CHAP. II. SECT. I. CHAPTER II. Of the Journeyings of the Israelites, from their setting forth from Rameses in Egypt, to their encamping near the River Jordan, on the East Side thereof. duction. HAVING spoken of such places in the land of The introEgypt, as are mentioned in Scripture, I shall now accompany the Israelites in their journeyings from Egypt to the river Jordan. And, as it seems proper to contain all their journeyings in one chapter, so (forasmuch as their journeyings lay through different countries, and also forasmuch as some particular places occur therein, which deserve more particular notice; for these reasons) it seems expedient to distinguish this chapter into the several sections following. SECTION I. Of the Journeyings of the Israelites from Rameses to the Red Sea.. raoh and AFTER that the other signs, which God had 1. wrought in the sight of Pharaoh and the Egyp- The Israeltians, and the other plagues he had brought upon ites permit them, proved ineffectual, the divine Providence ted by Phawas as it were forced, in the last place, to bring the Egyptiupon them that most dreadful plague, whereby all ans to begin the first-born in the land of Egypt died, from the their jourfirst-born of Pharaoh that sat upon the throne, neyings out of Egypt. even unto the first-born of the woman-servant that was behind the mill, i. e. the woman-slave, who was made to turn the mill, which she did, by PART II, thrusting forward the part of the mill she held, and so coming herself behind or after it. Now, either these mills were in prisons, or else such as worked at them in the day-time were at night kept in prison for security: whence the death of all the firstborn in Egypt, from the highest to the lowest, expressed as above, Exod. xi. 5. is otherwise expressed, Exod. xi. 29. thus: At midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle. Hereupon there was a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there never was any like it, nor shall there be any like it for the future; for there was not an house of the Egyptians, where there was not one dead. Hereupon Pharaoh presently called for Moses and Aaron, and gave them not only leave, but command, to get forth from amongst his people, they and the children of Israel, with their flocks and their herds. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the Israelites, to send them out of the land in haste. Exod. xii. 30-33. and xi. 6. 2. The Israel ites set forth from Rameses, Hereupon the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children. Exod. xii. 37. As for Rameses, it has been already observed, that it is doubtless the same with Raamses, mentioned Exod. i. 11. and there said to be built by the Israelites for Pharaoh. It stood in the land of Goshen, whence the same is otherwise called the land of Rameses, as has also been observed. What is here to be further remarked, is this; that either the whole body of the Israelites assembled first together at the city Rameses, and, being so come together, from thence began to set forth in one body for to go out of Egypt: or else that the journeyings of the Israelites were begun to be reckoned from hence, because Moses and the chief of the Israelites set out from hence, the rest meeting them on the way, as was most convenient for them. Their first journey, or motion, was from Rameses which is probelle porn breifact the on the high way from Egypt to bratin Journeyings of the Israelites. 3. 251 to Succoth. to Succoth, a place so named from the Israelites CHAP. II. then pitching their tents there the word Succoth SECT. I. in the Hebrew tongue denoting tents, as hath been already observed in reference to Succoth between Jordan and the brook Jabbok, so named on the like They come occasion, namely from Jacob's pitching his tents there. The Succoth in Egypt, as being the next station of the Israelites, could not be far from Rameses, in the way from it to the wilderness of the Red sea. For God led not the Israelites by the way of the land of the Philistines, though that was near; (i. e. the nearest way into Canaan ;) for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent of their coming out of Egypt when they see war, and return to Egypt. But God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness of the Red sea. Exod. xiii. 17, 18. 4. Etham. Accordingly we read next, Exod. xiii. 20. that the Israelites took their journey from Succoth, and en- Thence to camped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness; namely afore-mentioned, as lying on the Red sea. Hence the situation of Etham is plainly determined to be not far from the Red sea, in the extremity or confines of Egypt and Arabia Petræa, or Stony Arabia. And from hence we find, Num. xxxiii. 8. that part of the wilderness of the Red Sea, which lay next to Egypt, to be peculiarly distinguished by the name of the wilderness of Etham. 5. The Israelites being come to Etham, designed to have continued their journey directly forward, that From Eis eastward, and so to have immediately entered bahiroth, tham to Pi by the Red into the wilderness, somewhat north of the Red PART II. dol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon; here they were ordered to encamp by the sea. roth. Lee. 6. As for Pi-hahiroth, which in our English and Of Pi-hahi- some other translations is rendered as one proper name, it is rendered by the Seventy Interpreters, Exod. xiv. 2. 9. as two appellative words; but Num. xxxiii. 7, 8. Pi is rendered as an appellative, (though differently, viz. ver. 7. by rópa, mouth, and ver. 8. together with the adjoining preposition, arivar, over-against,) and Hahiroth is in both verses rendered as a proper name, Eiroth; the article ha being omitted. Hence some are of opinion, teresting the that by the Hebrew words Pi-hahiroth, is to be unbinderstood a mouth or narrow passage between twothis subject in the John Kinnemountains, called Chiroth or Eiroth, and lying not savels Entitle far from the bottom of the western coast of the airo Petra Red sea; before which mouth or narrow passage Damascar the children of Israel encamped Couth of the tour of Ser it is 15 miles Migdol has been taken notice of in the foregoing chapter, where it was observed, that it is in all probability the Magdolus mentioned by the old Greek historian Herodotus, especially since the Seventy Interpreters render it by the very same word. It is evident, from what is said of it in this encampment of the Israelites, that it lay near the Red sea. 51839 Etter 5.7. Of Migdol. 8. A Of Baalzephon. Baal-zephon is thought by many learned men to have been the name of an idol, which was esteemed to keep the borders of the country, and to hinder slaves from making their escape out of it. The word Baal does in the Hebrew tongue signify Lord, and hence is the name generally applied to the eastern idols. The other word, Zephon, is thought to be derived from the Hebrew radix Zaphah, signifying to watch, spy, and the like. Hence it is conjectured, that this idol had its temple on the top of the adjacent mountains; and that it is particularly taken notice of by the sacred Historian, to shew how unable it was (whatever opinion the Egyptians might have of it to the contrary) to hinder the Israelites from going out of Egypt. And thus we have followed the Israelites from Rameses |