The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 18

EXPOSITION. Ven;. 22-27.-Tm: JO'll1U."EY FBOM THE though dark-coloured e.nd somewhe.t bre.ckish. Rm Su TO ELIIII. After a st.ay, which cannot From AJllil Muse. the Israelites pursued their be exs.ct.J.y measured, but which was probably vre.y in e. direction e. little east of south one of some days, near the point of the Eastern through e. be.rren plain where se.nd-storms a.re coast of the Gulf of Suez, e.t which they had frequent-pa.rt of the wilderness of Shur-for emerged from the see.-bed, the lsre.elites, Uilder three days without finding water. Here their the guidance of the pille.r of the cloud, re- 11.ocka e.nd herds most he.ve suffered gree.tly, sumed their journey, e.nd were conducted e.nd me.ny of the anime.ls probe.bly died on the southwe.rds, or south-eastwe.rds, through the journey. On the lest of the three de.ys we.ter arid tre.ct, ce.lled indifferently "the wilderness was foUild e.t e. spot called thenceforth of Shur" (verse 22), e.nd "the wilderness of "Mare.h," "bitterness," bees.use theliquid we.s Ethe.m " (Num. xxxiii.. 8), to e. place ce.lled Uildrinke.ble. After the mire.cle related in Mare.h. It is genere.lly supposed the.t the ver. 25, and e.n ence.mpment by the side of the first he.It must he.ve been e.t Ayun Muse., sweetened spring (Nwn. xxxiii. 8), they pro- or "the springs of Moseli." This is "the only ceeded onwe.rd without much change of direc- green spot near the pesse.ge over the Red tion to Elim,where was e.bDDde.uce of good water Sea" (Cook). It possesses e.t present seventeen e.nd e. grove of seventy pa.Im-trees. Here " they wells, e.nd is an oasis of grass e.nd ta.me.risk in ence.mped by the we.ters," and were e.llowed the midst of e. se.udy desert. When v,·ellsted a rest, which probe.bly exceeded e. fortnight visited it in 1836, there were abODdant palm- (See the co,runent on eh. xvi. 1.) trees. It does not lie on the shore, bot at the distance of a.bout a mile e.nd e. he.lf from the Ver. 22.-So Moses brought IBre.el from the Bed See.. There is no such connection bee.eh, with which it was e.t one time connec- between this verse and the precediug narre.- ted by au aqueduct, built for the convenience tive as the word "so" expresses. Tre.osle.te of the ships, which here took in their we.ter. "And Moses brought." The wilderness of Tbe water is regarded 115 good e.nd wholesome, Shtlf, called also that of Etham (Nwn. xxxiii.  CII. XV. 23-26.] TUE BOOK OF EXODUS HI