THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Although the eighth encampment in the sequence outlined in Exodus is technically the seventh, it is essential to recognize that the entire desert leading to Mount Sinai is referred to as Sin. This designation encompasses the entire region, similar to how Moab refers to both a city and a surrounding territory. Within this wilderness, there exist five notable locations: the Yam-suf, as previously mentioned, the wilderness of Sin, Defka, Alus, and Rafidim, which we will discuss later. Sin connotes both a thicket and animosity, both of which carry profound implications, for upon reaching the place where the Lord will communicate with us, we shall provoke the significant wrath of our adversary.
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In this experience, we will witness the cup that burns yet remains unconsumed—the Church, which endures through persecution without being destroyed, for it is here that the Lord has spoken. Furthermore, in the eighth encampment, where our trials arise (Ps. 8:1), the eighth Psalm bears this distinction. Here, we comprehend the wilderness of the cupule, hinting at the truth that the children of the desolate exceed those of the married (Is. 54).