Exode 14:19

19 Et l'ange de Dieu, qui allait devant le camp d'Israël, partit et alla derrière eux; et la colonne de nuée partit de devant eux, et se tint derrière eux;

Exode 14:19 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 14:19

And the Angel of God which went before the camp of Israel,
&c.] The Jews say ^F25 this was Michael, the great prince, who became a wall of fire between Israel and the Egyptians; and if they understood by him the uncreated angel, the eternal Word, the Son of God, who is always in Scripture meant by Michael, they are right: for certainly this Angel of the Lord is the same with Jehovah, who is said to go before them in a pillar of cloud and fire, ( Exodus 13:21 ) :

removed, and went behind them;
but because removing from place to place, and going forwards or backwards, cannot be properly said of a divine Person, who is omnipresent, and fills every place and space; this is to be understood of the emblem of him, the pillar of cloud, as the next clause explains it:

and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood
behind them;
the Targum of Jonathan adds,

``because of the Egyptians, who cast arrows and stones, and the cloud received them;''

and so Jarchi; whereby the Israelites were protected and preserved from receiving any hurt by them: so Christ is the protection of his people from all their enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, that sin cannot damn them, nor Satan destroy them, nor the world overcome them; for his salvation is as walls and bulwarks to them, and he is indeed a wall of fire about them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Pirke Eliezer, c. 42.

Exode 14:19 In-Context

17 Et moi, voici, je vais endurcir le cœur des Égyptiens, et ils y entreront après eux; et je serai glorifié en Pharaon et en toute son armée, en ses chars et en ses cavaliers.

18 Et les Égyptiens sauront que je suis l'Éternel, quand je serai glorifié en Pharaon, en ses chars et en ses cavaliers.

19 Et l'ange de Dieu, qui allait devant le camp d'Israël, partit et alla derrière eux; et la colonne de nuée partit de devant eux, et se tint derrière eux;

20 Et elle vint entre le camp des Égyptiens et le camp d'Israël. Et elle fut d'un côté une nuée obscure; mais, de l'autre, elle éclairait la nuit; et ils ne s'approchèrent point les uns des autres de toute la nuit.

21 Or, Moïse étendit la main sur la mer, et l'Éternel refoula la mer, toute la nuit, par un fort vent d'Orient; et il mit la mer à sec, et les eaux se fendirent.