The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus
Exodus 14
Chapter XIV · Vol. I, pp. 318–319
1 God instructeth the Israelites in their journey. 5 Pharaoh pursueth after them. 10 The Israelites murmur. 13 Moses comforteth them. 15 God instructeth Moses. 19 The cloud removeth behind the camp. 21 The Israelites pass through the Red Sea, 23 which drowneth the Egyptians.
1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they a turn and encamp before b Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.7
a By this march to the south-east God tried their faith, carried them off from the Philistines, who hated them, 1 Ch. 7.21, and tempted Pharaoh to pursue them.
b Nu. 33.7. ch. 13.17,18,20. Je. 44.1.
7 Hitherto the Israelites had pursued an easterly direction towards the northern end of the gulf; now they turned due south along its western shore. They thus placed themselves between the advancing host of Pharaoh and the Red Sea; while in front they were shut in by the rugged promontory of Atakah, so that escape was, humanly speaking, hopeless.—P.
3 For Pharaoh will c say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
c Ps. 37.22,23; 71.11; 41.5,7,8. Their God does not know the way to Canaan.
4 And I d will harden Pharaoh's heart,8 that he shall follow after them; and I will be e honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; f that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
d ch. 3.19; 4.21; 7.3,4,13,14,22; 8.15,19,32; 9.7,12,34,35; 10.1,20,27; 11.9. ver. 8,17. Ro. 2.4,5. Ps. 81.12. 2 Th. 2.11,12.
8 See note on ch. 4.21.—C.
e ch. 9.16; ver. 17,18. Eze. 20.9. Ne. 9.10. Ro. 9.17,22.
5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and g the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
g Ps. 105.25. ch. 1.9,10; 10.7; 12.33. Job 5.2. Ja. 4.5.
6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him.
7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
8 Andh the LORD hardened9 the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out i with an high hand.
9 But the Egyptians k pursued after them, (all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army,) and overtook them encampingl by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were m sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
11 And n they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves8 in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?9
n Ps. 106.6-8. ch. 15.24; 16.2; 17.2. Nu. 11.1; 14.2; 16.41; 20.3-5; 21.5.
8 Of all lands, Egypt is most remarkable for its graves. From modern researches, their pyramids appear to have been tombs, and their catacombs are subterraneous cities of the dead. The nations of Europe have purchased their sarcophagi and their mummies, which are daily affording their silent yet irresistible evidence to the truth of the Mosaic history.—C.
9 The poor Israelites seeing their desperate condition, and knowing what awaited them if conquered, now murmur against Moses; repent their departure from Egypt, and forget the works of Jehovah.—I.
12 Iso not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? for it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
o ch. 6.9; 5.21.
13 And Moses said unto the people, p Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation q of the LORD, which he will show to you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
p Wait upon God with a quiet and composed frame of spirit, and a believing expectation of deliverance, Is. 41.10,13,14; 43.1,2; 30.15. 2 Ch. 20.15,17. 1 Pe. 5.7. Mat. 6.34; 14.31. Mar. 5.36. Phi. 4.6. Ps. 55.22.
q ver. 30. Ge. 49.18. Is. 43.11. Ho. 13.4. Ps. 105.35; 106.8.
15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore s criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel,1 that they go forward:
s De. 9.13,14,20. ch. 17.4. Ne. 9.9. Ro. 8.26.
1 It cannot be supposed God's purpose to depreciate prayer, but to remind Moses that as 'for every thing there is a season,' so there is a time for prayer, and a time for action, a time to cry to the Lord, and a time to speak to the people, a time to 'stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,' and a time to move forward when directed by the cloud or the fire.—C.
16 But t lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
17 And I, behold, I will harden2 the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
2 See note on ch. 4.21.—C.
18 And the Egyptians shall u know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
19 And the x angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed, and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
x Christ, ver. 24; ch. 13.21,22; 23.21. Is. 63.9-12. Mal. 3.1. Jos. 5.13,14. Hab. 3.8,9.
20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a y cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to z go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 And a 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.3
a Nu. 33.8. Ps. 78.13. 1 Co. 10.1. He. 11.29. Is. 63.13,14; 43.16.
3 The opening of the passage was miraculous. The immediate instrumentality employed was 'a strong mighty wind.' But no ordinary wind could have cut a passage through the sea, and kept the waters up like a wall on each side.—P.
