Exodus 12:31-42
Summary for Exod 12:31-42: 12:31–14:31 a The Lord delivered on his promises and rescued Israel, bringing them out of Egypt.Summary for Exod 12:31-33: 12:31-33 b The same Pharaoh who had said that Moses would never again see his face and live (see 10:28 c) now asked for Moses to come and see him. Just as God had predicted, Pharaoh then ordered the Israelites to leave his land. He implicitly recognized the Lord’s power as he asked Moses to bless him. He never formally admitted that the Lord is God and that he, Pharaoh, was not.
12:35 d they asked the Egyptians: See 3:22 e; 11:2 f.
12:37 g Succoth is usually identified with Tell el-Maskhutah.
• 600,000 men: See Num 1:46 h. This large number implies about 2.5 million people in the community as a whole, which raises logistical problems: (1) The area of encampment would be 400 sq. mi.; (2) A column of people 1,000 across would be nearly a mile wide and would take 20 hours to pass a single point; (3) As best we know, there were no other armies nearly so large in the ancient Near East at that time. As a result, scholars have proposed two viable alternatives: (1) The number might be symbolic, communicating not an actual number but the fact that God had greatly blessed Israel. While this use of a number seems strange to us, it would be acceptable in the ancient world. (2) The Hebrew word for “thousand” (’elep) might have been confused with the word for “troop” (’allup). If so, the original would have read “600 troops of fighting men.” With a troop size of approximately 100 men, the total population would be significantly reduced. But despite the logistical difficulties, it is possible that there were in fact 2.5 million Israelites.
12:38 i A rabble of non-Israelites: Some of these people later became disaffected and led the Israelites into complaining about their difficulties (see Num 11:4 j). We are never told their motivation for joining with the Israelites. Perhaps some had come to faith in the Lord as a result of the plagues. Others probably saw it as an opportunity for a better life elsewhere.
12:40 k According to the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, 430 years would cover the full period from the promise to Abraham (Gen 12 l; 15 m) until the Exodus. Cp. Gal 3:17 n; see further Exodus Book Introduction, The Date of the Exodus.
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