Exodus 15:1-21

Israel's Song

1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said: I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.

2 The Lord is my strength and my song;^[a] He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him.

3 The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is His name.

4 He threw Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea; the elite of his officers were drowned in the Red Sea.

5 The floods covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.

6 Lord, Your right hand is glorious in power. Lord, Your right hand shattered the enemy.

7 You overthrew Your adversaries by Your great majesty. You unleashed Your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble.

8 The waters heaped up at the blast of Your nostrils; the currents stood firm like a dam. The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy said: "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire will be gratified at their expense. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy^[b] them."

10 But You blew with Your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?

12 You stretched out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them.

13 You will lead the people You have redeemed with Your faithful love; You will guide [them] to Your holy dwelling with Your strength.

14 When the peoples hear, they will shudder; anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.

15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; the inhabitants of Canaan will panic;

16 and terror and dread will fall on them. They will be as still^[c] as a stone because of Your powerful arm until Your people pass by, Lord, until the people whom You purchased^[d] pass by.

17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your possession; Lord, You have prepared the place for Your dwelling; Lord,^[e] Your hands have established the sanctuary.

18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!

19 When Pharaoh's horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.

21 Miriam sang to them: Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.

Exodus 15:1-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 15

This chapter contains the song of Moses, and of the children of Israel, on the banks of the Red sea; in which they celebrate their passage through it, the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in it, and the glory of the divine perfections displayed therein, interspersed with prophetic hints of things future, Ex 15:1-19 which same song was sung by the women, with Miriam at the head of them, attended with timbrels and dances, Ex 15:20,21, an account is given of the march of the children of Israel from the Red sea to the wilderness of Shur, and of the bitter waters found at Marah, which occasioned a murmuring, and of their being made sweet by casting a tree into them, Ex 15:22-25 when they were told by the Lord, that if they would yield obedience to his commandments, they should be free from the diseases the Egyptians had been afflicted with, Ex 15:26, and the chapter is concluded with their coming to Elim, where they found twelve wells of water, and seventy palm trees, and there encamped, Ex 15:27.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or might
• [b]. Or conquer
• [c]. Or silent
• [d]. Or created
• [e]. Other Hb mss, DSS, Sam, Tg read Lord