23 And the Egyptians b pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
b ch. 15.9. Pr. 16.18. Is. 43.16,17.
24 And it came to pass, that in the c morning-watch the LORD d looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled4 the host of the Egyptians,
c Mat. 14.25.
d Job 40.12. Ps. 18.14; 77.16-19. ch. 15.10.
4 The Lord manifested his indignation against the Egyptians in terrible storms of thunder and lightning, which put them into great disorder and terror.
25 And5 took off their chariot-wheels,6 that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD e fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
5 As a man is said to do what his servants do by his commands, so God is said to do what his works effect by his disposal. God 'took off the chariot wheels of the Egyptians, by means of the deep sands or the rugged bottom of the sea. The Egyptian chariot, as commonly represented in ancient sculptures and paintings, is a small box, in which the warrior stands, mounted upon two low wheels, and fearfully ornamented with human heads, a terrible emblem of the fate that awaited the Israelite that would return to his bondage.—Note, How truly does the proverb speak, 'man's extremity is God's opportunity!' The mountains are on each side, the Red Sea before; Pharaoh and his chariots and horsemen behind; Israel trembling, murmuring, and crying in the midst, but God is over all, and salvation arises when hope had all but expired.—C.
6 Or, and made them to go heavily.
e ver. 14,17. 1 Sa. 4.7,8.
26 And the LORD said unto Moses, f Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may g come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the h sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it: and the LORD i overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28 And the waters k 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 l one of them.
k Hab. 3.8,10. ch. 15.4,5,10. He. 11.29.
l Ps. 106.11.
29 But the children of Israel m 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.
30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel n saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore.
n Ps. 58.10; 92.11; 46.8; 48.8,10,11; 97.8.
31 And Israel saw that great work7 which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people o feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
7 Heb. hand.
o Ps. 119.120; 106.12. ch. 19.9; 4.31. 1 Sa. 12.18. 2 Ch. 20.20. 1 Co. 10.2.
Notes
[Ver. 15. 'Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.' The miserable condition of the Israelites will be best understood by recollecting that, though more numerous than the Egyptians, they had submitted to have their male children drowned. Had such a people been led directly into Palestine, a march of but a few days, the warlike inhabitants, unless prevented by a sweeping miracle, would immediately have attempted to extirpate or enslave them; and to avoid either, the Hebrews, in desponding cowardice, would have returned to Egypt. God mercifully leads them to a distance from their enemies, and, by that distance, prevents any sudden occasion to return.—Note, God seldom or never leads the young convert into immediate trial of his faith, hope, love, or patience. There is often also a wonderful estrangement between a new convert and his former acquaintances. He is led away from them, lest in weakness he should return to them. It is not until 'prepared to endure hardness,' the soldier of the cross is called to 'fight the good fight of faith.' C.]
Reflections.—God frequently musters up difficulties in the way of his people, that his glory may appear in subduing and helping over them. Often he turns the pride and malice of his enemies and their prosperity, to the advancement of his cause; while, with blind infatuation, they quickly repent of their best deeds, and rush forward, in their hatred of God and his people, till they find no place for repentance of their wickedness! What necessity there is to set out in the Lord's way with much strong faith, assured hope, and holy courage, as in it we may lay our account with many and great perplexities and troubles! Such as escape out of a sinful world may expect a hot pursuit from the devil and his servants: but he that brings us out with a high hand can bear us up with everlasting strength. In straits let me therefore never dare to chide my deliverer, or to think of returning to my bondage, but in patience possess my soul, hoping for his salvation. What he does I know not now, but I shall know hereafter. Sedateness in danger is the most likely mean to extricate myself out of it; and to encourage my heart in God is the way, not only to remove my fears, but to surmount my difficulties. However dangerous and dark the path may be, if I go forward God will take care of the event; and while the darkness of sin leads down to the darkness of eternal death, the light of grace will conduct me to eternal life and light in glory. What a present help is God in trouble! But how tremendous a foe! who can stand before him if once he be angry! Certain is their fall at last who are found fighting against God. If the Lord has delivered me from so great a death, let my heart, not for a while only, but for ever, be kindly impressed with his mercy; and rejoice that Jesus has delivered, and will deliver, his church in spite of all her enemies.