Exodus 13:17-19 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 13:17-22

Here is, I. The choice God made of their way, Exod. 13:17, 18. He was their guide. Moses gave them direction but as he received it from the Lord. Note, The way of man is not in himself, Jer. 10:23. He may devise his way, and design it; but, after all, it is God that directs his steps, Prov. 16:9. Man proposes, but God disposes, and in his disposal we must acquiesce, and set ourselves to follow providence. There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan. One was a short cut from the north of Egypt to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:17

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go ,.... Gave them leave to depart out of Egypt, and even urged them to be gone in haste upon the death of his firstborn: that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near ; the land of the Philistines was the Pentapolis, or five cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath, which lay between Egypt and Canaan; and their way through it to Canaan, out of Egypt, was the nearest they could... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:18

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" F13 חמשים ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:19

And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him ,.... And his remains might well be called bones, since at such a distance from his death the flesh must be gone, and nothing but bones left; of the place where Joseph's coffin was laid; see Gill on Genesis 50:26 . The Jews pretend, that Moses was informed where Joseph was buried by Sarah, the daughter of Asher, who they say was living at this time F17 T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 13. 1. ; and many other fables they relate concerning the manner of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:17

God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, etc. - Had the Israelites been obliged to commence their journey to the promised land by a military campaign, there is little room to doubt that they would have been discouraged, have rebelled against Moses and Aaron, and have returned back to Egypt. Their long slavery had so degraded their minds that they were incapable of any great or noble exertions; and it is only on the ground of this mental degradation, the infallible... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:19

Moses took the bones of Joseph - See Clarke's note on Genesis 50:25 . It is supposed that the Israelites carried with them the bones or remains of all the twelve sons of Jacob, each tribe taking care of the bones of its own patriarch, while Moses took care of the bones of Joseph. St. Stephen expressly says, Acts 7:15 , Acts 7:16 , that not only Jacob, but the fathers were carried from Egypt into Sychem; and this, as Calmet remarks, was the only opportunity that seems to have presented... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:17

Verse 17 17.And it came to pass when Pharaoh. Moses here assigns the reason why God did not immediately lead His people by the more direct way into the land of Canaan, which would have been just as easy to Him, but preferred to bring them round through the desert, by a long and difficult and dangerous journey; viz., lest, if perhaps they had met with enemies to contend against, a ready means of return would have encouraged them to go back into Egypt. We know how great was the supineness and... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:18

Verse 18 18.The children of Israel went up harnessed. The word חמשים, (148) chemishim, is derived from “Five,” from whence some have explained it, that they were furnished with five kinds of arms, but this is too absurd. The Hebrews, because they could conjecture nothing better or more probable, almost with one consent would understand it, that they were armed under the fifth rib. But whence were there so many military corselets ready for the Israelites? But I reject so forced and improbable a... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:19

Verse 19 19.And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. Hence it appears, that even in their adversity the memory of their promised deliverance had never departed from the people, for had not the adjuration of Joseph been currently spoken of in common conversation, Moses would never have been able to imagine it; but he expressly states that he acted in obedience to the holy patriarch in carrying away his bones. It is, therefore, probable that they were so deposited, that the hope of the people... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 13:17-22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:19

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:17

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:18

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:19

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:17

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:18

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 13:19

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