Exodus 15:22-27 Marah and Elim

"Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea

and they went into the desert of Shur.

For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.

When they came to Marah,

they could not drink its water because it was bitter.

(That is why the place is called Marah.)

So the people grumbled against Moses, saying,

'What are we to drink?'

Then Moses cried out to the LORD,

and the LORD showed him a piece of wood.

He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the LORD made a decree and a law for them,

and there he tested them.

He said, 'If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God

and do what is right in his eyes,

if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, 

I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians,

for I am the LORD who heals you.'

Then they came to Elim,

where there were twelve springs

and seventy palm trees,

and they camped there near the water."

Exodus 15:22-27 (NIV)

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Some observations:

• After the victory at the Red Sea came the waterless travel in the desert of Shur.   Often times of great victory are followed by times of hardship or testing.  So watch out.
• However, after the testing at Marah, there was the time of rest at the oasis of Elim.  Often times of trial are followed by a moment of rest and refreshment.  So rejoice.
• Three days without water while traveling through the desert would not have been a lot of fun, especially when you consider that they had to deal with not only a large number of thirsty humans, which can get downright ugly, but also a lot of thirsty animals as well.  If you have a pet, you probably know how vociferous they can get if they don't have water.  Our otherwise mostly happy dog (see these posts on The Labrapithound) gets visibly cranky if his water dish is empty. He will step into it and fling it around until I notice, and believe me, it is hard to ignore a steel bowl clanging around on the slate tiles of the kitchen floor.  He will also glare as though he can't believe he has to suffer this injustice.  Mind you, I refill it twice a day, so he really should not have many complaints.  When I refill it, he is instantly restored to his amiable self and all is forgiven.  In fact, sometimes he doesn't even bother to take a drink.  But I wonder, what would he be like after three days?  Then I think, what would about two million people be like after three days without water? Yikes.
• Why did the people not call upon God instead of grumbling against Moses?  They had just seen Him do miracles with the water of the Red Sea, so surely a drink wouldn't be beyond His capabilities.
• Marah means 'bitter'.  This reminds me of  the incident in the book of Ruth (1:19-20) where Naomi (whose name means 'pleasant', told people to call her 'Mara' (bitter), because she felt that the Almighty had made her life very bitter.  (She had lost her husband and two sons.)  Little did she know that God had great plans for her descendants through her daughter-in-law Ruth and her godly relative Boaz who later marries Ruth.
• I wonder what Moses thought at first when he cried out to the LORD for help and God showed him a piece of wood.  I guess God told him what to do, though, because he knew to throw it into the bitter waters.
• I used to wonder what kind of wood could Moses have been given which would have made the waters drinkable.  Now I think, 'what kind of God was able to make bitter waters sweet?', knowing that the wood was incidental.
• It seemed strange to to me that the LORD makes a decree/law for the Israelites at this point.  However, I guess it makes sense in that they were beginning the journey through the desert so He would have to set some ground rules.  If they listened carefully to God's voice and kept his commands and decrees, they would not have to suffer from any of the diseases which He had brought upon the Egyptians.  I suppose He is referring to the diseases brought upon the Egyptians during the plagues which preceded the Israelites' escape from Egypt.  It also probably has to do with the covenant which He had made with their forefathers.  They were His people, and He wanted them to know that one part of his identity was as 'the LORD who heals you'.  However, they would have to be obedient in order to reap the benefits.  After seeing what Pharaoh's rebellious ways brought him, you'd think that they would get the picture:  obedience = life, rebellion = death. 
• At Elim (which the NIV Study Bible says means 'large trees', there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees.  I just read an article about Elim recently, and it said that this oasis place is still there.  Some of its springs have become blocked up and otherwise unused, but the palm trees now number around 2000.  I though that this was cool -- to know that it is a place which could still be seen today.

Exodus 15:1-21 Victory Song

"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:

'I will sing to the LORD,

for he is highly exalted.

The horse and its rider

he has hurled into the sea.

The LORD is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

He is my God, and I will praise him,

my father's God and I will exalt him.

The LORD is a warrior;

the LORD is his name.

Pharaoh's chariots and his army

he has hurled into the sea.

The best of Pharaoh's officers

are drowned in the Red Sea.

The deep waters have covered them;

they sank to the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, O LORD

was majestic in power.

Your right hand, O LORD

shattered the enemy.

In the greatness of your majesty

you threw down those who opposed you.

You unleashed your burning anger;

it consumed them like stubble.

By the blast of your nostrils

the waters piled up.

The surging waters stood firm like a wall;

the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.

