This means they arrived at the wilderness on the first day of the month just as they left Egypt on the first day of the month. The first day of the third month on the Hebrew calendar is near the middle of May on Western calendars. Alternate translation: "In the third month ... on the first day of the month" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal]])