Yam Suph

Yam Suph (=

Beginning of The Exodus:
*KJV: "But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt."
*NJPS: "So God led the people roundabout, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds. Now the Israelites went up armed out of the land of Egypt."
*other translations:

During God’s further instruction to Moses after the Ten Commandments:
*KJV: "And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee."
*NJPS: "And I will set your borders from the Sea of Reeds to the Sea of Philistia, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hands; and you will drive them out before you."
*other translations:

Continuing the wanderings in the wilderness:
*KJV: "(10) And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea. (11) And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin."
*NJPS: "(10) They set out from Elim, and encamped by the Sea of Reeds. (11) They set out from the Sea of Reeds, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin."
*other translations:

As above:
*KJV: "Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days."
*NJPS: "Thus, after you had remained at Kadesh all that long time, we marched back into the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds, as the LORD had spoken to me: and skirted the hill country of Seir a long time. "
*other translations:

Joshua’s speech to the troops shortly before the conquest of Jericho:
*KJV: "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:"
*NJPS: "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you, until you crossed, just as the LORD your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which He dried up before us, until we crossed."
*other translations:

*KJV: "(7) Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. (8) Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. (9) He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness."
*NJPS: "(7) Our forefathers in Egypt did not perceive Your wonders; they did not remember Your abundant love, but rebelled at the sea, at the Sea of Reeds. (8) Yet He saved them, as befits His name, to make known His might. (9) He sent is blast against the Sea of Reeds; it became dry; he led them through the deep, as through a wilderness."
*other translations:

*KJV: "The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea."
*NJPS: "At the sound of their downfall The earth shall shake; The sound of screaming Shall be heard at the Sea of Reeds."
*A translation of this text does not occur at this point in the Septuagint. An approximate correspondence is found at Jeremiah 29:21, referring just the "the sea".
*other translations:

Discussion

The appropriate translation of the phrase remains a matter of dispute, as does the exact location referred to. One possible translation of "Yam Suph" is "Sea of Reeds", ("suph" by itself means 'reed', e.g. in Exodus 2:3). This was pointed out as early as the 11th century, by Rashi [http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/9874/showrashi/true/jewish/Chapter-13.htm] .

More conjecturally, it has also been suggested that "suph" may be related to the Hebrew "suphah" ("storm") or "soph" ("end"), referring to the events of the Reed/Red Sea escape itself:

The crossing of the sea signaled the end of the sojourn in Egypt and it certainly was the end of the Egyptian army that pursued the fleeing Hebrews (Ex 14:23-29; 15:4-5). After this event at yam suph, perhaps the verb soph, meaning "destroy" and "come to an end," originated (cf. Amos 3:15; Jer 8:13; Isa 66:17; Psa 73:19). Another possible development of this root is the word "suphah", meaning "storm-wind"...The meanings "end" and "storm-wind" would have constituted nice puns on the event that took place at the yam suph. [cite book|first=James K. |last=Hoffmeier |title=Ancient Israel in Sinai, The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Wilderness Tradition |location=Oxford & New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2005 |isbn=0-515546-7 |page=p. 214]

Further theories about its whereabouts and what happened during the Exodus are given in the article Passage of the Red Sea. An alternative is offered in Exodus Decoded.

References

ee also

Reed Sea