Exodus15

Moses and the children of Israel sing a triumphant song to the LORD, praising Him for His glorious victory over Pharaoh and his army at the Red Sea, where the Egyptians were drowned. Following this, they journey into the wilderness, encountering bitter waters at Marah, which the LORD miraculously makes sweet. The chapter concludes with God's promise of health for obedience and Israel's arrival at Elim, a place of abundant water.

Listen to this chapter

The Song of Moses: Praise for Deliverance

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto Jehovah, and spake, saying, I will sing unto Jehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously: The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Jehovah is my strength and song, And he is become my salvation: This is my God, and I will praise him; My father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Jehovah is a man of war: Jehovah is his name.

Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea; And his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.

The deeps cover them: They went down into the depths like a stone.

Thy right hand, O Jehovah, is glorious in power, Thy right hand, O Jehovah, dasheth in pieces the enemy.

And in the greatness of thine excellency thou overthrowest them that rise up against thee: Thou sendest forth thy wrath, it consumeth them as stubble.

And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were piled up, The floods stood upright as a heap; The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.

The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: They sank as lead in the mighty waters.

Who is like unto thee, O Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, The earth swallowed them.

Anticipation of the Conquest

Thou in thy lovingkindness hast led the people that thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in thy strength to thy holy habitation.

The peoples have heard, they tremble: Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.

Then were the chiefs of Edom dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold upon them: All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away.

Terror and dread falleth upon them; By the greatness of thine arm they are as still as a stone; Till thy people pass over, O Jehovah, Till the people pass over that thou hast purchased.

Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, The place, O Jehovah, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.

Jehovah shall reign for ever and ever.

For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Jehovah brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.

Miriam and the Women Celebrate

And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to Jehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously; The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

The Trial at Marah

And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

And he cried unto Jehovah; and Jehovah showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them;

and he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Jehovah that healeth thee.

Provision at Elim

And they came to Elim, where were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

Study Notes for Exodus 15

Verse 1

The 'Song of the Sea' is one of the oldest attested poetic traditions in the Bible, celebrating God’s triumph as a divine warrior. It functions as a liturgical response to the miraculous salvation at the Red Sea.

Verse 2

This verse establishes the foundational relationship: God is the source of strength and salvation. The phrase 'I will prepare him an habitation' (Hebrew nāwah) reflects the intention to worship and build a sanctuary (later realized in the Tabernacle).

Verse 3

Describing the LORD as a 'man of war' (’ish milchamah) emphasizes His active involvement in history and His role as the Divine Warrior fighting for Israel against cosmic and earthly foes.

Verse 8

The 'blast of thy nostrils' uses poetic personification to describe God’s powerful breath or wind, illustrating that the separation of the waters was an instantaneous and effortless act of divine power.

Verse 11

This rhetorical question (“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?”) serves as a challenge and declaration, asserting Yahweh's incomparable power, holiness, and uniqueness over all other supposed deities.

Verse 13

The song pivots here from celebrating past deliverance to anticipating future provision. God's ultimate goal is to guide the redeemed people to His 'holy habitation,' anticipating the Promised Land and Mount Zion.

Verse 14

Verses 14-16 function as a prophetic oracle, describing the terror the news of the Red Sea miracle will strike into the hearts of surrounding hostile nations, including the Philistines (Palestina), Edom, and Moab.

Verse 17

The 'mountain of thine inheritance' and 'Sanctuary' refer ultimately to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. This shows that the purpose of the Exodus was not merely freedom, but the establishment of a permanent place where God could dwell among His people.

Verse 20

Miriam is identified as a 'prophetess,' indicating she held a position of spiritual leadership alongside her brothers. Her leading the women in musical celebration is a key act of corporate worship.

Verse 22

This verse marks the transition from celebration back to historical narrative. The immediate lack of water introduces the crucial theme of testing and provision in the wilderness, contrasting sharply with the earlier praise.

Verse 23

The name *Marah* means 'bitter.' This location serves as the first major test of Israel's faith after the great deliverance, demonstrating their instant shift from sung praise to impatience and complaint.

Verse 25

After providing a supernatural solution (the tree), God immediately establishes a 'statute and an ordinance,' demonstrating that divine provision and covenant obedience are inseparable in the wilderness experience.

Verse 26

This verse contains the first declaration of a covenant name for God in the wilderness: *Yahweh Rophekha* ('I am the LORD that healeth thee'). This healing refers to both physical health and spiritual/national restoration contingent upon obedience.

Verse 27

Elim serves as a temporary oasis, providing twelve wells (perhaps symbolizing the twelve tribes) and seventy palm trees. This provision contrasts sharply with the trial at Marah, showing God's balance of testing and sustaining grace.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Exodus15

The Song of Moses: Praise for Deliverance

Anticipation of the Conquest

Miriam and the Women Celebrate

The Trial at Marah

Provision at Elim

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options