Exodus 14:13-31

The Sea Is Divided

13 But Moses said to the people, "¹Do not fear! Stand by and see ²the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never * see them again forever *.

14 "³The LORD will fight for you while ⁴you keep silent."

15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.

16 "As for you, lift up ⁵your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land.

17 "As for Me, behold, ⁶I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.

18 "⁷Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen."

19 ⁸The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind * them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before * them and stood behind * them.

20 So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.

21 ⁹Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into ¹⁰dry land, so ¹¹the waters were divided.

22 ¹²The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and ¹³the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

23 Then ¹⁴the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea.

24 At the morning watch, ¹⁵the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion.

25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from Israel, ¹⁶for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians."

26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "¹⁷Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen."

27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and ¹⁸the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the LORD ¹⁹overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh's entire army that had gone into the sea after them; ²⁰not even one of them remained.

29 But the sons of Israel walked on ²¹dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 ²²Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel ²³saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore *.

31 When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and ²⁴they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.

Exodus 14:13-31 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 14

This chapter begins with directions of God to Moses, to be given to the children of Israel about the course they were to steer in their journey, with the reason thereof, Ex 14:1-4, which they observing, a report was brought to Pharaoh that they were fled, and this determined him and his servants to get ready and pursue after them, as they did with a great army, Ex 14:5-9, which when the Israelites saw, it put them in great fear, and set them to murmuring and complaining against Moses for bringing them out of Egypt, Ex 14:10,11,12, who desired them to be still and quiet, and they should see the salvation of the Lord, Ex 14:13,14, and he is bid to order the people to go on in their journey, and to take his rod and stretch it over the sea and divide it, that Israel might pass through it on dry ground, and the Egyptians follow them, whereby God would be honoured and glorified, Ex 14:15-18, upon which the Angel of the Lord in a pillar of cloud removed from before there, and went behind them for their protection, Ex 14:19,20, and Moses stretching out his hand over the sea, and a strong east wind blowing upon it, the waters divided and the Israelites went into it, and the Egyptians followed them, but their host being troubled by the Lord, and their chariot wheels taken off, they found themselves in great danger, and were thrown into a panic, Ex 14:20-25 and upon Moses's stretching out his hand again over the sea, the waters returned, and Pharaoh and his host were drowned, but the Israelites passed through safely, as on dry land, Ex 14:26-29, which great work of the Lord being observed by them, influenced their fear of him, their faith in him and his servant Moses, Ex 14:30,31.

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 15:1; Genesis 46:3; Exodus 20:20; 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17; Is 41:10, 13, 14
• 2. Exodus 14:30; Exodus 15:2
• 3. Exodus 14:25; Exodus 15:3; Deuteronomy 1:30; Deuteronomy 3:22; Joshua 23:3; 2 Chronicles 20:29; Nehemiah 4:20
• 4. Isaiah 30:15
• 5. Exodus 4:17, 20; Exodus 7:19; Exodus 14:21, 26; Exodus 17:5, 6, 9; Numbers 20:8, 9, 11; Isaiah 10:26
• 6. Exodus 14:4, 8
• 7. Exodus 14:25
• 8. Exodus 13:21, 22
• 9. Exodus 7:19; Exodus 14:16
• 10. Psalms 66:6; Psalms 106:9; Psalms 136:13, 14
• 11. Exodus 15:8; Joshua 3:16; Joshua 4:23; Nehemiah 9:11; Psalms 74:13; Psalms 78:13; Psalms 114:3, 5; Isaiah 63:12, 13
• 12. Exodus 15:19; Joshua 3:17; Joshua 4:22; Nehemiah 9:11; Psalms 66:6; Psalms 78:13; Hebrews 11:29
• 13. Exodus 14:29; Exodus 15:8
• 14. Exodus 14:4, 17
• 15. Exodus 13:21
• 16. Ex 14:4, 14, 18
• 17. Exodus 14:16
• 18. Joshua 4:18
• 19. Exodus 15:1, 7; Deuteronomy 11:4; Nehemiah 9:11; Psalms 78:53; Hebrews 11:29
• 20. Psalms 78:53; Psalms 106:11
• 21. Exodus 14:22; Psalms 66:6; Isaiah 11:15
• 22. Exodus 14:13; Psalms 106:8, 10; Isaiah 63:8, 11
• 23. Psalms 58:10; Psalms 59:10
• 24. Exodus 4:31; Exodus 19:9; Psalms 106:12; John 2:11; John 11:45

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Take your stand"
• [b]. Lit "enter the"
• [c]. Lit "make strong"
• [d]. Lit "and the darkness"
• [e]. Lit "caused to go"
• [f]. Lit "entered the"
• [g]. Lit "camp"
• [h]. Or "in"
• [i]. Lit "camp"
• [j]. Or "removed"
• [k]. Lit "me"
• [l]. Lit "to meet it"
• [m]. Lit "shook off"
• [n]. Lit "in respect to"
• [o]. Lit "hand"
• [p]. Lit "done"
• [q]. Or "revered"