Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jason Hare" <jaihare AT gmail.com>]

Gary,

Yes, exactly. However, the Israelites left on the fifteenth of the
month of Nisan during the night. This means that they arrived at the
Sinai wilderness three months later on the fifteenth of the month. (At
least, this is how I read it.)

It is stating just what you said: that it took the Israelites exactly
3 months to travel from Egypt to the Sinai wilderness. I don't see
anything subordinated or subordinating in this concept, however.

Yours,
Jason Hare
Joplin, MO > Ra'anana (Israel)

On 5/28/07, Gary A. Staszak <sowersoftheseed AT verizon.net> wrote:
> Thanks for your response and also for your clarification of the
> additional meaning of בַּחֹדֶש BXD$.
>
> Your explanation seems straightforward, but I'd like to offer a
> reflection to be sure I accurately grasp it.
>
> Grammatically, the entire first clause would be subordinate to the
> latter one, and it would serve as the temporal reference for
> בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה. Hypothetically and exegetically then,
> if the Israelites left Egypt on the 22nd of x month, then the text
> states they came (entered) the wilderness of Sinai on the same day
> three months later, no matter what the month on the Hebrew calendar
> may have been. In other words, the text is directly describing the
> time duration (three months) it took for the Israelites to travel
> from Egypt to Sinai.
>
> Is this an accurate grasp?
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Regards,
>
> Gary A. Staszak
> Manassas, VA