Exodus 13:18

18 So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.

Exodus 13:18 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 13:18

But God led the people about
Instead of their going to the west, or northwest, towards Gaza 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" ^F13 about the loins under the fifth rib; not with armour, as some ^F14 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" ^F15, 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 ^F16.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (Myvmx) "accincti", Fagninus, Vatablus, Cartwright; so Onkelos, Aben Ezra.
F14 Kimchi & Pen Melech.
F15 "Quintati", Montanus: "quini", Piscater, Rivet.
F16 See the Bishop of Clogher's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 272.

Exodus 13:18 In-Context

16 This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the LORD ’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt.”

17 When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

18 So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.”

20 The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew sea of reeds.
• [b]. Greek version reads left Egypt in the fifth generation.