Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. The instruction to turn back is geographically puzzling — it moves Israel away from Canaan, toward the sea, into what appears to be a trap. The specific location names — Pi Hahiroth, Migdol, Baal Zephon — are Egyptian place names associated with the northeastern Delta region. The precision of the geography, verified by archaeologists, places the Exodus in real history at real locations. But the theological point of the repositioning is what follows in verse 3: God is setting a stage. The location that looks like a strategic error is a divine arrangement. Proverbs 16:9 says in their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps — what Israel follows is not military logic but divine instruction, and the destination makes sense only when the sea opens.

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