The enemy boasted,

'I will pursue, I will overtake them.

I will divide up the spoils;

I will gorge myself on them.

I will draw my sword

and my hand will destroy them.

But you blew with your breath,

and the sea covered them.

They sank like lead

in the mighty waters.

Who among the gods is like you,

O LORD?

Who is like you --

majestic in holiness,

awesome in glory,

working wonders?

You stretched out your right hand

and the earth swallowed them.

In your unfailing love you will lead

the people you have redeemed.

In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

The nations will hear and tremble;

anguish will grip the people of Philistia.

The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,

the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,

the people of Canaan will melt away;

terror and dread will fall upon them.

By the power of your arm

they will be still as a stone --

until your people pass by, O LORD,

until the people you bought pass by.

You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance --

the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling,

the sanctuary, O LORD, your hands established.

the LORD will reign for ever and ever.'

When Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea,

the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them,

but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand,

and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.

Miriam sang to them,

'Sing to the LORD,

for he is highly exalted.

The horse and its rider

he has hurled into the sea.' "

Exodus 15:1-21 (NIV)

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Moses and the Israelites sang a victory song after Pharaoh's defeat.  However, the focus was not upon themselves, but upon the LORD who had brought about the victory.  A short retelling of the way that Pharaoh's forces were drowned in the sea (v.4-5) is bracketed by extensive descriptions of the LORD as a warrior, active in saving His people.  Verbs like 'hurled', 'shattered', 'threw', 'unleashed', 'consumed' etc., give us a vivid picture of the way that the LORD acted in the battle.

However, we also get the sense that this struggle was in no way a problem for the LORD.  His enemies are vanquished by merely His breath (v.8,10), or an outstretched hand (v.4,6,7,12).  [In fact, this battle reminded me of the way that the book of Revelation portrays the last days, when the LORD will strike down his enemies with his mouth (Revelation 1:16 and19:15).  Also, in Revelation 20:7-10, a multitude of nations which surround Jerusalem are simply devoured by fire from heaven, while Satan, the beast and the false prophet are thrown into a lake of burning sulfur.  However, I am getting ahead of the story!]

Moses' song is not only about their present situation with Pharaoh's armies.  After proclaiming the LORD's victory, and how the LORD is unlike any other so-called 'god', Moses launches into a confident statement of how the LORD will continue to lead His people all the way unto the land which He had promised their forefathers. (v.13)  The verses which follow (v. 15-18) give a kind of outline of their future journey:  Philistia, Edom, Moab, Canaan.

Finally, a recap of the battle reminds the Israelites how the forces of Pharaoh were drowned, while the Israelites were able to walk through the sea on dry ground. (v.19)

Miriam's part in the celebration is also noted.  She was a prophetess, and the sister of Moses and Aaron. (v.20)  She led the women with tambourines in song and dance to celebrate the victory which the LORD had accomplished.  The refrain which is recorded in verse 21 may have been a kind of chorus which was interwoven with the rest of this victory song:

"Sing to the LORD

for he is highly exalted.

The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea."

Exodus 15:21 (NIV) 

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All of the Israelites sang this song to the LORD.(v.1)
That is very appropriate, for He had saved them all.

Even today, this crossing over the Sea in safety,
and the victory over Pharaoh and the Egyptian army
are seen as a pivotal point in God's dealings with the nation of Israel.

I imagine that the Israelites also see this as the first action which they took together as a nation.

God also had other symbolism inherent in this victory,
which will become evident eventually as we continue to examine His story (history).
For now, let's just say that the LORD would eventually deliver the Israelites
(and, indeed, the people of every nation)
from a far more significant foe than a pharaoh of Egypt.

Exodus 14:26-31 An Awe-full Day

"Then the LORD said to Moses,

'Stretch out your hand over the sea

so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians
 and their chariots and their horsemen.'

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,

and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.

The Egyptians were fleeing toward it,
and the Lord swept them into the sea.

The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen --

the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.

Not one of them survived.

But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,

with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians,

and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.

And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed
against the Egyptians,

the people feared the LORD
and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."

Exodus 14:26-31

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The LORD had been driving the sea back all night long with a strong east wind (Exodus 12:21).  Now at daybreak, as Moses stretches his hand out over the sea, the sea returns to its place.  At first I was puzzled as to why the Egyptians were fleeing toward it, (the sea) instead of back toward the shore where they had entered the water.  Then I realized that it is possible that they were nearer to the far side than the side where they had entered and were possibly trying to reach the opposite shore where the Israelites had just exited the sea.  Also, I noticed a small note in the NIV Study Bible which indicated that the text could also read that the Egyptians were fleeing "from it", which makes more sense.  At any rate, the Egyptians were swept into the sea by the returning waters.  The sea covered the chariots and horsemen and entire army of Pharaoh.

