THEOSISJerome of Stridon
The Red Sea, referred to in Hebrew as jam suph, represents the seventh campsite. This raises the question of how, after traversing the Red Sea, passing through the waters of Marah, and settling at Elim, they found themselves once more at the Red Sea. It is plausible that during their journey, they encountered a bay where they set up camp, as crossing the sea is distinct from simply encamping nearby. From this, we understand that even after experiencing the teachings of the Gospel and enjoying the sweet fruits of triumph, we may still behold the sea before us, and old perils can come back to mind. There is, however, a significant difference between surmounting the sea and observing it from a distance.
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The term jam suph in Hebrew is derived from the meanings of sea and red, with suph indicating both red and reed. Therefore, it can be inferred that they arrived at a marsh or lake overgrown with reeds and rushes. Clearly, St. Scripture refers to any gathering of water as a sea. The book of Exodus does not mention such a campsite; rather, it notes that from the Red Sea they progressed to the wilderness of Sin, located between Elim and Sinai, on the fifth and tenth days of the second month after departing from Egypt (Ex. 16:1), specifically on the thirty-first day since leaving Ramessah.