Exodus 13:20

20 They traveled from Sukkot and set up camp in Etam, at the edge of the desert.

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 Rather, God led the people by a roundabout route, through the desert by the Sea of Suf. The people of Isra'el went up from the land of Egypt fully armed.

19 Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him, for Yosef had made the people of Isra'el swear an oath when he said, "God will certainly remember you; and you are to carry my bones up with you, away from here."

20 They traveled from Sukkot and set up camp in Etam, at the edge of the desert.

21 ADONAI went ahead of them in a column of cloud during the daytime to lead them on their way, and at night in a column of fire to give them light; thus they could travel both by day and by night.

22 Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire at night went away from in front of the people.