Exodus 13:20

20 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

Exodus 13:20 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 13:20

And they took their journey from Succoth
On the second day, as Jarchi observes, from their coming out of Egypt, which was the sixteenth of Nisan: and encamped in Etham,
in the edge of the wilderness which had its name from it, and was called the wilderness of Etham, ( Numbers 33:8 ) . Etham is said to be eight miles from Succoth ^F19. Josephus ^F20 calls Succoth Latopolis, which had its name from the fish Latus, formerly worshipped them, where, he says, Babylon was built when Cambyses destroyed Egypt, and is thought by many ^F21 to be the same with Troglodytis, by the Red sea; and Etham is supposed to be the Buto of Herodotus ^F23, where were the temple of Apollo and Diana, and the oracle of Latona.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Bunting's Travels, p. 81.
F20 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 15. sect. 1.
F21 See the Universal History, vol. 3. p. 387.
F23 Enterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 59, 63, 83, 155.

Exodus 13:20 In-Context

18 So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.”

20 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

21 And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.

22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.