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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Exodus 13:18

So God led them through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Israel;   Red Sea;   Scofield Reference Index - Leaven;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Deserts;   Sea, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Sea;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Red sea;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Army;   Frontlets;   Harness;   Red Sea;   Wilderness;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Army;   Exodus, the;   War;   Weights and Measures;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus;   Exodus, Book of;   Red Sea (Reed Sea);   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   Harness;   Moses;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Exodus, the;   Harnessed;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Frontlets;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Army;   Ouches;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Army;   Red Sea;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Sinai;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army;   Exodus, the;   Harness;   Moses;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Exodus;   Red Sea;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
but God led the people around by the way of the wilderness by the Sea of Suf; and the children of Yisra'el went up armed out of the land of Mitzrayim.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
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.
New English Translation
So God brought the people around by the way of the desert to the Red Sea, and the Israelites went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle.
Amplified Bible
But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea; the sons of Israel went up in battle array (orderly ranks, marching formation) out of the land of Egypt.
New American Standard Bible
Therefore God led the people around by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in battle formation from the land of Egypt.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But God made the people to go about by the way of the wildernesse of the red sea: and the children of Israel went vp armed out of the land of Egypt.
Legacy Standard Bible
Hence God turned the people to the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in battle array from the land of Egypt.
Contemporary English Version
So he led them around through the desert and toward the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt, prepared for battle.
Complete Jewish Bible
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.
Darby Translation
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.
Easy-to-Read Version
So God led them another way through the desert by the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for war when they left Egypt.
English Standard Version
But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.
George Lamsa Translation
But God led the people by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.
Good News Translation
Instead, he led them in a roundabout way through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were armed for battle.
Christian Standard Bible®
So he led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.
Literal Translation
But God made the people turn toward the way of the wilderness, to the Sea of Reeds. And the sons of Israel went up armed from the land of Egypt.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore led he the people aboute, euen the waye thorow the wyldernes by ye reed see. And the childre of Israel wente harnessed out of the londe of Egipte.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But God led the people about through the way of the wyldernesse of the redde sea, and the chyldren of Israel went vp harnessed out of the lande of Egypt.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
But God ledde the people about through the way of the wildernesse of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went vp harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And God led the people round by the way to the wilderness, to the Red Sea: and in the fifth generation the children of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
but God ledde aboute by the weie of deseert, which weie is bisidis the reed see. And the sones of Israel weren armed, and stieden fro the lond of Egipte.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
Update Bible Version
but God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea: and the sons of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
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.
New King James Version
So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
New Living Translation
So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.
New Life Bible
So God led the people through the desert to get to the Red Sea. The people of Israel went out of the land of Egypt ready for war.
New Revised Standard
So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So God took the people round the desert-way of the Red Sea, - and the sons of Israel went up armed, out of the land of Egypt.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he led them about by the way of the desert, which is by the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.
Revised Standard Version
But God led the people round by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.
THE MESSAGE
So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.

Contextual Overview

17 When the king sent the people out of Egypt, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was the shortest way. God said, "If they have to fight, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt." 18 So God led them through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt. 19 Moses carried the bones of Joseph with him, because before Joseph died, he had made the Israelites promise to do this. He had said, "When God saves you, remember to carry my bones with you out of Egypt." 20 The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert. 21 The Lord showed them the way; during the day he went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud, and during the night he was in a pillar of fire to give them light. In this way they could travel during the day or night. 22 The pillar of cloud was always with them during the day, and the pillar of fire was always with them at night.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

led the: Exodus 14:2, Numbers 33:6-8, Deuteronomy 32:10, Psalms 107:7

harnessed: or, by five in a rank, Exodus 12:51

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:18 - three days' Exodus 6:26 - armies Exodus 10:19 - the Red sea Exodus 14:8 - with an high hand Numbers 33:1 - with their armies Joshua 1:14 - armed Judges 7:11 - armed men 1 Kings 20:11 - harness Psalms 136:16 - General Ezekiel 20:10 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord . He took some of all the clean birds and animals, and he burned them on the altar as offerings to God.
Genesis 13:4
and where he had built an altar. So he worshiped the Lord there.
Genesis 13:7
so Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen began to argue. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at this time.
Genesis 13:8
Abram said to Lot, "There should be no arguing between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, because we are brothers.
Genesis 14:13
One of the men who was not captured went to Abram, the Hebrew, and told him what had happened. At that time Abram was camped near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite. Mamre was a brother of Eshcol and Aner, and they had all made an agreement to help Abram.
Genesis 18:1
Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day.
Genesis 23:2
She died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham was very sad and cried because of her.
Genesis 35:27
Jacob went to his father Isaac at Mamre near Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had lived.
Genesis 37:14
His father said, "Go and see if your brothers and the flocks are all right. Then come back and tell me." So Joseph's father sent him from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph came to Shechem,
Numbers 13:22
They went through the southern area to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak lived. (The city of Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But God led the people about,.... Instead of their going to the west, or northwest, towards Gaza, c. and the Mediterranean sea, the Lord going before them in a pillar of cloud and fire, as after related, directed them to turn off to the right, between the east and south, to the southeast:

through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: the wilderness of Etham, by the Red sea:

and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt or "girt" m about the loins under the fifth rib not with armour, as some n understand it, for it is not likely that they could, or that Pharaoh would suffer them to be furnished with armour, but their garments were girt about them, and so fit for travelling; or they went up "by fives" o, as it may be rendered, either by five in a rank, or rather in five bodies or squadrons, and so marched out, not in a disorderly and confused way, but in great order and regularity. The latter is much more reasonable to suppose, for five in a rank is too small a number for an army of 600,000 men to march in; since allowing the ranks to be but three feet asunder, and a mile to consist of about two thousand yards, the front and rear of the army would be sixty miles distant from each other p.

m חמשים "accincti", Fagninus, Vatablus, Cartwright; so Onkelos, Aben Ezra. n Kimchi & Pen Melech. o "Quintati", Montanus: "quini", Piscater, Rivet. p See the Bishop of Clogher's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 272.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Harnessed - More probably, “marshalled” or “in orderly array.” There is not the least indication that the Israelites had been disarmed by the Egyptians, and as occupying a frontier district frequently assailed by the nomads of the desert they would of necessity be accustomed to the use of arms. Compare Exodus 1:10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 13:18. 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. Exodus 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.


 
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