Anonymous
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Leslie Coutinho
Exodus 19:2: For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
During a famine that occurred in all the earth (Gen 41:56), Joseph's father Jacob, his brothers and their families came along with their flocks and herds into Egypt. Pharaoh gave them the land of Goshen to dwell, and Joseph then placed his father and his brethren in the best of the land in a place called Rameses as Pharaoh had commanded. (Gen 47:6,11) They dwelt in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years (Exo 12:40) the Lord then heard their cry and brought them out of the land of Egypt. Their first journey began from Rameses to Succoth about six hundred thousand on foot that were men only besides their children. (Exo 12:37)
They then took their journey from Succoth and encamped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness of Egypt. (Exo 13:20) The Lord then commanded Moses to instruct the children of Israel to turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, having on the other side “Baalzephon” which is the “Arabian Peninsula.” (Exo 14:2) Moses led them through the “Red Sea” and took them out into the wilderness of Shur and came to Marah, then to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water. (Exo 15:22-23,27) From Elim, they entered the wilderness of Sin between Elim and Sinai, and after their journey according to the commandments of the Lord, they pitched at Rephidim where there was no water for the people to drink. (Exo 16:1/17:1)
And Lord said unto Moses when they pitched at Rephidim to take the elders and the rod that he used to part the Red Sea by a strong east wind (Exo 14:21/17:5). Later he was told to go to Horeb and strike the rock where the Lord stood over it where the water flowed out to all the people to drink. (Exo 17:6) Thus God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, which was close to the land of Goshen in Egypt, but through the Arabian Peninsula.
Exodus 13:17: And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.