Pi-hahiroth is the encampment beside the sea where Pharaoh’s army overtook the Israelites after their departure from Egypt. Its position between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-zephon, made it the setting for a decisive reversal: the pursuing Egyptians seemed to have trapped the people, but the confrontation became the prelude to their passage through the sea.

Setting and Route

After leading the people around by the wilderness route toward the Red Sea, God instructed Moses to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth. The place is located between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-zephon, with the encampment directly by the water. The direction to turn back shaped Pharaoh’s interpretation of the Israelites’ position: he concluded that they were entangled in the land and shut in by the wilderness.

The Pursuit Reaches the Shore

When Pharaoh learned that the people had gone, he regretted letting them leave and mobilized his forces. He took six hundred chosen chariots, the other chariots of Egypt, and commanders over them. The Egyptian army pursued the Israelites and caught up with them as they camped beside the sea at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

Seeing the Egyptians approach, the Israelites were afraid and cried out to the LORD. They reproached Moses for bringing them into the wilderness to die, arguing that it would have been better to remain in service in Egypt. Moses told them not to fear and declared that the LORD would fight for them; the LORD then commanded Moses to tell the people to go forward and to stretch his rod over the sea.

Narrative Significance

Pi-hahiroth marks the point where the escape from Egypt appears to have reached a dead end: the wilderness seems to close behind the Israelites, the sea lies before them, and Pharaoh’s chariots have caught up. The narrative turns that apparent enclosure into the threshold of deliverance, making the encampment the immediate setting for the sea’s division and the Israelites’ passage on dry ground.