Exodus 13:20

20 And they set out from Succoth, and they encamped at Etham on 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 So God led the people around [by] the way of the desert [to] the {Red Sea}, and the {Israelites} went up in battle array from the land of Egypt.

19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because [Joseph] had made the {Israelites} solemnly swear an oath, saying, "God will surely attend to you, and you will take up my bones from here with you."

20 And they set out from Succoth, and they encamped at Etham on the edge of the desert.

21 And Yahweh was going before them by day in a column of cloud to lead them [on] the way and [by] night in a column of fire to give light to them to go by day and night.

22 The column of cloud by day and the column of fire [by] night did not depart from before the people.