18. God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of
the Red Sea, &c.--This wondrous expanse of water is a gulf of the
Indian ocean. It was called in Hebrew "the weedy sea," from the forest
of marine plants with which it abounds. But the name of the Red Sea is
not so easily traced. Some think it was given from its contiguity to
the countries of Edom ("red"); others derive it from its coral rocks;
while a third class ascribe the origin of the name to an extremely red
appearance of the water in some parts, caused by a numberless multitude
of very small mollusca. This sea, at its northern extremity, separates
into two smaller inlets--the eastern called anciently the Elanitic
gulf, now the gulf of Akaba; and the western the Heroopolite gulf, now
the gulf of Suez, which, there can be no doubt, extended much more to
the north anciently than it does now. It was toward the latter the
Israelites marched.
went up harnessed--that is, girded, equipped for a long journey.
(See
Ps 105:37).
The Margin renders it "five in a rank," meaning obviously five
large divisions, under five presiding officers, according to the usages
of all caravans; and a spectacle of such a mighty and motley multitude
must have presented an imposing appearance, and its orderly progress
could have been effected only by the superintending influence of
God.
JFB.
Picture Study Bible