Êxodo 15

O Cântico de Moisés

1 Então Moisés e os israelitas entoaram este cântico ao SENHOR:“Cantarei ao SENHOR,pois triunfou gloriosamente.Lançou ao mar o cavaloe o seu cavaleiro!

2 “O SENHOR é a minha força e a minha canção;ele é a minha salvação!Ele é o meu Deus, e eu o louvarei;é o Deus de meu pai, e eu o exaltarei!

3 O SENHOR é guerreiro,o seu nome é SENHOR.

4 Ele lançou ao maros carros de guerra e o exército do faraó.Os seus melhores oficiaisafogaram-se no mar Vermelho.

5 Águas profundas os encobriram;como pedra desceram ao fundo.

6 SENHOR, a tua mão direitafoi majestosa em poder.SENHOR, a tua mão direitadespedaçou o inimigo.

7 “Em teu triunfo grandioso,derrubaste os teus adversários.Enviaste o teu furor flamejante,que os consumiu como palha.

8 Pelo forte sopro das tuas narinasas águas se amontoaram.As águas turbulentas firmaram-se como muralha;as águas profundas congelaram-se no coração do mar.

9 “O inimigo se gloriava:‘Eu os perseguirei e os alcançarei,dividirei o despojo e os devorarei.Com a espada na mão,eu os destruirei’.

10 Mas enviaste o teu sopro,e o mar os encobriu.Afundaram como chumbonas águas volumosas.

11 “Quem entre os deusesé semelhante a ti, SENHOR?Quem é semelhante a ti?Majestoso em santidade,terrível em feitos gloriosos,autor de maravilhas?

12 “Estendes a tua mão direitae a terra os engole.

13 Com o teu amorconduzes o povo que resgataste;com a tua forçatu o levas à tua santa habitação.

14 As nações ouvem e estremecem;angústia se apodera do povo da Filístia.

15 Os chefes de Edom ficam aterrorizados;os poderosos de Moabe são tomados de tremor;o povo de Canaã esmorece;

16 terror e medo caem sobre eles;pelo poder do teu braçoficam paralisados como pedra,até que passe o teu povo, ó Senhor,até que passé o povo que tu compraste.^[a]

17 Tu o farás entrar e o plantarásno monte da tua herança,no lugar, ó SENHOR, que fizeste para a tua habitação,no santuário, ó Senhor, que as tuas mãos estabeleceram.

18 “O SENHOR reinaráeternamente”.

19 Quando os cavalos, os carros de guerra e os cavaleiros^[b] do faraó entraram no mar, o SENHOR fez que as águas do mar se voltassem sobre eles, mas os israelitas atravessaram o mar pisando em terra seca.

20 Então Miriã, a profetisa, irmã de Arão, pegou um tamborim e todas as mulheres a seguiram, tocando tamborins e dançando.

21 E Miriã lhes respondia, cantando:“Cantem ao SENHOR,pois triunfou gloriosamente.Lançou ao mar o cavaloe o seu cavaleiro”.

As Águas de Mara e de Elim

22 Depois Moisés conduziu Israel desde o mar Vermelho até o deserto de Sur. Durante três dias caminharam no deserto sem encontrar água.

23 Então chegaram a Mara, mas não puderam beber das águas de lá porque eram amargas. Esta é a razão porque o lugar chama-se Mara.

24 E o povo começou a reclamar a Moisés, dizendo: “Que beberemos?”

25 Moisés clamou ao SENHOR, e este lhe indicou um arbusto. Ele o lançou na água, e esta se tornou boa.Em Mara o SENHOR lhes deu leis e ordenanças e os pôs à prova,

26 dizendo-lhes: “Se vocês derem atenção ao SENHOR, o seu Deus, e fizerem o que ele aprova, se derem ouvidos aos seus mandamentos e obedecerem a todos os seus decretos, não trarei sobre vocês nenhuma das doenças que eu trouxe sobre os egípcios, pois eu sou o SENHOR que os cura”.

27 Depois chegaram a Elim, onde havia doze fontes de água e setenta palmeiras; e acamparam junto àquelas águas.

Êxodo 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]. Ou "criaste"
• [b]. Ou "condutores dos carros de guerra"

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.