It also struck me that not one of the Egyptians survived.  Usually in such great catastrophes, there are a handful of survivors.  However, this was no normal incident.  The LORD was keeping His covenant promises to protect the Israelites and to 'curse' those who fought against them.

The Israelites went safely through the sea, with walls of water on either side of them.  There is an animated film ("The Prince of Egypt") about Moses' life and when the Exodus is portrayed, I can't help but think of the way it depicted the Israelites' journey through the water.  They showed the fish and various sea creatures swimming alongside the Israelites behind the walls of water, like fish in a gigantic aquarium, and that image always comes to mind when I read about the walls of water on their left and on their right.

After they had arrived safely, the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.  As a side note, I read somewhere that people sometimes wonder why there is no mention of this incident in Egyptian history, and no mention of a Pharaoh lost to the sea.  Part of that answer seems fairly obvious to me -- no one wants to write about their own defeat -- especially when it involves pharaohs who were supposed to be god-like.  Also, this Pharaoh's body may have been recovered, washing up on the shoreline and buried with due ceremony.

I do believe, though, that the destruction of the entire Egyptian army would have had a significant effect upon Egypt's military efforts for a while, and it is possible that we may use that as a clue as to who was the Pharaoh at this time.  It would take some time for Egypt to rebuild its fighting force to the same level it enjoyed before this incident, and this may show up in history as a time where Egypt kept to itself for a bit and did not go out on extensive campaigns.  I am no expert in Egyptian history, but the idea is worth exploring.  Any thoughts?  Please share them in the comments below.

When the people realized the great power of the LORD, they regarded Him with fear and respect and also put their trust in the LORD and in Moses, His servant.  Nothing like having an entire army wiped out in your behalf to see that God is powerful and also that He is someone to be taken seriously.

Exodus 14:23-25 Pursued

"The Egyptians pursued them,

and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen

followed them into the sea.

During the last watch of the night

the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud

at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.

He made the wheels of their chariots come off

so that they had difficulty driving.

And the Egyptians said, 'Let's get away from the Israelites!

The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.' "

Exodus 14:23-25 (NIV)

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As the Israelites crossed the sea between the walls of water, the Egyptians reached the edge of the sea.  We are not told exactly what they were thinking, but we can imagine that Pharaoh thought something like, "Hey, if they can cross here so can we!" -- for they immediately followed the Israelites into the sea in hot pursuit.

The LORD looked down upon the scene and threw the Egyptian army into confusion.  I remember reading other places in the Bible where similar incidents took place and the enemies of Israel became confused and began attacking each other (I Samuel 14), or where they were disorientated (II Kings 6:18-23) and demoralized (Joshua 10:9-10) in some way.  Face it, when you have the Creator of the universe fighting against you, you are in a heap of trouble.

Not only were the Egyptians thrown into confusion, but they were also given that most aggravating state of affairs:  vehicle trouble.  Their chariots, those powerful weapons in which the Egyptians trusted for military advantage, became all wobbly in the wheels.  In fact, the wheels even came off, so it is no wonder that "they had difficulty driving."

At this the Egyptians finally realized their mistake.  They tried to get away from the Israelites.  It had become obvious to them that the LORD Himself was fighting for Israel.  Encumbered by the iron weapons and chariots in which they had trusted, the Egyptians suddenly found themselves at a distinct disadvantage.

However, the worst was yet to come.  For now, to his horror, someone noticed that the sea was beginning to become unsettled and flow back toward Pharaoh's struggling forces.

Exodus 14:19-22 Protected

"Then the angel of God,

who had been traveling in front of Israel's army,

withdrew and went behind them.

The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them,

coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel.

Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side

and light to the other side;

so neither went near the other all night long.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,

and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind

and turned it into dry land.

The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,

with a wall of water on their right and on their left."

Exodus 14:19-22 (NIV)

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The 'angel of God', who had been leading the way at the head of Israel's army, now moves protectively behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from the front to the rear of Israel's army.  I have not done an exhaustive post about the identity of the "angel of the LORD", but the topic has come up from time to time in various posts:

Here is an account of when Hagar (Abraham's wife's servant) encounters the angel of the LORD.

 Here is where the angel of the LORD stops Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac.

