Forty-Two Journeys of the Israelites
The chapter opens by naming these journeys as Israel’s ordered march from Egypt under Moses and Aaron, recorded at the Lord’s command. It begins at Passover, with Israel departing openly while Egypt buries its firstborn and the Lord’s judgment falls on Egypt’s gods.
T1hese are the journeys of the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt by their divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2At the LORD’s command, Moses recorded the stages of their journey. These are the stages listed by their starting points: 3On the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the Passover, the Israelites set out from Rameses. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians, 4who were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them; for the LORD had executed judgment against their gods.
Israel’s first stages move from Rameses through the sea and into the wilderness, with brief notice of places marked by testing and relief. Marah, Elim, Rephidim, and Sinai quietly recall thirst, provision, and the mountain where Israel camped before the Lord.
5The Israelites set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. 6They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 7They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and they camped near Migdol. 8They set out from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the sea, into the wilderness, and they journeyed three days into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. 9They set out from Marah and came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10They set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. 11They set out from the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin. 12They set out from the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14They set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15They set out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.
The record then passes through a long chain of wilderness camps from Sinai to Kadesh and Mount Hor. The repetition is the point: year after year, Israel keeps moving by stages until the journey that once seemed endless reaches the borderlands of Edom and Canaan.
16They set out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. 17They set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. 20They set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. 21They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22They set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24They set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25They set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26They set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27They set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29They set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30They set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31They set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. 32They set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. 33They set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34They set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. 36They set out from Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin. 37They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the outskirts of the land of Edom.
At Mount Hor the list pauses for Aaron’s death, dating it in the fortieth year and noting his age. A brief report about the king of Arad hearing of Israel’s approach shows that the journey has now reached the edge of Canaan’s contested ground.
38At the LORD’s command, Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first day of the fifth month, in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt. 39Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40Now the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.
From Mount Hor the journey resumes through a final set of camps until Israel reaches the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. The long record comes to rest at the threshold of entry, with the land now directly before them.
41And the Israelites set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42They set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43They set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. 44They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab. 45They set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. 46They set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47They set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim facing Nebo. 48They set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 49And there on the plains of Moab they camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim.