Exodus 14:8-18

8 And the Lord made hard the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the sons of Israel; and they were gone out in an high hand. (And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites; and they went forth with great defiance.)

9 And when the Egyptians pursued the steps of the sons of Israel before-going, they found them in tents on the sea; (and) all the chivalry, and [the] chariots of Pharaoh, and all the host were in Pihahiroth, against Baalzephon. (And the Egyptians, yea, all the cavalry, and the chariots, and all of Pharaoh's army, pursued the steps of the Israelites who had gone forth before them; and they found them in their tents by the Red Sea, by Pihahiroth, and east of Baalzephon.)

10 And when Pharaoh had nighed, the sons of Israel raised [up] their eyes, and they saw the Egyptians behind them, and they dreaded greatly (and they greatly feared); and they cried to the Lord,

11 and said to Moses, In hap sepulchres were not in Egypt, therefore thou hast taken us away, that we shall die in wilderness? what wouldest thou do this, that thou leddest us out of Egypt? (and they said to Moses, Perhaps there were no tombs, or no graves, in Egypt, and so thou hast taken us away, so that now we can die here in this wilderness? why hast thou done this, and led us out of Egypt?)

12 Whether this is not the word that we spake to thee in Egypt (Was this not what we said to thee in Egypt), saying, Go away from us, (so) that we (can) serve the Egyptians? for it is much better to serve them, than to die in (the) wilderness.

13 And Moses said to the people, Do not ye dread, stand ye, and see the great works of God, which he shall do today; for ye shall no more see the Egyptians, which ye see now, till into without end; (And Moses said to the people, Do not ye fear, stand ye, and see the great works of God, which he shall do today; for the Egyptians, whom ye now see, soon ye shall never see them again;)

14 the Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall be still. (the Lord shall fight for you, but ye must keep still/but ye must be silent).

15 And the Lord said to Moses, What criest thou to me? Speak thou to the sons of Israel, that they go forth; (And the Lord said to Moses, Why criest thou to me? Speak thou to the Israelites, so that they go forth;)

16 forsooth raise thou thy rod, and stretch forth thine hand on the sea, and part thou it, that the sons of Israel go in the midst of the sea, by dry place. (now raise thou up thy staff, and stretch forth thy hand over the sea, and part thou it, so that the Israelites can go through the midst of the sea, on dry land.)

17 Forsooth I shall make hard the heart(s) of [the] Egyptians, that they pursue you, and I shall be glorified in Pharaoh, and in all the host of him, and in the chariots of him, and in the knights of him; (But I shall harden the hearts of the Egyptians, so that they pursue you, and I shall be glorified in Pharaoh, and in all his army, and in his chariots, and in his soldiers;)

18 and [the] Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord God, when I shall be glorified in Pharaoh, and in the chariots, and in the knights of him (and in his soldiers).

Exodus 14:8-18 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.