John Gill

The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.

“And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth,.... Rameses was a place in Goshen, or rather the land of Goshen, from whence the country was so called; See Gill on Gen 47:11.”

Now the duration of the Israelites’ stay in Egypt was 430 years.

“Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt,.... The Septuagint version adds, "and in the land of Canaan"; and the Samaritan version is,"the sojourning of the children of Israel, and of their fathers, in the land of Canaan, and in the…”

A temporary resident or hired hand shall not eat the Passover.

“A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. One of another nation, and one that was only hired by the day, week, or year; as they were not obliged to circumcision, so without it they had no right to eat of the passover…”

Therefore you shall keep this statute at the appointed time year after year.

“Thou shall therefore keep the ordinance in his season,.... Not the ordinance of the phylacteries, as the Targum of Jonathan, but the ordinance of unleavened bread: from year to year; every year successively, so long as in force, even unto the coming of the Messiah.”

They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

“And they took their journey from Succoth,.... On the second day, as Jarchi observes, from their coming out of Egypt, which was the sixteenth of Nisan: and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness which had its name from it, and was called…”

So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him.

“And he made ready his chariot,.... Which he usually rode in when he went forth to war; for this seems to be a military chariot, and not for show or grandeur; and this was got ready not by himself, as Jarchi, but rather by his…”

The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon.

“But the Egyptians pursued after them,.... When they thought nothing of it, and had no fears about it: all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army; by the latter Aben Ezra understands the foot, as distinguished from the cavalry, the…”

And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry…

“But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it,.... Even the same rod with which so many wonders had been done in Egypt; and Artapanus, the Heathen, says (x), that Moses being bid by a divine voice…”

and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

“And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground,.... Some Jewish writers say (c), that the tribe of Judah went in first, and then the other tribes followed; but it is most likely, what Josephus says (d), that…”

He caused their chariot wheels to wobble, so that they had difficulty driving.

“And took off their chariot wheels,.... The Targum of Jonathan renders it "cut" or "sawed them off"; perhaps they might be broken off by the hailstones.”

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the waters.

“And they came to Elim,.... On the twenty fifth of Nisan; for, according to Aben Ezra, they stayed but one day at Marah.”

That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

“And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up,.... From the coasts of Egypt, from the Red sea, over which they flew; and being evening, and weary with flying so long, lighted and settled where the Israelites encamped.”

And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

“As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the testimony, to be kept. That is, before the ark of the testimony; when that was made, as it was in a little time after this, called the testimony, because it contained in it…”

After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

“Then came Amalek,.... The Amalekites, who were not the posterity of Amalek, a son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, by Timna the concubine of Eliphaz, Gen 36:12 who dwelt in the desert, to the south of Judea, beyond the city Petra, as you go…”

As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed.

“And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed,.... With his rod in it as a banner displayed, as some think, which inspired the Israelites with courage to fight, and they had the better of it; though Aben Ezra rejects…”

So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his army with the sword.

“And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Amalek being distinguished from "his people", has led some to think that Amalek was the name of the king, or general of the army, and that it was a common name to…”

Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain.

“Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people,.... Or look out (t) from among them; see Act 6:3, able men; or "men of power" (u); meaning not so much men of strong and robust constitutions, who, as Aben Ezra says, are able to bear…”

In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.

“In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt,....”

So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

“So Moses went down to the people,.... As the Lord commanded him: and spake unto them: charging them to keep their distance, and not presume to pass the line he had drawn, or the foss or fence he had made: in the Jerusalem Targum it…”

When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance.

“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings,.... That is, they heard the one, and saw the other; they heard the dreadful volleys of thunder, and saw the amazing flashes of lightning, which were like lamps and torches, as the word used signifies…”

And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.

“And if he have betrothed her unto his son,.... Not caring to betroth and marry her himself, as being more suitable in age for his son than for himself: he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters; as if she was his daughter…”

If the ox gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.

“Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter,.... A little son or daughter, and both Israelites, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra; this is observed, because only a man or woman are made mention of in Exo 21:29 persons grown up; and lest…”

If a man gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any other animal to be cared for by his neighbor, but it dies or is injured or stolen while…

“If a man deliver to his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast to keep,.... And he keeps it without a reward, as the Targum of Jonathan; but Jarchi and Aben Ezra more rightly interpret this of one that keeps…”

Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.

“By little and little I will drive them out from before thee,.... Not the beasts of the field, but the inhabitants of Canaan, who were left partly to keep up the cities and towns, that they might not fall to ruin, and to till the…”

You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.

“Thou shalt make no covenant with them,.... A covenant of peace, a league, a confederacy, so as to take them to be their allies and friends; but they were always to consider them as their enemies, until they had made an utter end of them…”