Exodus 14:15-31

Escape through the Red Sea

15 The Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp.

16 As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

17 I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen.

18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."

19 Then the Angel of God, who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them.

20 It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud was there [in] the darkness, yet it lit up the night.^[a] So neither group came near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea [back] with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided,

22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,^[b] with the waters [like] a wall to them on their right and their left.

23 The Egyptians set out in pursuit-all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen-and went into the sea after them.

24 Then during the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire and cloud, and threw them into confusion.

25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve^{[c] [d]} and made them drive^[e] with difficulty. "Let's get away from Israel," the Egyptians said, "because the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!"

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

27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord overthrew them in the sea.

28 The waters came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh, that had gone after them into the sea. None of them survived.

29 But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters [like] a wall to them on their right and their left.

30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

31 When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.

Exodus 14:15-31 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Perhaps the cloud brought darkness to the Egyptians but light to the Israelites; Ex 10:22-23; Ps 105:39
• [b]. Jos 3:17; 4:18,22
• [c]. Sam, LXX, Syr read He bound their chariot wheels
• [d]. Or fall off
• [e]. Or and they drove them