Chūāijíjì 14

1 Yēhéhuá xiǎoyù Móxī shuō ,

2 Nǐ fēnfu Yǐsèliè rén zhuǎn huí , ān yíng zaì Bǐhāxīlù qián , Mìduó hé hǎi de zhōngjiān , duì zhe Bālìxǐfēn , kàojìn hǎi bian ān yíng .

3 Fǎlǎo bì shuō , Yǐsèliè rén zaì dì zhōng rǎo mí le , kuàngyĕ bǎ tāmen kùn zhù le .

4 Wǒ yào shǐ fǎlǎo de xīn gāng yìng , tā yào zhuīgǎn tāmen , wǒ biàn zaì fǎlǎo hé tā quán jūn shēnshang de róngyào , Āijí rén jiù zhīdào wǒ shì Yēhéhuá . yúshì Yǐsèliè rén zhèyàng xíng le .

5 Yǒu rén gàosu Āijí wáng shuō , bǎixìng taópǎo . fǎlǎo hé tāde chénpú jiù xiàng bǎixìng biàn xīn , shuō , wǒmen róng Yǐsèliè rén qù , bú zaì fúshì wǒmen , zhè zuò de shì shénme shì ne .

6 Fǎlǎo jiù yùbeì tāde chēliàng , daìlǐng jūn bīng tóng qù ,

7 Bìng daì zhe liù bǎi liàng tè xuǎn de chē hé Āijí suǒyǒude chē , mĕi liàng dōu yǒu chē bīng zhǎng .

8 Yēhéhuá shǐ Āijí wáng fǎlǎo de xīn gāng yìng , tā jiù zhuīgǎn Yǐsèliè rén , yīnwei Yǐsèliè rén shì ángrán wú jù dì chū Āijí .

9 Āijí rén zhuīgǎn tāmen , fǎlǎo yīqiè de mǎ pǐ , chēliàng , mǎ bīng , yǔ jūn bīng jiù zaì hǎi bian shàng , kàojìn Bǐhāxīlù , duì zhe Bālìxǐfēn , zaì tāmen ān yíng de dìfang zhuī shàng le .

10 Fǎlǎo línjìn de shíhou , Yǐsèliè rén jǔmù kànjian Āijí rén gǎn lái , jiù shén jùpà , xiàng Yēhéhuá āi qiú .

11 Tāmen duì Móxī shuō , nándào zaì Āijí méiyǒu fùndì , nǐ bǎ wǒmen daì lái sǐ zaì kuàngyĕ ma . nǐ wèishénme zhèyàng daì wǒmen , jiàng wǒmen cóng Āijí lǐng chūlai ne .

12 Wǒmen zaì Āijí qǐ méiyǒu duì nǐ shuō guò , búyào jiǎorǎo wǒmen , róng wǒmen fúshì Āijí rén ma , yīnwei fúshì Āijí rén bǐ sǐ zaì kuàngyĕ hái hǎo .

13 Móxī duì bǎixìng shuō , búyào jùpà , zhǐguǎn zhàn zhù , kàn Yēhéhuá jīntiān xiàng nǐmen suǒ yào shīxíng de jiùēn . yīnwei , nǐmen jīntiān suǒ kànjian de Āijí rén bì yǒngyuǎn bù zaì kànjian le .

14 Yēhéhuá bì wèi nǐmen zhēng zhàn , nǐmen zhǐguǎn jìngmò , búyào zuò shēng .

15 Yēhéhuá duì Móxī shuō , nǐ wèishénme xiàng wǒ āi qiú ne , nǐ fēnfu Yǐsèliè rén wǎng qián zǒu .

16 Nǐ jǔ shǒu xiàng hǎi shēn zhàng , bǎ shuǐ fēnkāi . Yǐsèliè rén yào xià hǎi zhōng zǒu gàn dì .

17 Wǒ yào shǐ Āijí rén de xīn gāng yìng , tāmen jiù gēn zhe xià qù . wǒ yào zaì fǎlǎo hé tāde quán jūn , chēliàng , mǎ bīng shàng de róngyào .

18 Wǒ zaì fǎlǎo hé tāde chēliàng , mǎ bīng shàng dé róngyào de shíhou , Āijí rén jiù zhīdào wǒ shì Yēhéhuá le .

19 Zaì Yǐsèliè yíng qián xíng zǒu shén de shǐzhĕ , zhuǎn dào tāmen hòubiān qù , yún zhù yĕ cóng tāmen qiánbiān zhuǎn dào tāmen hòubiān lì zhù .

20 Zaì Āijí yíng hé Yǐsèliè yíng zhōngjiān yǒu yún zhù , yī bian hēiàn , yī bian fāguāng , zhōng yè liǎng xià bùdé xiàng jìn .

21 Móxī xiàng hǎi shēn zhàng , Yēhéhuá biàn yòng dà dōng fēng , shǐ hǎi shuǐ yī yè tuì qù , shuǐ biàn fēnkāi , hǎi jiù chéng le gàn dì .

22 Yǐsèliè rén xià hǎi zhōng zǒu gàn dì , shuǐ zaì tāmende zuǒyòu zuò le qiáng yuán .

23 Āijí rén zhuīgǎn tāmen , fǎlǎo yīqiè de mǎ pǐ , chēliàng , hé mǎ bīng dōu gēn zhe xià dào hǎi zhōng .

