Exodus 15:5

The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

The depths {H8415} have covered {H3680} them: they sank {H3381} into the bottom {H4688} as {H3644} a stone {H68}.

The deep waters covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.

The depths have covered them; they sank there like a stone.

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

Commentary

Exodus 15:5 KJV is a powerful line from the Song of Moses and Miriam, a triumphant hymn celebrating God's miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage and the destruction of Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea.

Context

This verse vividly describes the fate of the Egyptian chariots and horsemen who pursued the Israelites into the divided Red Sea. After the Israelites had safely crossed on dry ground, God commanded Moses to stretch out his hand, and the waters returned, engulfing the entire Egyptian host. This particular verse emphasizes the completeness and finality of their destruction, portraying them as sinking swiftly and irrevocably to the bottom of the sea.

The events leading up to this point, detailed in Exodus chapter 14, highlight God's unmatched power to both deliver His people and judge their oppressors. The song serves as a declaration of God's sovereignty and a testament to His faithfulness to His covenant with Israel.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse unequivocally demonstrates God's righteous judgment against those who defy Him and oppress His chosen people. The Egyptians, who had enslaved Israel for centuries, met a decisive end.
  • God's Unchallengeable Power: The imagery of the "depths" covering them and sinking "as a stone" underscores the overwhelming and irresistible power of God, who used the natural elements as instruments of His will. No earthly army, no matter how mighty, could stand against Him.
  • Complete Annihilation: The phrase "sank into the bottom as a stone" conveys the utter and irreversible destruction of Pharaoh's army. It was not merely a defeat but a complete obliteration, ensuring that they could no longer pursue or threaten Israel. This reflects God's promise to fight for Israel (Exodus 14:14).

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "depths" (tΙ™homōt) refers to the deep waters, the abyss, or the primeval oceans. Its use here emphasizes the vast, overwhelming quantity of water that engulfed the Egyptians, leaving no hope of survival. The simile "as a stone" (Hebrew: ka'even) is particularly striking, conveying not just sinking, but sinking quickly and heavily, without buoyancy or struggle, straight to the very bottom, signifying swift and complete demise.

Practical Application

Exodus 15:5 serves as a timeless reminder of God's character. It assures believers that God is faithful to deliver His people from oppression and that He is just in His judgment of wickedness. While we may not face literal armies drowning in a sea, this verse speaks to God's ultimate victory over all forms of evil and oppression. It encourages trust in God's power to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and to bring about His perfect will, offering hope to those who are oppressed and a warning to those who oppress.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated β€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Nehemiah 9:11

    And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

  • Exodus 14:28

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

  • Exodus 15:10

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

  • Jeremiah 51:63

    And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, [that] thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:

  • Jeremiah 51:64

    And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far [are] the words of Jeremiah.

  • Ezekiel 27:34

    In the time [when] thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall.

  • Revelation 18:21

    And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast [it] into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
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