^16:1¹ When² they journeyed from Elim, the entire company³ of Israelites came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their exodus⁴ from the land of Egypt.

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Footnotes

1 Exod 16 plays an important part in the development of the book’s theme. It is part of the wider section that is the prologue leading up to the covenant at Sinai, a part of which was the obligation of obedience and loyalty (P. W. Ferris, Jr., “The Manna Narrative of Exodus 16:1–10,” 18 [1975]: ). The record of the wanderings in the wilderness is selective and not exhaustive. It may have been arranged somewhat topically for instructional reasons. U. Cassuto describes this section of the book as a didactic anthology arranged according to association of both context and language (Exodus, ). Its themes are: lack of vital necessities, murmuring, proving, and providing. All the wilderness stories reiterate the same motifs. So, later, when Israel arrived in Canaan, they would look back and be reminded that it was Yahweh who brought them all the way, in spite of their rebellions. Because he is their Savior and their Provider, he will demand loyalty from them. In the Manna Narrative there is murmuring over the lack of bread (1–3), the disputation with Moses (4–8), the appearance of the glory and the promise of bread (9–12), the provision (13–22), the instructions for the Sabbath (23–30), and the memorial manna (31–36).
2 The sentence begins with a preterite and vav (ו) consecutive, which can be subordinated to the next clause with the preterite and vav consecutive. Here it has been treated as a temporal clause.
3 The word is often rendered “congregation” (so , , , ), but the modern perception of a congregation is not exactly what is in mind in the desert. Another possible rendering is “community” (, , , ) or “assembly.” The Hebrew word is used of both good and bad groups (Judg 14:8; Ps 1:5; 106:17–18).
4 The form in the text is לְצֵאתָם (létse’tam, “after their going out”). It clearly refers to their deliverance from Egypt, and so it may be vividly translated.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The entire Israelite community departed from Elim and came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And they set out from Elim, and all the community of the Israelites came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, in the fifteenth day of the second month of their going out from the land of Egypt.

KJV 1900King James Version

And 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.

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