וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁלַּ֣ח פַּרְעֹה֮ אֶת־הָעָם֒ וְלֹא־נָחָ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים דֶּ֚רֶךְ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב ה֑וּא כִּ֣י ׀ אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם הָעָ֛ם בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְשָׁ֥בוּ מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

It was, in Pharaoh’s sending forth the people, that God did not guide them via the land of the Philistines, along the Mediterranean coast, although it was near, for God said: Lest the people reconsider when they see war. Although the Philistines were not a large nation, they were militarily powerful. Passing through their land risked a war which might have caused the Israelites to reverse course and return to Egypt.

וַיַּסֵּ֨ב אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ אֶת־הָעָ֛ם דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר יַם־ס֑וּף וַחֲמֻשִׁ֛ים עָל֥וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

God led the people circuitously, via the wilderness of the Red Sea. Instead of turning northward, toward the Mediterranean coastline, God led them southeast. And the children of Israel came up armed from the land of Egypt, as they assumed that they would eventually be forced to fight. God decided that they were not yet ready to stand in battle, and He therefore guided them on a path that would avoid direct confrontation with the Philistines.

וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־עַצְמ֥וֹת יוֹסֵ֖ף עִמּ֑וֹ כִּי֩ הַשְׁבֵּ֨עַ הִשְׁבִּ֜יעַ אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּקֹ֨ד יִפְקֹ֤ד אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֧ם אֶת־עַצְמֹתַ֛י מִזֶּ֖ה אִתְּכֶֽם׃

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he, Joseph, had administered an oath to the children of Israel, the children of Jacob, or the Israelites in general, saying: God will remember and redeem you; and when this occurs, I request that you shall bring my bones up from here, from Egypt, with you.

וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִסֻּכֹּ֑ת וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ בְאֵתָ֔ם בִּקְצֵ֖ה הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃

They, the Israelites, traveled from a place called Sukot; alternatively, from a place where there were booths [ sukkot ], and they encamped in Etam, at the edge of the wilderness. Until this point, the Israelites traveled in fertile areas that were part of Egypt or Goshen. Now, they begin to travel in uninhabited areas.

וַֽיהוָ֡ה הֹלֵךְ֩ לִפְנֵיהֶ֨ם יוֹמָ֜ם בְּעַמּ֤וּד עָנָן֙ לַנְחֹתָ֣ם הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְלַ֛יְלָה בְּעַמּ֥וּד אֵ֖שׁ לְהָאִ֣יר לָהֶ֑ם לָלֶ֖כֶת יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה׃

So that they could navigate the desert, an angel of the Lord was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud to guide them on the way. They followed the cloud, which represented the glory of God. And by night He would go with them in a pillar of fire to illuminate for them, to go day and night. It is unclear whether the Israelites actually traveled by night. In any event, the pillar of fire gave them the ability to do so.

לֹֽא־יָמִ֞ישׁ עַמּ֤וּד הֶֽעָנָן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְעַמּ֥וּד הָאֵ֖שׁ לָ֑יְלָה לִפְנֵ֖י הָעָֽם׃ (פ)

The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night would not move from before the people. The Israelites did not know where they were traveling; these two pillars represented God’s guiding hand in the wilderness.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ וְיַחֲנוּ֙ לִפְנֵי֙ פִּ֣י הַחִירֹ֔ת בֵּ֥ין מִגְדֹּ֖ל וּבֵ֣ין הַיָּ֑ם לִפְנֵי֙ בַּ֣עַל צְפֹ֔ן נִכְח֥וֹ תַחֲנ֖וּ עַל־הַיָּֽם׃

Speak to the children of Israel, that they return in the direction of Egypt and encamp before Pi HaHirot, a famous place at the time. The name Pi is Egyptian. It is located between Migdol and the Red Sea, before the pagan god Baal Tzefon. Opposite it you shall encamp, by the sea. On their way to Canaan, the Israelites did not need to cross the Red Sea. From the eastern bank of the Nile, their way was open toward the Land of Israel, even if the Red Sea once extended further north than it does today. Still, God instructed Moses to turn from their route and camp by the sea.

וְאָמַ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נְבֻכִ֥ים הֵ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ סָגַ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃

Pharaoh will then say of the children of Israel: They are astray in the land. They have lost their way, and are doubling back. The wilderness has closed in on them, allowing them to travel no further.

וְחִזַּקְתִּ֣י אֶת־לֵב־פַּרְעֹה֮ וְרָדַ֣ף אַחֲרֵיהֶם֒ וְאִכָּבְדָ֤ה בְּפַרְעֹה֙ וּבְכָל־חֵיל֔וֹ וְיָדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵֽן׃

I will harden Pharaoh’s heart. After the plagues, the ruin, and the destruction inflicted upon Egypt, Pharaoh’s heart will be hardened one last time, and he will pursue them; and I will be exalted through Pharaoh, and through his entire army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, for something will occur now more miraculous than the plagues of Egypt. And they, the Israelites, did so.

וַיֻּגַּד֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח הָעָ֑ם וַ֠יֵּהָפֵךְ לְבַ֨ב פַּרְעֹ֤ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמרוּ֙ מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעָבְדֵֽנוּ׃

Meanwhile, it was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled. The three days originally agreed upon (see 8:23–24) had passed, and the Israelites did not seem bound for any particular destination. The heart of Pharaoh and his servants was transformed with regard to the people, and they said: What is this that we have done, that we have sent Israel from our servitude? This nation of slaves filled an important economic function for us, and was part of our way of life. We did not mean to set them free, only to allow them a respite.

וַיֶּאְסֹ֖ר אֶת־רִכְבּ֑וֹ וְאֶת־עַמּ֖וֹ לָקַ֥ח עִמּֽוֹ׃

He harnessed his chariot. Pharaoh commanded that his horses be harnessed to his personal chariot. And he took his people, his soldiers, with him.

וַיִּקַּ֗ח שֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת רֶ֙כֶב֙ בָּח֔וּר וְכֹ֖ל רֶ֣כֶב מִצְרָ֑יִם וְשָׁלִשִׁ֖ם עַל־כֻּלּֽוֹ׃

He took six hundred select chariots, the best he had. These were the elite forces of Egypt, whose size is comparable to that of a modern armored division. And he took as well all the chariots of Egypt; chariots played a dominant role in Egypt’s military. A nd there were auxiliaries with all of them. In addition to the driver, who held the reins, and the warrior, who held a weapon, usually a bow, as seen in ancient Egyptian drawings, Pharaoh added an officer over each chariot.

וַיְחַזֵּ֣ק יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶת־לֵ֤ב פַּרְעֹה֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּרְדֹּ֕ף אַחֲרֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יֹצְאִ֖ים בְּיָ֥ד רָמָֽה׃

The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; the children of Israel went out with a high hand, not as escapees.