Éxodo 15

El cántico de Moisés

1 Entonces Moisés y los israelitas entonaron un cántico en honor del SEÑOR, que la letra decía:Cantaré al SEÑOR, que se ha coronado de triunfoarrojando al mar caballos y jinetes.

2 El SEÑOR es mi fuerza y mi cántico;él es mi salvación.Él es mi Dios, y lo alabaré;es el Dios de mi padre, y lo enalteceré.

3 El SEÑOR es un guerrero;su nombre es el SEÑOR.

4 El SEÑOR arrojó al marlos carros y el ejército del faraón.Los mejores oficiales egipciosse ahogaron en el Mar Rojo.

5 Las aguas profundas se los tragaron;¡como piedras se hundieron en los abismos!

6 Tu diestra, SEÑOR, reveló su gran poder;tu diestra, SEÑOR, despedazó al enemigo.

7 Fue tan grande tu victoriaque derribaste a tus oponentes;diste rienda suelta a tu ardiente ira,y fueron consumidos como rastrojo.

8 Bastó un soplo de tu narizpara que se amontonaran las aguas.Las olas se irguieron como murallas;¡se inmovilizaron las aguas en el fondo del mar!

9 «Iré tras ellos y les daré alcance—alardeaba el enemigo—.Repartiré sus despojoshasta quedar hastiado.¡Desenvainaré la espaday los destruiré con mi propia mano!»

10 Pero con un soplo tuyo se los tragó el mar;¡se hundieron como plomo en las aguas turbulentas!

11 ¿Quién, SEÑOR, se te compara entre los dioses?¿Quién se te compara en grandeza y santidad?Tú, hacedor de maravillas,nos impresionas con tus portentos.

12 Extendiste tu brazo derecho,¡y se los tragó la tierra!

13 Por tu gran amor guías al pueblo que has rescatado;por tu fuerza los llevas a tu santa morada.

14 Las naciones temblarán al escucharlo;la angustia dominará a los filisteos.

15 Los jefes edomitas se llenarán de terror;temblarán de miedo los caudillos de Moab.Los cananeos perderán el ánimo,

16 pues caerá sobre ellos pavor y espanto.Por tu gran poder, SEÑOR,quedarán mudos como piedrashasta que haya pasado tu pueblo,el pueblo que adquiriste para ti.

17 Tú los harás entrar, y los plantarás,en el monte que te pertenece;en el lugar donde tú, SEÑOR, habitas;en el santuario que tú, Señor, te hiciste.

18 ¡El SEÑOR reina por siempre y para siempre!

El cántico de Miriam

19 Cuando los caballos y los carros del faraón entraron en el mar con sus jinetes,^[a] el SEÑOR hizo que las aguas se les vinieran encima. Los israelitas, sin embargo, cruzaron el mar sobre tierra seca.

20 Entonces Miriam la profetisa, hermana de Aarón, tomó una pandereta, y mientras todas las mujeres la seguían danzando y tocando panderetas,

21 Miriam les cantaba así:Canten al SEÑOR, que se ha coronado de triunfoarrojando al mar caballos y jinetes.

Las aguas de Mara y de Elim

22 Moisés les ordenó a los israelitas que partieran del Mar Rojo y se internaran en el desierto de Sur. Y los israelitas anduvieron tres días por el desierto sin hallar agua.

23 Llegaron a Mara,^[b] lugar que se llama así porque sus aguas son amargas, y no pudieron apagar su sed allí.

24 Comenzaron entonces a murmurar en contra de Moisés, y preguntaban: «¿Qué vamos a beber?»

25 Moisés clamó al SEÑOR, y él le mostró un pedazo de madera, el cual echó Moisés al agua, y al instante el agua se volvió dulce.En ese lugar el SEÑOR los puso a prueba y les dio una ley como norma de conducta.

26 Les dijo: «Yo soy el SEÑOR su Dios. Si escuchan mi voz y hacen lo que yo considero justo, y si cumplen mis leyes y mandamientos, no traeré sobre ustedes ninguna de las enfermedades que traje sobre los egipcios. Yo soy el SEÑOR, que les devuelve la salud».

