Exodus 14:15

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;)

Exodus 14:15 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 14:15

And the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto me?
&c.] The Targum of Jonathan is,

``why standest thou and prayest before me?''

and no doubt this crying is to be understood of prayer, of mental prayer, of secret ejaculations put up by Moses to the Lord without a voice, for no mention is made of any: this shows, that though Moses most firmly believed that God would work salvation for them, yet he did not neglect the use of means, prayer to God for it; nor was the Lord displeased with him on that account, only he had other work for him to do, and he had no need to pray any longer, God had heard him, and would save him and his people:

speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward;
a little further, as Aben Ezra observes, until they were come to the sea shore, near to which they now were; and thither they were to move in an orderly composed manner, as unconcerned and fearless of their enemies.

Exodus 14:15 In-Context

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;)