence were there so many military corselets ready for the Israelites? But I reject so forced and improbable a meaning, and doubt not that the word is one of number; as though Moses had said, that they went out in ranks of five; because, if each individual in so great a multitude had tried to advance, they would have been in each other’s way. I have therefore thought fit to translate it “dispositi,” (in ranks.) The idea of the Greeks about “the fifth generation,” is very foreign to the present narrative. But in the sense I have given it, there is nothing obscure or doubtful; for it readily appears that God’s favor is celebrated also in this particular, because He led forth His people in order. For, although they came out confusedly and hastily, still He restrained there, as it were, under His banner, and in companies, lest any disturbance should occur.
(148) חמשים. Fives. The Rabbinical notions here mentioned are thus briefly stated in S M , “Exponitur a Kimchi sic, Et accincti armis in quinta costa. Alii autem sic exponunt, Et accincti quinque armorum generibus.” In speaking of what the Greeks had imagined, C. alludes to the LXX., who entirely depart from the Hebrew, by rendering this clause, πέμπτὟ δὲ γενεᾷ, κ. τ. λ.. “And in the fifth generation, the children of Israel went up,” etc. — W.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) But God led the people about.Or, led the people a circuittook them, not by the direct route, through Pelusium, past Lake Serbnis, to Rhinocolura and Gaza, but led them by the most circuitous route possiblethe way of the Red Sea and the wilderness of Sinai to the Transjordanic region, the land of the Amorites, and so across Jordan to Canaan proper. The passage seems to dispose altogether of Dr. Brugschs theory, that the Red Sea of the writer of Exodus was the Lake Serbnis, and that it was not until after this lake was passed that their journey was deflected to the south.
The children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.It is generally agreed that this is a wrong translation. Very few of the Israelites can have possessed suits of armour until after the passage of the Red Sea, when they may have stripped the bodies of the slain Egyptians. Nor has the word used ever the force of harnessed. It might mean with their loins girded, but such an exposition would deprive the statement made of any force. Loins were always girded in preparation for a journey, and there would be no need to mention the fact. The best explanation is, that the word here means organised, in military order (Saadia, Gesenius, Lee, Knobel, Cook). It was clearly necessary, to prevent confusion, that a military order should have been adopted, and there are not wanting indications that during the year of contention with Pharaoh such an organisation was introduced and proceeded with. (See Exo. 4:29; Exo. 4:31; Exo. 6:26; Exo. 12:3; Exo. 12:21; Exo. 12:51.) It must have been brought to a high pitch of perfection for the Exodus to have taken place, as it seems to have done, without serious confusion or entanglement.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 13:18. God led the people about through the way, &c. Dr. Shaw is of opinion, that the first settlement of the Israelites was at Heliopolis; and that Kairo was the Rameses, the capital of the district of that name, where the Israelites had their rendezvous, before they departed out of Egypt. God is said here to have led them ABOUT through the way of the wilderness, &c. “There are accordingly two roads,” says the doctor, (who, certainly, on these subjects is to be depended upon,) “through which the Israelites might have been conducted from Kairo to Pi-hahiroth on the banks of the Red sea. One of them lies through the vallies, as they are now called, of Jendily, Rumeleah, and Baideah, bounded on each side by the mountains of the Lower Thebais. The other lies higher, having the northern range of the mountains of Mocattee running parallel with it on the right hand; and the desert of the Egyptian Arabia, which lies all the way open to the land of the Philistines, on the left. About the middle of this range, we may turn short upon the right hand into the valley of Baideah, through a remarkable breach or discontinuation, in which we afterwards continued to the very bank of the Red sea. Suez, a small city on the northern point of it, at the distance of thirty hours, or ninety Roman miles, from Kairo, lies a little to the northward of the promontory which is formed by this same range of mountains, called at present Attackah; as that which bounds the valley of Baideah to the southward is called Gewoubee. This road then, through the valley of Baideah, which is some hours longer than the other open road which leads directly from Kairo to Suez, was, in all probability, the very road which the Israelites took to Pi-hahiroth on the banks of the Red sea.
Josephus then, and other authors who copy after him, seem to be too hasty in making the Israelites perform this journey of ninety or a hundred Roman miles in three days, by reckoning each of the stations which are recorded, for one day; whereas the Scriptures are altogether silent with regard to the time or distance, recording the stations only. The fatigue, likewise, would be abundantly too great for a nation on foot, incumbered with their dough, their kneading-troughs, their little children and cattle, to walk at the rate of thirty Roman miles a day.” Travels, p. 307.
Through the way of the wilderness Or, Towards the wilderness.
