Who Were the "Mixed Multitude"?

(31) He summoned Moses and Aaron in the night and said, “Up, depart from among my people, you and the Israelites with you! Go, worship the LORD as you said! (32) Take also your flocks and your herds, as you said, and begone! And may you bring a blessing upon me also!” (33) The Egyptians urged the people on, impatient to have them leave the country, for they said, “We shall all be dead.” (34) So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks upon their shoulders. (35) The Israelites had done Moses’ bidding and borrowed from the Egyptians objects of silver and gold, and clothing. (36) And the LORD had disposed the Egyptians favorably toward the people, and they let them have their request; thus they stripped the Egyptians. (37) The Israelites journeyed from Raamses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. (38) Moreover, a mixed multitude went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.

(1) ערב רב, an expression describing a mixed assortment, as we find it in Psalms 106:35 ויתערבו בגוים, “they mixed freely with the gentiles, assimilated.”

(1) ערב רב A MIXED MILTITUDE — a mingling of various nations who had become proselytes.

(1) וצאן ובקר, of the mixed multitude who were leaving Egypt with the Israelites to take up residence among them together with all their belongings.

(Exodus 12:38) "and also a great multitude": a hundred and twenty ten thousands. These are the words of R. Yishmael. R. Akiva says: Two hundred and forty ten thousands. R. Nathan says: Three hundred and sixty ten thousands.

(1) They were Egyptians that mixed in with the Jewish people. They were the "riffraff" that were amongst them. (Num. 11:4)

(4) The riffraff in their midst felt a gluttonous craving; and then the Israelites wept and said, “If only we had meat to eat! (5) We remember the fish that we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. (6) Now our gullets are shriveled. There is nothing at all! Nothing but this manna to look to!” ... (18) And say to the people: Purify yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat meat, for you have kept whining before the LORD and saying, ‘If only we had meat to eat! Indeed, we were better off in Egypt!’ The LORD will give you meat and you shall eat. (19) You shall eat not one day, not two, not even five days or ten or twenty, (20) but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you. For you have rejected the LORD who is among you, by whining before Him and saying, ‘Oh, why did we ever leave Egypt!’” (21) But Moses said, “The people who are with me number six hundred thousand men; yet You say, ‘I will give them enough meat to eat for a whole month.’ (22) Could enough flocks and herds be slaughtered to suffice them? Or could all the fish of the sea be gathered for them to suffice them?” (23) And the LORD answered Moses, “Is there a limit to the LORD’s power? You shall soon see whether what I have said happens to you or not!” ... (31) A wind from the LORD started up, swept quail from the sea and strewed them over the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on that side, all around the camp, and some two cubits deep on the ground. (32) The people set to gathering quail all that day and night and all the next day—even he who gathered least had ten ḥomers—and they spread them out all around the camp. (33) The meat was still between their teeth, nor yet chewed, when the anger of the LORD blazed forth against the people and the LORD struck the people with a very severe plague....

(19) You too must love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.