Exodus 14

Listen to this chapter

The LORD instructed Israel to encamp by the Red Sea, intending to harden Pharaoh's heart so he would pursue them, allowing God to be glorified. As Pharaoh and his army approached, the terrified Israelites complained to Moses, who assured them that the LORD would fight for them. Moses then stretched out his rod, and the LORD divided the Red Sea, enabling Israel to cross on dry ground while the pursuing Egyptian army was drowned when the waters returned.

God Directs Israel’s Encampment 1–4

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon: over against it shall ye encamp by the sea.

And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host: and the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah. And they did so.

Pharaoh Mobilizes His Army 5–9

And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people, and they said, What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:

and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them.

And Jehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: for the children of Israel went out with a high hand.

And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.

Israel’s Fear and Moses’ Assurance 10–14

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto Jehovah.

And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt?

Is not this the word that we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will work for you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

Jehovah will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

God Commands the Crossing 15–18

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.

And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.

And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

And the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

The Cloud Separates the Camps 19–20

And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them:

and it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness, yet gave it light by night: and the one came not near the other all the night.

The Sea Divided and Israel Crosses 21–26

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Jehovah caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

And it came to pass in the morning watch, that Jehovah looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians.

And he took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for Jehovah fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

The LORD Saves Israel at the Sea 27–31

And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and Jehovah overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the host of Pharaoh that went in after them into the sea; there remained not so much as one of them.

But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Thus Jehovah saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore.

And Israel saw the great work which Jehovah did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared Jehovah: and they believed in Jehovah, and in his servant Moses.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Exodus 14

Verse 2

Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea — 'Turn' is shub, to turn back from the course set in 13:17–18. Num 33:7 repeats the camp: 'turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol.' Migdol means 'tower'; a Migdol in Egypt appears in Jer 44:1.

Verse 3

entangled in the land — Buk, to be perplexed, tangled; 'hath shut them in' is sagar, to shut up. The LORD states beforehand what Pharaoh 'will say', so the apparent trap is itself foreknown (cf. Ps 139:4, 'not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether').

Verse 4

I will be honoured upon Pharaoh — Kabad, to be heavy, hence weighty and glorious; the same verb recurs in v.17 and v.18. 'Harden' is chazaq, to make strong. The aim, 'that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD', repeats Ex 7:5; Paul cites Pharaoh's raising up (Rom 9:17).

Verse 7

six hundred chosen chariots — 'Chosen' is bachar, picked out; to these are added 'all the chariots of Egypt'. 'Captains' is shalish, an officer of high rank. Ex 15:4 sings the result: 'his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.'

Verse 8

an high hand — Rum, to be raised: Israel went out with upraised hand, openly, as Num 33:3 says, 'on the morrow after the passover'. The same verse records that 'the LORD hardened' (chazaq) Pharaoh's heart, fulfilling v.4, so the pursuit comes from the LORD's purpose as well as Pharaoh's will.

Verse 11

no graves in Egypt — Qeber, a sepulchre. The people's cry to Moses is repeated later: at Marah (15:24), at Rephidim (17:3, 'brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us') and at Kadesh (Num 14:4). Ps 106:7 says they 'provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.'

Verse 13

stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD — 'Stand still' is yatsab, to take one's station. 'Salvation' is yeshuah, from the root yasha, the verb of v.30, 'the LORD saved Israel that day'. Jehoshaphat is given like words in 2 Chr 20:17 (there yatsab is 'set yourselves'), 'stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you.'

Verse 16

lift thou up thy rod — The matteh is 'the rod of God' Moses took to Egypt (Ex 4:20), given 'wherewith thou shalt do signs' (4:17). 'Divide' is baqa, to cleave. Israel is to go 'on dry ground' (yabbashah) through the midst of the sea, and the same stretching of the hand later closes it (v.26).

Verse 18

the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD — The purpose stated in v.4 is repeated once the hardening has been announced in v.17. Yada, to know, is the word of the plague narrative (Ex 7:5). The knowledge comes 'when I have gotten me honour' (kabad) upon Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.

Verse 19

the angel of God — He 'went before the camp', as the LORD had gone in the pillar (13:21); Isa 63:9 says 'the angel of his presence saved them.' 'Removed' is nasa, to pull up tent-pins and journey, the verb of 'go forward' in v.15; the pillar 'stood' (amad) behind them.

Verse 20

a cloud and darkness to them — The one pillar is choshek, darkness, toward Egypt and 'light by night' toward Israel, so that 'the one came not near the other all the night.' Joshua recalls it: 'he put darkness between you and the Egyptians' (Josh 24:7).

Verse 21

a strong east wind — Qadim, the east wind, with az, strong; it blew 'all that night'. 'Dry land' is charabah, parched ground. The wind is the LORD's: 'with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together' (Ex 15:8); 'he divided the sea… and he made the waters to stand as an heap' (Ps 78:13).

Verse 22

a wall unto them — Chomah, a wall of protection, the word for a city's rampart; v.29 repeats it. Paul counts it among the fathers' privileges: 'all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea' (1 Cor 10:1); Heb 11:29 says 'by faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land.'

Verse 24

the morning watch — Ashmurah, a division of the night kept by watchers. The LORD 'looked' (shaqaph, to look down as from a window) through the pillar and 'troubled' (hamam, to throw into commotion) the host. Ex 13:21 shows the same pillar as fire and cloud.

Verse 25

the LORD fighteth for them — Lacham, the verb of v.14, 'The LORD shall fight for you'; the Egyptians themselves now say it. 'Took off' is sur, to turn aside, and 'heavily' is kebeduth, with difficulty. They said, 'Let us flee from the face of Israel', yet in v.27 they 'fled against' the returning sea.

Verse 27

returned to his strength — Eythan, permanence, the sea's perennial force. 'Overthrew' is na'ar, to shake off; Ps 136:15 says 'overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea.' The Egyptians 'fled against' it (qirah, toward it), running into the waters.

Verse 28

there remained not so much as one of them — Sha'ar, to be left over. The waters 'covered' (kasah) chariots, horsemen and host that had entered the sea. Ps 106:11 repeats it: 'the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left'; Ps 78:53 adds, 'the sea overwhelmed their enemies.'

Verse 31

that great work — Literally a great hand (yad), the hand of v.8's 'high hand' now seen at work. 'Believed' is aman, to trust as a support; the people 'believed the LORD, and his servant Moses', and the song of Ex 15:1 follows at once, 'Then sang Moses and the children of Israel.'