Exodus 13 · Verse 18

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.

Exodus 13:18, King James Version

Exodus 13:18 in other translations

BSB	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.
WEB	but God led the people around by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.
ASV	but God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.
YLT	and God turneth round the people the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, and by fifties have the sons of Israel gone up from the land of Egypt.
DARBY	And God led the people about, the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went arrayed out of the land of Egypt.
BBE	But God took the people round by the waste land near the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up in fighting order out of the land of Egypt.
Webster	But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up harnassed from the land of Egypt.

What does Exodus 13:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

18. God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, &c.--This wondrous expanse of water is a gulf of the Indian ocean. It was called in Hebrew "the weedy sea," from the forest of marine plants with which it abounds. But the name of the Red Sea is not so easily traced. Some think it was given from its contiguity to the countries of Edom ("red"); others derive it from its coral rocks; while a third class ascribe the origin of the name to an extremely red appearance of the water in some parts, caused by a numberless multitude of very small mollusca. This sea, at its northern extremity, separates into two smaller inlets--the eastern called anciently the Elanitic gulf, now the gulf of Akaba; and the western the Heroopolite gulf, now the gulf of Suez, which, there can be no doubt, extended much more to the north anciently than it does now. It was toward the latter the Israelites marched. went up harnessed--that is, girded, equipped for a long journey. (See Psa 105:37). The Margin renders it "five in a rank," meaning obviously five large divisions, under five presiding officers, according to the usages of all caravans; and a spectacle of such a mighty and motley multitude must have presented an imposing appearance, and its orderly progress could have been effected only by the superintending influence of God.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

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's note on Exo 40:38. Went up harnessed - חמשים 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 חמש 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 13:17-20

There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan. One was only a few days' journey; the other was much further about, through the wilderness, and that was the way in which God chose to lead his people Israel. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red sea; the Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness. God's way is the right way, though it seems about. If we think he leads not his people the nearest way…

Read the full comment on Exodus 13:17-20 →

Exodus 13:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּסֵּ֨בvai.ya.Sevand he caused to go aroundH5437

אֱלֹהִ֧ים\׀'E.lo.HimGodH430

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הָעָ֛םha.'Amthe peopleH5971

דֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekh[the] way ofH1870

הַמִּדְבָּ֖רha.mid.Barthe wildernessH4057

יַם\־yam-[the] sea ofH3220

ס֑וּףSufreed[s]H5488

וַחֲמֻשִׁ֛יםva.cha.mu.Shimand arrayed for battleH2571

עָל֥וּ'a.Luthey went upH5927

בְנֵי\־ve.nei-[the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

מֵאֶ֥רֶץme.'E.retzfrom [the] land ofH776

מִצְרָֽיִם\׃mitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 13:18

Exodus 14:2
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi–hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal–zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
Numbers 33:6-8
And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pi–hahiroth, which is before Baal–zephon: and they pitched before Migdol. And they departed from before Pi–hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.
Deuteronomy 32:10
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
Exodus 12:51
And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
Joshua 1:14
Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
Psalms 107:7
And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

led the.
14:2; Nu 33:6-8; De 32:10; Ps 107:7
harnessed. or, by five in a rank.
12:51

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Exodus 13:17
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
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.
Exodus 13:19
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

Read all of Exodus 13

Exodus 13:18 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Mas hizo Dios al pueblo que rodease por el camino del desierto del mar Bermejo. Y subieron los hijos de Israel de Egipto armados.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et Dieu fit faire un détour au peuple par le chemin du désert de la mer Rouge; et les fils d’Israël montèrent en ordre de bataille hors du pays d’Égypte.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und Gott führte das Volk herum, den Weg der Wüste des Schilfmeeres; und die Kinder Israel zogen gerüstet aus dem Lande Ägypten herauf.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Sed circumduxit per viam deserti, quæ est juxta mare Rubrum: et armati ascenderunt filii Israël de terra Ægypti.