The Meaning of Exodus 13:18 Explained

Exodus 13:18

KJV: 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.

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.

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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Exodus 13:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 13:17-22 - The People Are Led Out And Pursued
There were two routes to Canaan, the nearest through the land of the Philistines; but to take that would have exposed the Hebrews to the very sights that so dismayed the twelve spies. See Numbers 33:1-56. They might have had to fight every mile of advance. This would have been too great an ordeal for their young faith. So God, like the mother eagle, bore them on His wings. The Angel who conducted the march in the cloud chariot, led them about. Thus God deals with us still, tempering the wind to the shorn lamb. Patience and faith are still severely tested by the circuitous and laborious route, but when in the afterwards we understand God's reasons, we are satisfied. There are many lessons learned on the wilderness route. How often God leads us into what seem to be impossible positions, that in our absolute extremity there may be room for Him to work. All is love. See Psalms 136:1-26. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 13

1  The firstborn are sanctified to God
3  The memorial of the Passover is commanded
11  The firstborn of man and beast are set apart
17  The Israelites go out of Egypt, and carry Joseph's bones with them
20  They come to Etham
21  God guides them by a pillar of a cloud, and a pillar of fire

What do the individual words in Exodus 13:18 mean?

So led the people around God - the people [by] way of the wilderness of the Sea Red and in orderly ranks went up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt
וַיַּסֵּ֨ב אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ אֶת־ הָעָ֛ם דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר יַם־ ס֑וּף וַחֲמֻשִׁ֛ים עָל֥וּ בְנֵי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם

וַיַּסֵּ֨ב  So  led  the  people  around 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָעָ֛ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
דֶּ֥רֶךְ  [by]  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר  of  the  wilderness 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
יַם־  of  the  Sea 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
ס֑וּף  Red 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּף  
Sense: reed, rush, water plant.
וַחֲמֻשִׁ֛ים  and  in  orderly  ranks 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: חָמַשׁ  
Sense: in battle array, arrayed for battle by fives, armed.
עָל֥וּ  went  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בְנֵי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מֵאֶ֥רֶץ  out  of  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרָֽיִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.