Went up harnessed Well-girt, or ready-girt. The primary sense of the word chamushim, according to Parkhurst, is armed, equipped. So the LXX, , equipt, , prepared, furnished. Vulg. armati, armed. Targum, girded, harnessed. See Jos 1:14; Jos 4:12. The word is first applied to the fifth day of the creation, when the world was completely furnished and ready for the reception of man and animals. Hence, as a verb, it signifies to take a fifth part; and so has occasioned the mistakes which some commentators have fallen into of the children of Israel’s marching five in a rank.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Is not the harnessed state of Israel alluded to in a spiritual sense concerning the church, when described as an army with banners coming up out of the wilderness? Song 1-8. But the margin here reads by five in a rank.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 13:18 But God led the people about, [through] the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
Ver. 18. God led the people about. ] Philo writeth, that it was not much above three days’ journey from Egypt to Canaan the other way: Sed Dei voluntas est summa necessitas. a
a Tertul.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Red sea. Hebrew. Yam suph = weedy, or reedy. Eng. “Red” comes from the Greeks reading Edom (whose land it washed) as an appellative instead of a proper name (Esau or Edom = red, Gen 25:25). Called “red “from Septuagint. Dried up fifty miles north of present shore. Will quite dry up at future Exodus. Isa 11:15, Isa 11:16; Isa 19:5.
harnessed = armed, as Jos 1:14. Jdg 7:11. 1Ch 7:21; or marshalled by fives, as in 2Ki 1:9. Isa 3:3 (the number of grace, see App-10). To this day five is an evil number in Egypt. Whichever is the meaning, both point to order and organization. They were an ordered “host” (Exo 12:41), and not a disorderly rabble.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
led the: Exo 14:2, Num 33:6-8, Deu 32:10, Psa 107:7
harnessed: or, by five in a rank, Exo 12:51
Reciprocal: Exo 3:18 – three days’ Exo 6:26 – armies Exo 10:19 – the Red sea Exo 14:8 – with an high hand Num 33:1 – with their armies Jos 1:14 – armed Jdg 7:11 – armed men 1Ki 20:11 – harness Psa 136:16 – General Eze 20:10 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A ROUNDABOUT WAY
But God led the people about.
Exo 13:18
In the song of Moses we are reminded that God led His people about, instructed them, and kept them as the apple of His eye (Deu 32:10); and in this we have a beautiful example of His tender consideration for His own. He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.
I. There were two routes to Canaan, the nearest of which was through the land of the Philistines; but to take that way would have exposed the people to the very sights that so abashed ten out of the twelve spies. They would have seen war (see Num 13:33). The Philistines might even have come out against them in embattled array, and have forbidden them to pass through their territories, as afterward Edom did (Num 20:18-20). This would have had the effect of discouraging and driving them back, and it would not have been wise to expose them to such an ordeal, so soon after their first start on their pilgrim-way.
II. Thus God deals with us still.He tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. He has many things to say, but refrains until we are well able to bear them. He does not lead us directly and swiftly to the goal of our quest and His promise, but takes a long and circuitous route.
III. Patience and faith are severely tested, but we realise, as we look back, that we were being saved from sights and sounds which would have been too much for us. Besides, there are many and varied lessons which can only be learnt by the wilderness-route. There we are humbled, proved, and taught; we learn that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word of God; we discover the immeasurable extent of the Divine resources by which we are succoured and enriched.
Illustration
(1) God leads none of us by the rapid and easy path to knowledge, fortune, or happiness. The short way might bring us to rest and glory sooner, but the rest would relax and the glory blind us. We travel by a longer, harder path; that muscle may be disciplined by toil, courage assured by conquest and self-government, studied in many a season of shame and pain. Then the crown will fit us, rest will be calm and noble activity, and glory we shall wear like kings.
(2) We must not expect to have a swift and easy course to the home of our souls. God still leads His people about. Often in life there comes a tedious waiting time; we are prevented from going straight forward; it is evident that some obstruction has been permitted to divert our course. At such times let us believe still in His leading, only that He has some special reason which we may not at the time apprehend. Perhaps there are lessons to learn, experience to acquire, strength to gain by the wilderness march, which will more than compensate for the further delay. But whatever comes, let us follow the pillar of cloud by day, and rest beneath the brooding pavilion of the glowing pillar of fire by night.
(3) They went at first eastward, towards Palestine, then were turned to the south till they encamped before Pihahiroth. This was the beginning of many such marches to and fro, seemingly purposeless, but necessary to make warriors of them.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Exo 13:18. There were various reasons why God led them through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red sea, the Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness, Deu 8:2. God had given it to Moses for a sign, Exo 3:12, Ye shall serve God in this mountain. They had again and again told Pharaoh that they must go three days journey into the wilderness to do sacrifice, and therefore it was requisite they should march that way, else they had justly been exclaimed against as dissemblers. Before they entered the lists with their enemies, matters must be settled between them and their God; laws must be given, ordinances instituted, covenants sealed; and for the doing of this it was necessary they should retire into the solitudes of a wilderness, the only closet for such a crowd; the high road would be no proper place for these transactions. The reason why God did not lead them the nearest way, which would have brought them in a few days to the land of the Philistines, was because they were not yet fit for war, much less for war with the Philistines. Their spirits were broken with slavery; the Philistines were formidable enemies; it was convenient they should begin with the Amalekites, and be prepared for the wars of Canaan, by experiencing the difficulties of the wilderness. God is said to bring Israel out of Egypt, as the eagle brings up her young ones, Deu 32:11, teaching them by degrees to fly. They went up harnessed The original word for harnessed here is variously rendered: it comes from a root which signifies five, hence some render it five in a rank. The same word is rendered prepared for war, Jos 1:14; Jos 4:12-13. Targum, girded, harnessed. Vulg. armati, armed. So the Seventy, equipped, prepared, furnished: thus in Joshua; but in this place of Exodus the Seventy render the word , the fifth generation, and translate the passage, In the fifth generation, the children of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
13:18 But God led the people about, [through] the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up {k} harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
(k) That is, not secretly but openly and as the word signifies, set in order by five and five.