In these posts, the angel of the LORD is presented as being God.  You can find other posts with further discussion about the angel of the Lord by typing 'angel of the LORD' into the search box in the upper right hand corner of the blog.

In our passage, the cloud pillar also moves from its position of leading the way into a protective rear guard.  This cloud brought light to the advancing Israelites, and darkness to the Egyptian side, keeping a separation between the two parties all night long.

Meanwhile, Moses was stretching his hand out over the sea.  God drove the sea back using a strong east wind, leaving a dry path for the Israelites to travel between the two walls of water.  Notice that the text is careful to provide the detail that the waters were standing in a wall on their right hand and on their left.  Know why that is significant?  Water doesn't usually stand up by itself.  If this were merely the result of a strong wind blowing the water out of their way, there wouldn't be one wall of water on the right, a dry space and then another wall of water on the left.  There would be no dry place in between, and no walls to walk between, for gravity would cause all the water to blend together in whatever place it was being blown toward.

I also loved the observation one commentator made about the possibility some scoffers postulate that the journey through the sea was actually made only through a lake, and that the quantity of water being blown aside was only several feet deep.  Then, the commentator joked, the real miracle would have been how Pharaoh's entire army had been drowned in just a few feet of water.  [But I am getting ahead of the story.]

Instead, the text asserts that it is the LORD who is driving the sea back all night long so that the Israelites would have a dry path between two walls of water.  This passage is a beautiful example of how the LORD is continuing to keep the covenant He made with the children of Israel.

Exodus 14:15-18 Keep Going

"Then the LORD said to Moses,

'Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites to move on.

Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea

to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.

And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army,

through his chariots and his horsemen.

The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD

when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.' "

Exodus 14:15-18 (NIV)

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Moses must have been continuing to pray or cry out to God.  God finally tells him to get moving and to raise his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea in order to divide the water so that the Israelites will be able to go through the sea.  [The LORD mentions that they will cross over on dry ground.  Parting the sea would be amazing enough, but now the Israelites will not have to slog through wet sand or mud.]

If it seems that God's reaction to Moses' continuing to cry out to Him is rather blunt, it is probably because God knows that Moses knows that the Israelites are on their way to the land which God had promised to their ancestors.  It is time to move, not to stand gaping at the obstacles before them.  It also seems that God is prodding Moses to have a bit of faith in God's ability to make a way for them.  Looking at the physical situation before them, it is not surprising that Moses would have hesitated a bit.  Apparently they were in a place which hemmed them in with mountains on one side and the sea on the other.  The land may have ended in front of them and the Egyptians were rapidly approaching them from behind.  Where should they go?  Forward.                                                     

God will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will follow after the Israelites, pursuing them into the sea.  God will be glorified, and the Egyptians will know that the LORD is the only true God.  If you think that it is unfair that God would harden the hearts of the Egyptian forces, remember that they have been given all kinds of miraculous proofs of God's power in the past, through Moses and Aaron.  There was the incident with Aaron's staff consuming all the staffs of the Egyptian counselors/wise men, and the ten plagues which had seemed to discredit most of Egypt's 'gods', and which culminated in the deaths of all the firstborn sons of Egypt, including the son of the Pharaoh.  If they refused to repent after all that, would further attempts have been likely to be successful?  So God is not making them rebel, He is just allowing them to be what they already are in their hearts.

   

Exodus 14:10-14 Seeing the Invisible

"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up,

and there were the Egyptians, marching after them.

They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.

They said to Moses,

'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt

that you brought us to the desert to die?

What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?

Didn't we say to you in Egypt,

'Let us alone, let us serve the Egyptians'?

It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!'

Moses answered the people,

'Do not be afraid.

Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.

The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.' "

Exodus 14:10-14 (NIV)

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The Israelites were justifiably terrified when they saw Pharaoh and all of his forces approaching.  He had brought the full power of the army of Egypt with him as he pursued the Israelites, and Egypt had the best army of its day.  In comparison, the Israelites probably had only bows and arrows, slings and perhaps the occasional weapon which they may have been able to obtain from their Egyptian neighbors before they left.  Also, while Pharaoh's forces were trained soldiers, Israel's company included civilians, the young and elderly, and flocks and herds of animals.

The frightened people began to cry out to the LORD.

 That was a smart move, for God was the only One who could help them.

However, in their terror, they also began to blame Moses for what they perceived as a failure of leadership.  Rather sarcastically they wondered aloud if a shortage of graves in Egypt had been the reason Moses had brought them out to the desert to die.  They hurled accusations at Moses:  "What have you done to us?"  

