Exodus 14:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Meanwhile, the second route was to be avoided temporarily to make way for a momentous event that would glorify the Lord even more significantly than previous miracles, thus strengthening the Hebrews in their commitment to Him (Ex. 13:17). Therefore, at the Lord's direction, the Israelites from Othom were instructed to divert southward along the western side of the Suez arm of the Red Sea, thereby returning to Egyptian territory. Their new itinerary required the entire assembly to position itself between the Red Sea and Magdol (a tower or fortress). Due to the ambiguous nature of ancient Egyptian geography, the exact location of this site, along with others where the Israelite assembly was ordered to halt, remains uncertain. One site mentioned in court texts, and identified in Numbers 33:7 as the mouth of Iroth (interpreted as the mouth of the caves), suggests that these locations may have been fortified either naturally or through human construction, serving as a secure point for Egyptian interests on the eastern side. Located about 20 versts from Suez along the western shoreline of the Suez arm of the Red Sea, the Arabs still indicate a place known as the Baths of Pharaoh (Hamam Pharaun), linked to the legend of Pharaoh’s drowning in the sea nearby. This area lies within a narrow coastal strip, referred to by the Arabs as the valley of the miracle (Bedea) or the path of the children of Israel (Tga-Bene-Israel). It exists between the sea and the mountains, with desert land to the north and south. It is likely that the Israelites encamped for the night in this region on the third day of their journey, where the locations mentioned in the discussed verses can be found.

From Sokhof, this newly formed group advanced ‘by military organization’ to the strategic outpost of Epham, which bordered the narrow and often treacherous isthmus connecting Lake Timsa to the Gulf of Suez, where routes diverged toward Palestine and the copper mines of Egypt. However, instead of proceeding along this path, Moses, acting upon a distinct command from the Lord, abruptly directed the people toward the mountains adjacent to the Red Sea, placing them in a precarious predicament, as they seemed trapped between the sea, the mountains, and the pursuing Egyptian army. The text (and the introduction to this chapter) illustrates how the Lord delivered Israel. It is worth mentioning a few insights regarding the locations referenced in this passage, drawing from the perspectives of scholars such as Cook, Dom Calmet, O. Gerlach, Schabas, and others.

Pi-Gahiroth denotes the entrance to caves; this name has Semitic roots, but the initial syllable is of Egyptian origin, meaning a house. This site is thought to correspond with the fortress of Airod, or Ajirud, which contains a substantial well of potable water (as cited in Put. Niebuhr I. 176). The term Migdol translates to tower in Hebrew. It is believed that this location corresponds to Bir Suweis, situated about two miles from Suez. Schabas discovered in an Egyptian manuscript that he had disassembled (refer to Vou. d'bn Egyptien. Edition de Chalon sur Saon 1866; pp. 286-287) the name of a fortress called Mictal, which he associates with Migdol. This site was equipped with a well, of which remnants can still be found (Niebuhr, Robinson). Baal-Cephon. Schabas (in the previously mentioned source) suggests that this name represents a transcription of the Egyptian name for the northern goddess, linking Baal-Tsephon to the house of Uati as noted in his manuscript, indicating that the Hebrews incorrectly rendered it with a masculine name, given that Uati was the female aspect of Baal. Cook and O. Gerlach propose that the northern Baal corresponds to the Sutekh of the Phoenicians, who established colonies in Lower Egypt; however, the actual location is not in dispute. Baal-Tsephon was close to modern-day Suez (Colsum). Therefore, on an expansive plain stretching southward from Suez, the camp of Israel had its divisions extending towards Ajirud.