Exodus 12:37-49

Exodus 12:37 - Exodus 18. From Egypt to Sinai.

Exodus 12:37 J. The Exodus. From Rameses (Exodus 1:11 b *) the first stage of the journey took the people 10 miles W. to Succoth (Eg. Thikke), the district round Pithom (Exodus 1:11 b). The number 600,000 (cf. Numbers 11:21), not including children (rather little ones, i.e. women and children, as Exodus 10:10; Exodus 12:24, and often in J), implies a total of about two millions, which not only involves a complex and long-continued miracle, for not more than 5000 could be taken out of Goshen or into Sinai (Petrie), but is wholly at variance with the general impression made either by J or E. It had probably been inserted by Rp to suit P's late and artificial reckoning (Numbers 1:1 *). With the party (Exodus 12:38) a great mixed mass (cf. Numbers 11:4, different Heb.) of non-Israelites went also: connexions by marriage (cf. Leviticus 24:10), Bedawin, and fellow-workpeople glad to escape the corvé e. The food for the journey (Exodus 12:39, cf. Exodus 12:34) consisted of subcinerarii panes (Vulg.), cakes baked on the hot stones (1 Kings 19:6, mg.) under the ashes of the fire that had heated the stones.