This passage also reveals that even before they had left Egypt, the Israelites had resisted the thought of leaving and had wanted Moses to leave them in their bondage to the Egyptians.  I don't think that this fact had been mentioned previously.  They had somehow convinced themselves that servitude was better than other unknown consequences or seemingly certain death.

Here is where Moses' character shines forth.  Instead of trying to

• justify his actions or
• berate them for their ungratefulness or
• remind them that he had risked his own life many times during his appearances before Pharaoh's throne on their behalf,

Moses looks upon them with compassion.  He sees that they are terrified.  He doesn't say, "Well, then, why don't you just go back to Egypt, if you liked it so much?!", [as I may have been tempted to do.]  Instead, he tells them that they do not need to be afraid, for the LORD would fight for them and deliver them with a mighty victory.  All they needed to do was to stand firm, and the LORD would deliver them.

 In fact, Moses goes so far as to say that the Egyptians which they would encounter today would never be seen by them again.  That is a pretty big claim, and I bet some wondered how that could ever happen.  If someone gave a prophetic statement like that, they better be sure that it was true, for otherwise that prophet would have, shall we say, a rather shortened life expectancy.
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How about you?  Are there things which threaten to overwhelm you, to drag you back into slavery or to even kill you?  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He will deliver those who are His, who call upon Him for help.

In the New Testament, in the book of Hebrews, an interesting thing is mentioned about Moses' mindset at this time:

"By faith he left Egypt,

not fearing the king's anger;

he persevered because he saw him who is invisible."

Hebrews 11:27 (NIV)

Since this statement came in the midst of a chapter about faith, I don't think it meant that Moses suddenly got a physical glimpse of God.  God had appeared to Moses years before in the burning bush, but now I think that it is more like Moses is looking at God with the eyes of faith, believing that God would keep his promises to Israel.  He always has.  He always will.

Exodus 14:5-9 Pi Hahiroth

"When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,

Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said,

'What have we done?  We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!'

So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.

He took six hundred of the best chariots,

along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.

The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt,

so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.

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."

Exodus 14:5-9 (NIV)

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After Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go, he apparently begins to think of the ramifications of his decision.  He does not want to lose the labor which the Hebrews provide.  Pharaoh calls for six hundred of his best chariots, and sets officers over all of them.  He also takes all the other chariots of Egypt and his army with him.

Six hundred is a great number of chariots, and that is the number of only his best ones.  He also took along all the other chariots of  Egypt and his army.  He may have wanted to give a great show of strength, but this also seems to me to be an indication that there must have been a significant number of  Israelites for Pharaoh to have bothered bringing all his troops.

Pharaoh is still fighting against God.  Even the death of his own firstborn son (as well as the deaths of the firstborn sons of all of the households of Egypt) has not convinced him of God's power and control over his life.  Apart from being determined to get the Israelites to return to Egypt, Pharaoh seems to be bent on one last mighty effort to prove that he is in control.  In effect, Pharaoh is still raging against God.

Pharaoh's chariots and army have no problem catching up with the escaping Israelites, who for their part had marched out boldly.  Pharaoh and his army overtake the Israelites as they camped by the sea, near Pi Hahiroth, which is opposite Baal Zephon. 

So, when Pharaoh caught up to them, the Israelites were camped somewhere which has to satisfy all of the scriptural criteria:

1. They are near Pi Hahiroth.
2. Pi Hahiroth is 'opposite' Baal Zephon.  I suppose that could mean either 'directly across from' or 'parallel to' Baal Zephon.
3. They are camped by the sea.  Perhaps this small detail will help eliminate other proposed sites.
4. Pi Hahiroth is to the east of Baal Zephon.*
5. Pi Hahiroth is also near Migdol.*

However, Pi Hahiroth was not the first stop on their journey:

• "The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover."(Numbers 33:3 NIV)
• Rather than just going straight up north toward Canaan, "...God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea." (Exodus 13:18 NIV)
• "The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth." (Numbers 33:5 NIV)
• "They left Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert." (Numbers 33:6 NIV)
• "They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol." (Numbers 33:7 NIV)

[So, we have the progress from Rameses along a desert road toward the Red Sea, then to Succoth, then to Etham, then somehow turning back to Pi Hahiroth, which is east of Baal Zephon and near Migdol.]

*Numbers 33:7 is where we get facts four and five in the numbered list of scriptural criteria for the location of Pi Hahiroth,  that 4)  Pi Hahiroth is to the east of Baal Zephon and 5)  Pi Hahiroth is also near Migdol.