Exodus 19:1
In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
Original Language Analysis
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י
In the third
H7992
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י
In the third
Strong's:
H7992
Word #:
2 of 12
third; feminine a third (part); by extension, a third (day, year or time); specifically, a third-story cell)
לְצֵ֥את
were gone forth
H3318
לְצֵ֥את
were gone forth
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
3 of 12
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
בְּנֵֽי
when the children
H1121
בְּנֵֽי
when the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
4 of 12
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
5 of 12
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בַּיּ֣וֹם
the same day
H3117
בַּיּ֣וֹם
the same day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
8 of 12
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הַזֶּ֔ה
H2088
Cross References
Exodus 12:6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.Exodus 16:1And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
Historical Context
Written approximately three months after the exodus from Egypt (circa 1446 BC traditional dating). Mount Sinai's exact location is debated, but the traditional site in the southern Sinai Peninsula has been revered since the 4th century AD. The wilderness setting emphasizes Israel's total dependence on God's provision.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the precise timing of Israel's arrival demonstrate God's sovereignty over redemptive history?
- What does the wilderness setting teach about the conditions necessary for receiving God's revelation?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
The third month (Sivan) marks Israel arriving at Sinai exactly fifty days after Passover—the same timing as Pentecost, when the Spirit would write the law on hearts rather than tablets. The Hebrew phrase 'bayom hazeh' (on this very day) emphasizes divine precision: God's redemptive schedule is exact. The wilderness of Sinai (מִדְבַּר סִינַי, midbar Sinai) becomes the birthplace of Israel as a covenant nation. Just as the exodus delivered them FROM slavery, Sinai will constitute them FOR God's purposes—a kingdom of priests mediating His presence to the world.