27 Después los israelitas llegaron a Elim, donde había doce manantiales y setenta palmeras, y acamparon allí, cerca del agua.

Éxodo 15 Commentary

Chapter 15

The song of Moses for the deliverance of Israel. (1-21) The bitter waters at Marah, The Israelites come to Elim. (22-27)

Verses 1-21 This song is the most ancient we know of. It is a holy song, to the honour of God, to exalt his name, and celebrate his praise, and his only, not in the least to magnify any man. Holiness to the Lord is in every part of it. It may be considered as typical, and prophetical of the final destruction of the enemies of the church. Happy the people whose God is the Lord. They have work to do, temptations to grapple with, and afflictions to bear, and are weak in themselves; but his grace is their strength. They are often in sorrow, but in him they have comfort; he is their song. Sin, and death, and hell threaten them, but he is, and will be their salvation. The Lord is a God of almighty power, and woe to those that strive with their Maker! He is a God of matchless perfection; he is glorious in holiness; his holiness is his glory. His holiness appears in the hatred of sin, and his wrath against obstinate sinners. It appears in the deliverance of Israel, and his faithfulness to his own promise. He is fearful in praises; that which is matter of praise to the servants of God, is very dreadful to his enemies. He is doing wonders, things out of the common course of nature; wondrous to those in whose favour they are wrought, who are so unworthy, that they had no reason to expect them. There were wonders of power and wonders of grace; in both, God was to be humbly adored.

Verses 22-27 In the wilderness of Shur the Israelites had no water. At Marah they had water, but it was bitter; so that they could not drink it. God can make bitter to us that from which we promise ourselves most, and often does so in the wilderness of this world, that our wants, and disappointments in the creature, may drive us to the Creator, in whose favour alone true comfort is to be had. In this distress the people fretted, and quarrelled with Moses. Hypocrites may show high affections, and appear earnest in religious exercises, but in the time of temptation they fall away. Even true believers, in seasons of sharp trial, will be tempted to fret, distrust, and murmur. But in every trial we should cast our care upon the Lord, and pour out our hearts before him. We shall then find that a submissive will, a peaceful conscience, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost, will render the bitterest trial tolerable, yea, pleasant. Moses did what the people had neglected to do; he cried unto the Lord. And God provided graciously for them. He directed Moses to a tree which he cast into the waters, when, at once, they were made sweet. Some make this tree typical of the cross of Christ, which sweetens the bitter waters of affliction to all the faithful, and enables them to rejoice in tribulation. But a rebellious Israelite shall fare no better than a rebellious Egyptian. The threatening is implied only, the promise is expressed. God is the great Physician. If we are kept well, it is he that keeps us; if we are made well, it is he that recovers us. He is our life and the length of our days. Let us not forget that we are kept from destruction, and delivered from our enemies, to be the Lord's servants. At Elim they had good water, and enough of it. Though God may, for a time, order his people to encamp by the bitter waters of Marah, that shall not always be their lot. Let us not faint at tribulations.

Footnotes

• [a]. "jinetes" . Alt. "aurigas" .
• [b]. En hebreo, "Mara " significa "amarga" .

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 15

This chapter contains the song of Moses, and of the children of Israel, on the banks of the Red sea; in which they celebrate their passage through it, the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in it, and the glory of the divine perfections displayed therein, interspersed with prophetic hints of things future, Ex 15:1-19 which same song was sung by the women, with Miriam at the head of them, attended with timbrels and dances, Ex 15:20,21, an account is given of the march of the children of Israel from the Red sea to the wilderness of Shur, and of the bitter waters found at Marah, which occasioned a murmuring, and of their being made sweet by casting a tree into them, Ex 15:22-25 when they were told by the Lord, that if they would yield obedience to his commandments, they should be free from the diseases the Egyptians had been afflicted with, Ex 15:26, and the chapter is concluded with their coming to Elim, where they found twelve wells of water, and seventy palm trees, and there encamped, Ex 15:27.