Just as the path to the land of Canaan lies open and the Israelites stand on the verge of the vast desert, God orchestrates a sudden and unexpected change of direction. Rather than continuing forward, the divine command guides the nation to turn back toward Egypt, establishing a highly specific encampment that serves as a carefully calculated strategic and spiritual trap [קאסוטו, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary objective of this detour is to deceive Pharaoh, creating the illusion that the Israelites are wandering aimlessly and trapped in the wilderness [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה]. At the same time, this maneuver serves a profound educational purpose for the Israelites. Knowing that the people might soon panic and cast blame, God initiates this tangible retreat so they can clearly recognize that He is actively luring Pharaoh into a pursuit to exact final justice, thereby alleviating their fear [אור החיים]. This detour also cleanses the hearts of the people, testing their absolute faith as they follow the divine cloud [שפתי כהן]. Furthermore, it proves to the Egyptians that the Israelites are not mere fugitives absconding with borrowed wealth, but rather a people who stand by their initial declaration of a three-day journey [בכור שור, חזקוני].
The precise location of this encampment carries deep physical and symbolic significance. Some commentators identify it as an Egyptian city situated in the Suez region [שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ, קאסוטו]. However, the primary approach among medieval scholars is that this is the newly given name for the biblical city of Pithom [רש״י, חזקוני]. Geographically, the area is characterized by two towering, upright rocks that form a valley shaped like a mouth [רש״י, ברטנורא]. Conceptually, the location was previously known as Pithom, representing a closed mouth, as the Egyptians had historically saturated the area with sorcery and idolatry to prevent any slave from escaping. Now that the grip of Egyptian power is shattered, the location reflects a mouth of freedom, marking the exact space where the slaves are transformed into free people [מזרחי, גור אריה, שפתי חכמים]. To complete the illusion of vulnerability, the camp is situated between a northern border fortress and the sea [שד״ל, קאסוטו]. Being pinned in this narrow corridor between an Egyptian stronghold, the impassable waters, and a pursuing army instills Pharaoh with absolute confidence that his victory is assured and that the Israelites have no avenue of escape [מלבי״ם].
The trap is further set by camping directly across from a site named after a prominent Egyptian or Canaanite idol [קאסוטו]. Scholars describe this idol variously as an astrological copper figure forged by magicians to halt fleeing slaves [אבן עזרא, תולדות יצחק], a deity governing destruction [שד״ל, מלבי״ם], or a power associated with the flow of wealth and gold [כלי יקר]. While God had systematically destroyed the deities of Egypt during the plague of the firstborn, He intentionally preserves this specific idol to serve as bait. Its survival leads the Egyptians to believe that their god remains powerful and is the very force trapping the Israelites in the desert [רש״י, רבנו בחיי]. Believing the Israelites have unlawfully taken his wealth, Pharaoh assumes this idol of prosperity will now demand retribution and restore his fortune [כלי יקר].
Beyond deceiving the Egyptians, the presence of the idol serves internal purposes for the Israelites. It is suggested that this was the very idol they themselves worshipped during their enslavement. God positions them before it to test whether they can wholeheartedly abandon their past idolatry even when it still appears powerful, forcing them to confront the severity of their previous sins [משכיל לדוד]. Another perspective suggests a hidden blessing in this location, positing that Joseph originally buried the vast wealth accumulated during the years of famine precisely at this spot. God leads the nation here to uncover the hidden treasure and enrich them [שפתי כהן]. Addressing the theological difficulty of God commanding the Israelites to camp near an idol, commentators clarify that the prohibition of proximity to idolatry applies only to human initiative, not to God, or that these events simply predate the giving of the Torah [דעת זקנים, הדר זקנים]. By camping directly opposite the idol [אבן עזרא, העמק דבר, ביאור שטיינזלץ], the Israelites provoke Pharaoh into confidently offering sacrifices to his false god [הדר זקנים, דעת זקנים]. Ultimately, the trap springs shut. At the exact location where the Egyptians confidently march into the sea expecting a triumphant victory, they meet their total destruction, washing up on the opposite shore where the Israelites step into their new lives [קיצור בעל הטורים].