Psalms 106:9

9 And he parted the Red Sea, and it was dried; and he led forth them in the depths of waters, as in desert. (And he parted the Red Sea, or the Sea of Reeds, and it dried up; and he led them forth through the depths of the waters, as though through the wilderness.)

Psalms 106:9 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 106:9

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up
By sending a strong east wind, which drove the waters back, and made the sea a dry land, ( Exodus 14:21 ) .

So he led them through the depths;
that is, the deep waters of the sea, which were cast up as an heap, and stood as a wall on each side, through which they passed.

As through the wilderness;
or rather, "as on a plain"; for a passage through a wilderness where no roads are, and many obstructions be, is not easy; and so it is manifestly to be understood in ( Isaiah 63:13 ) , where Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it a plain and smooth ground, a champaign country; and so the word is used for a plain, in opposition to mountains, in ( Jeremiah 9:10 ) , and then the sense is, that God led them through the sea, being dried up, as if they were led through a plain and open country, where was nothing to obstruct their march; an emblem of baptism, ( 1 Corinthians 10:1 1 Corinthians 10:2 ) , and of the passage of the people of God through this world; (See Gill on Psalms 78:13).

Psalms 106:9 In-Context

7 Our fathers in Egypt understood not thy marvels; they were not mindful of the multitude of thy mercy. And they going into the sea, into the Red Sea, stirred (him) to wrath; (Our forefathers in Egypt did not understand thy marvellous deeds; they did not remember thy many loving deeds. And they stirred thee to anger at the sea, yea, at the Red Sea/And they rebelled against thee at the sea, yea, at the Sea of Reeds;)
8 and he saved them for his name, that he should make known his power. (but still he saved them for the sake of his name, so that he could make known his power.)
9 And he parted the Red Sea, and it was dried; and he led forth them in the depths of waters, as in desert. (And he parted the Red Sea, or the Sea of Reeds, and it dried up; and he led them forth through the depths of the waters, as though through the wilderness.)
10 And he saved them from the hand of haters; and he again-bought them from the hand of the enemy (and he redeemed them from the power of the enemy).
11 And the waters covered men troubling them; one of them abode not. (And then the waters covered the men who troubled them; yea, not one of them was left alive.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.