The Valley of Succoth is an important location mentioned several times in the Bible. Succoth means “booths” or “shelters” in Hebrew, referring to the temporary shelters used by the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt. The Valley of Succoth was the first place the Israelites stopped after leaving Egypt.
The Valley of Succoth is located east of the Nile Delta in Egypt. It was here that the Israelites set up camp and built booths or shelters to live in temporarily as they began their journey to the Promised Land (Exodus 12:37). This is why the place was called Succoth.
The first reference to Succoth is in Exodus 12 and 13, where it is recorded that the Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth after the final plague and their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. A great mixed multitude went with them, along with flocks and herds. The Bible says there were about 600,000 Israelite men alone, plus women and children and the mixed multitude, so it was a massive group of likely over 2 million people.
As they traveled from Rameses to Succoth, the Lord guided them by a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:20-22). The Lord did not take them by the shortest route, the way of the Philistines, because He knew they were not yet ready for battle. So He led them around by way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Their first major stop on this journey was Succoth.
While encamped at Succoth, the Israelites were instructed by God to commemorate the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread to remember how he delivered them from slavery (Exodus 12:1-28, 13:3-10). This became an important annual commemoration for God’s people.
The next time Succoth is mentioned is in Exodus 13, when the Israelites departed from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. From there, the Lord directed them to turn back and camp by the sea directly opposite Baal-zephon, setting the stage for the miraculous parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 13:20, 14:1-2).
So Succoth marked the first major stop on Israel’s journey from Egypt to Canaan. It was their initial transition point from slavery to freedom, where they paused to worship God and prepare for their trek across the Sinai wilderness toward Mount Sinai and ultimately the Promised Land.
Many years later, after the Israelites had settled in Canaan, the Valley of Succoth again played an important role after the Battle of Gideon against the Midianites. Gideon and his 300 men were pursuing two captured Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, who had killed Gideon’s brothers. Gideon requested provisions for his starving troops from the city of Succoth, but they refused and mocked him (Judges 8:4-17).
After Gideon defeated the two kings, he returned to Succoth and punished the city’s leaders for refusing to help. He tore into pieces the elders of the city with briers and thorns from the wilderness. Gideon taught them a lesson they would not forget about mistreating his troops (Judges 8:7-17).
So the Valley of Succoth played an unexpected role in Gideon’s later battle against the Midianites, when he was forced to deal with their lack of hospitality and support for his troops.
The prophet Ezekiel also mentions Succoth in his judgment oracle against Egypt. He declares that the Lord will strike Egypt and break the scepter of Pharaoh. God promises to disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. The dispersal from Egypt will be so complete that “no foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years” (Ezekiel 29:8-15). This desolation echoes the Israelites’ own period of wilderness wanderings before entering the Promised Land.
Psalm 60 references the Valley of Succoth in King David’s prayer for deliverance and victory over Edom. Verse 6 says, “God has promised in his sanctuary: ‘With exultation I will divide up Shechem, and portion out the Vale of Succoth.’” This reflects how Succoth marked the place where God first began portioning out tribal inheritances to Israel in fulfillment of His promises.
1 Kings 7 briefly mentions that King Solomon built “the house of the forest of Lebanon” with timbers from the Valley of Succoth for his palace complex in Jerusalem. The cedars of Lebanon were renowned for their quality, and Solomon had skilled craftsmen and abundant resources to draw from in building the magnificent temple and palace.
While Succoth was notable as the first camp site of the fleeing Israelites, later Scripture also associates it with wilderness wanderings and divine judgment. The prophets deplore that the Valley of Succoth once again has become a place of temporary shelters and exile for God’s people, just as it was during the Exodus journey to the Promised Land so long ago (Psalm 108:7-9; Zechariah 14:5).
Yet Isaiah promises a highway will be raised up from Egypt to Assyria, and God “will make the Valley of Succoth a door of hope” (Isaiah 19:23-25). Even though judgment must come, the Valley of Succoth will again become a passageway of promise and hope for God’s people returning to Him.
Today, the precise location of the Valley of Succoth is uncertain, but most scholars believe it was located just east of the Nile Delta in Egypt, either in the Wadi Tumilat or further east in the Nile valley around modern-day Ismailia. Others locate it further east near El Qantara in the Suez Canal zone.
Wherever it was exactly, the Valley of Succoth marked a critical transition point for the Israelites fleeing Egypt, where they paused to worship God and prepare for their daunting 40-year wilderness journey. It became etched in their collective memory as the first place they dwelled outside of slavery. Even once they were settled in Canaan, the Valley of Succoth continued to shape Israel’s history and prophetic identity centuries later.
Though just a temporary shelter site during the Exodus, Succoth was remembered as a vivid symbol of God’s protection and guidance as He brought His people out of Egypt but also let them experience His judgment when they rebelled against Him. Ultimately, Scripture promises Succoth will again become a passageway of hope and fulfillment when God gathers His scattered people to Himself.
The Valley of Succoth teaches us that though we often dwell in temporary shelters during our wilderness journeys in life, God is always with us, leading and guiding us every step of the way. He cares for His people in seasons of difficulty, uses trials to discipline and refine them, and ultimately brings all who trust in Him into His eternal promised rest.