Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Joel C. Salomon" <joelcsalomon AT gmail.com>]

On 2/13/2010 3:26 PM, James Christian wrote:
> My understanding here is that they had made it out of Egypt i.e. to Etham
> and Yhwh tells them to make a strategically suicidal move in order to
> complete the demonstration of his saving power. … Interestingly, when
> the Hebrews cross the Red Sea they end up back in Etham again.

One explanation given by some Jewish commentators (I forget which) is
that the crossing of the Red Sea took a semicircular route, returning to
the same shore of the sea but some distance north (south?), rather than
crossing to the opposite shore.

—Joel C. Salomon