Numbers 33:12
And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּסְע֖וּ
And they took their journey
H5265
וַיִּסְע֖וּ
And they took their journey
Strong's:
H5265
Word #:
1 of 5
properly, to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e., start on a journey
מִמִּדְבַּר
out of the wilderness
H4057
מִמִּדְבַּר
out of the wilderness
Strong's:
H4057
Word #:
2 of 5
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
סִ֑ין
of Sin
H5512
סִ֑ין
of Sin
Strong's:
H5512
Word #:
3 of 5
sin the name of an egyptian town and (probably) desert adjoining
Historical Context
Dophkah's location is uncertain, likely somewhere in the western Sinai between the Wilderness of Sin and Mount Sinai. This stage occurred approximately 5-6 weeks after the Exodus (circa 1446 BC). The journey from Egypt to Sinai took about three months total (Exodus 19:1).
Questions for Reflection
- What does the Bible's silence about certain wilderness stages teach about the importance of faithful obscurity?
- How does Dophkah's uneventful mention challenge the assumption that spiritual significance requires spectacular experiences?
- When has your most important spiritual growth occurred during "ordinary" seasons that nobody else noticed?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah—Dophkah (דָּפְקָה, possibly from daphaq, "to knock/beat") is mentioned only here, with no narrative details in Exodus. Some scholars associate the name with copper smelting ("to beat metal"), suggesting this may have been a mining area. The lack of recorded events doesn't mean nothing significant happened; Israel's 42 encampments included mundane marching as well as miraculous interventions.
Dophkah represents the unrecorded days of faithfulness—the ordinary obedience between spectacular moments. Not every stage required manna's introduction, water from rocks, or quail from heaven. Some stations simply required following the cloud when it moved, pitching tents, and maintaining community discipline. These "ordinary" encampments teach that most of spiritual life is steady obedience in unremarkable circumstances, not constant crisis or miracle.