24 Dào le chén gèng de shíhou , Yēhéhuá cóng yún huǒ zhù zhōng xiàng Āijí de jūn bīng guānkàn , shǐ Āijí de jūn bīng hùnluàn le ,

25 Yòu shǐ tāmende chēlún tuō luò , nányǐ xíng zǒu , yǐzhì Āijí rén shuō , wǒmen cóng Yǐsèliè rén miànqián taópǎo ba , yīn Yēhéhuá wèi tāmen gōngjī wǒmen le .

26 Yēhéhuá duì Móxī shuō , nǐ xiàng hǎi shēn zhàng , jiào shuǐ réng hé zaì Āijí rén bìng tāmende chēliàng , mǎ bīng shēnshang .

27 Móxī jiù xiàng hǎi shēn zhàng , dào le tiān yī liàng , hǎi shuǐ réngjiù fù yuán . Āijí rén bì shuǐ taópǎo de shíhou , Yēhéhuá bǎ tāmen tuīfān zaì hǎi zhōng ,

28 Shuǐ jiù huí liú , yānmò le chēliàng hé mǎ bīng . nàxiē gēn zhe Yǐsèliè rén xià hǎi fǎlǎo de quán jūn , lián yī gè yĕ méiyǒu shèngxia .

29 Yǐsèliè rén què zaì hǎi zhōng zǒu gàn dì , shuǐ zaì tāmende zuǒyòu zuò le qiáng yuán .

30 Dàng rì , Yēhéhuá zhèyàng zhĕngjiù Yǐsèliè rén tuōlí Āijí rén de shǒu , Yǐsèliè rén kànjian Āijí rén de sǐ shī dōu zaì hǎi bian le .

31 Yǐsèliè rén kànjian Yēhéhuá xiàng Āijí rén suǒ xíng de dà shì , jiù jìngwèi Yēhéhuá , yòu xìnfú tā hé tāde púrén Móxī .

Chūāijíjì 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them. (1-9) The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them. (10-14) God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians. (15-20) The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians. (21-31)

Verses 1-9 Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled in the wilderness, and so would become an easy prey. But God says, I will be honoured upon Pharaoh. All men being made for the honour of their Maker, those whom he is not honoured by, he will be honoured upon. What seems to tend to the church's ruin, is often overruled to the ruin of the church's enemies. While Pharaoh gratified his malice and revenge, he furthered the bringing to pass God's counsels concerning him. Though with the greatest reason he had let Israel go, yet now he was angry with himself for it. God makes the envy and rage of men against his people, a torment to themselves. Those who set their faces heavenward, and will live godly in Christ Jesus, must expect to be set upon by Satan's temptations and terrors. He will not tamely part with any out of his service.

Verses 10-14 There was no way open to Israel but upward, and thence their deliverance came. We may be in the way of duty, following God, and hastening toward heaven, yet may be troubled on every side. Some cried out unto the Lord; their fear led them to pray, and that was well. God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to our knees. Others cried out against Moses; fear set them murmuring as if God were not still able to work miracles. They quarrel with Moses for bringing them out of Egypt; and so were angry with God for the greatest kindness ever done them; thus gross are the absurdities of unbelief. Moses says, Fear ye not. It is always our duty and interest, when we cannot get out of troubles, yet to get above our fears; let them quicken our prayers and endeavours, but not silence our faith and hope. "Stand still," think not to save yourselves either by fighting or flying; wait God's orders, and observe them. Compose yourselves, by confidence in God, into peaceful thoughts of the great salvation God is about to work for you. If God brings his people into straits, he will find a way to bring them out.

Verses 15-20 Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided between light and darkness, ( Genesis 1:4 ) , allotted darkness to the Egyptians, and light to the Israelites. Such a difference there will be between the inheritance of the saints in light, and that utter darkness which will be the portion of hypocrites for ever.

Verses 21-31 The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, ( Joshua 2:9 ) ; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, ( Psalm 114:3 , Psalm 106:9 , Psalm 136:13 ) . It was a type of baptism, #1Co. 10:1, #1Co. 10:2 . Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, ( Isaiah 11:15 ) ; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power, by opening a passage through the waters, some miles over. God can bring his people through the greatest difficulties, and force a way where he does not find it. It was an instance of his wonderful favour to his Israel. They went through the sea, they walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea. This was done, in order to encourage God's people in all ages to trust him in the greatest straits. What cannot he do who did this? What will not he do for those that fear and love him, who did this for these murmuring, unbelieving Israelites? Then followed the just and righteous wrath of God upon his and his people's enemies. The ruin of sinners is brought on by their own rage and presumption. They might have let Israel alone, and would not; now they would flee from the face of Israel, and cannot. Men will not be convinced, till it is too late, that those who meddle with God's people, meddle to their own hurt. Moses was ordered to stretch out his hand over the sea; the waters returned, and overwhelmed all the host of the Egyptians. Pharaoh and his servants, who had hardened one another in sin, now fell together, not one escaped. The Israelites saw the Egyptians dead upon the sands. The sight very much affected them. While men see God's works, and feel the benefit, they fear him and trust in him. How well were it for us, if we were always in as good a frame as sometimes! Behold the end to which a Christian may look forward. His enemies rage, and are mighty; but while he holds fast by God, he shall pass the waves in safety guarded by that very power of his Saviour, which shall come down on every spiritual foe. The enemies of his soul whom he hath seen to-day, he shall see no more for ever.

Chapter Summary

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.