Numbers 33:35
And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Numbers 33:35
And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
While this verse simply records a change in campsite, it's nestled within a list that highlights the Israelites' prolonged, circuitous wandering in the wilderness. This seemingly mundane detail points to the often-unseen, lengthy detours God allows, even as He faithfully leads His people toward their ultimate destination.
This passage is part of a lengthy list detailing the precise route the Israelites took after leaving Egypt, a journey that spanned forty years. It marks another stop in their extensive travels, moving from Abronah to Ezion-geber, a location by the Red Sea. This detailed record of their encampments serves as a reminder of God's guidance through their wanderings, even as it highlights the consequences of their disobedience that prolonged their journey.
Did you know that the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land wasn't a straight line? This verse marks a significant point in a long, winding path.
Numbers 33 is a travelogue, listing the stations where the Israelites camped. While a simple list, it reveals a profound truth: their journey was not direct. They were led 'about,' sometimes seemingly backward, over forty years. This wasn't random wandering; it was under the direct guidance of God's pillar of cloud and fire.
A Maze with a Map
Imagine being stuck in a maze for nearly four decades. That was the Israelites' reality. The scholars note that many of these encampments, including Ezion-geber, were near the Red Sea, a place they had already passed. This 'wandering backward' was a consequence of their sin and rebellion, a chastisement that lasted for a generation.
Yet, even in this prolonged discipline, God's hand was present. He didn't abandon them; He 'led them about,' ensuring they were never truly lost, even when they felt it most.
This specific campsite, Ezion-geber, wasn't just another dusty spot. It held strategic importance and a historical legacy.
Ezion-geber was a significant location – a port on the Red Sea. The commentaries highlight its strategic position, especially for trade and seafaring. It's where Solomon later built his navy, looking towards faraway lands for gold. This detail adds a layer to the seemingly simple travelogue.
More Than Just a Stop
Understand the original words
Etsyon Geber · Hebrew Proper Noun
A significant port city on the Gulf of Aqaba, meaning 'backbone of a giant'; it serves as a geographical marker of the wilderness journey and is later associated with the history of Israel's seafaring and commerce.
This verse marks a significant, yet often overlooked, point in the Israelites' long wilderness journey—a return to the Red Sea area after decades of wandering. It highlights God's persistent guidance, even through seemingly circuitous routes, as they finally approach the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites leave Egypt after 400 years of slavery, marking the beginning of their wilderness journey.
c. 1446 BC - 1406 BC
Wilderness Wanderings Begin
Following the Exodus, the Israelites begin their journey, with their movements guided by a pillar of cloud and fire.
c. 1406 BC
Aaron's Death at Mount Hor
Aaron the priest dies in the fortieth year after the Exodus, near the border of Edom, shortly before entering the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC
Journey towards the Plains of Moab
After nearly 40 years of wandering, the Israelites are nearing the borders of the Promised Land, traversing the land of Edom and Moab.
c. 1406 BC
This verse describes Israel passing by Edom and Esau, showing that Ezion-geber was on the edge of lands associated with their relatives, a significant marker in their journey's end.
1 Kings 9:26This passage shows the continuation of Ezion-geber as a significant port, highlighting its importance for trade and maritime ventures even centuries after the Exodus, demonstrating its strategic location.
Psalm 107:7The psalmist reflects on God leading His people 'by a direct way, to a habitable town,' which echoes the sense of being guided through seemingly circuitous wilderness wanderings, like those ending at Ezion-geber.
Deuteronomy 32:10This song describes God finding Jacob 'in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he enfolded him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye,' paralleling God's care during Israel's prolonged journey, which included stops like Ezion-geber.
bensonNumbers 33:35: "And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Eziongaber."
Numbers 33:35 . Ezion-gaber — A seaport town situated on the Red sea, in the land of Edom, near Arabia Felix, Deuteronomy 2:8 ; 2 Chronicles 8:17 . All the encampments, from Numbers 33:16 to this place, were wanderings backward again toward the Red sea, for thirty-eight years together. They were led to and fro, backward and forward, as in a maze or labyrinth, and yet were all the while under the direction of the pillar…
calvinNumbers 33:1-56: "These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron."
And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
Profecti sunt igitur Ramesse mense primo, decimaquinta dic mensis primi, postera dic Phase egressi sunt filii Israel i…
While this verse simply records a change in campsite, it's nestled within a list that highlights the Israelites' prolonged, circuitous wandering in the wilderness. This seemingly mundane detail points to the often-unseen, lengthy detours God allows, even as He faithfully leads His people toward their ultimate destination.
This passage is part of a lengthy list detailing the precise route the Israelites took after leaving Egypt, a journey that spanned forty years. It marks another stop in their extensive travels, moving from Abronah to Ezion-geber, a location by the Red Sea. This detailed record of their encampments serves as a reminder of God's guidance through their wanderings, even as it highlights the consequences of their disobedience that prolonged their journey.
This passage is part of a lengthy list detailing the precise route the Israelites took after leaving Egypt, a journey that spanned forty years. It marks another stop in their extensive travels, moving from Abronah to Ezion-geber, a location by the Red Sea. This detailed record of their encampments serves as a reminder of God's guidance through their wanderings, even as it highlights the consequences of their disobedience that prolonged their journey.
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Camping at Ezion-geber
The Israelites camp at Ezion-geber, a port city on the Red Sea, during their final stages of wandering before entering Canaan.
c. 1406 BC
Arrival on the Plains of Moab
The Israelites reach the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, preparing to cross into the Promised Land.
"And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber." — While this verse simply records a change in campsite, it's nestled within a list that highlights the Israelites' prolonged, circuitous wandering in the wilderness. This seemingly mundane detail point…