A three-day trek through an arid wilderness has turned up no water (also see Num. 33:8). As Talmon (1992: 188) has shown, “three days” or “the third day” is a common literary convention in the OT. As here, it suggests a survivable period of deprivation (1 Sam. 30:12; Jon. 1:17 [2:1]; 3:3; Acts 9:9). A journey of three days is common (Gen. 22:4; 30:36; 31:22; Exod. 3:18; 5:3; 8:27 [23]; Num. 10:33; 33:8). Three days, or the third day, may represent a period of purification (Exod. 19:10–11, 15–16), or the time of preparation for some important event (Josh. 1:11; Judg. 20:30; Esther 5:1; Ezra 8:15, 32). It also designates the time for recuperation after illness (Gen. 34:25; 1 Kings 3:18; 2 Kings 20:5, 8; Hosea 6:2), or the time to abandon a fruitless search (Josh. 2:16; 1 Sam. 9:20; 2 Kings 2:17).
Hamilton, V. P. (2011). Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (p. 240). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
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