The Church Fathers on this verse

Numbers 33:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And departing from Daphca, they camped in Alus.

Douay-Rheims

וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִדָּפְקָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּאָלֽוּשׁ׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

One Church Father comments on this verse

Jerome of Stridon

4th centuryChurch Father

The book of Exodus does not mention a tenth encampment; it is believed to have been located in the wilderness of Sin, as indicated in the text: “All the multitude of the children of Israel departed out of the wilderness of Sin through their camps unto the mouth of the Lord, and came unto Raphidim” (Ex. 17:1). This suggests that the name of a region, Sin, is associated with numerous encampments. Leaven, which is referred to as "Alus," was taken by a woman and hidden in three measures of flour until the entire batch was leavened (Matthew 13:33).

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In this wilderness, the people complained due to hunger, and when they looked around, they beheld the glory of God manifested in a cloud nearby. They received quail in the evening and manna the following morning (Num. 11). It is significant that at the tenth encampment, the leaven is introduced, and after partaking of the meat, manna is provided, fulfilling the Scripture: "The bread of angels is given to men" (Psalms 77:25).