Exodus 14 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Exodus 14

Crossing the Red Sea

14:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

15 The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night¹ without one coming near the other all night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging² their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw³ the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

Footnotes

[1] 14:20 Septuagint and the night passed
[2] 14:25 Or binding (compare Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac); Hebrew removing
[3] 14:27 Hebrew shook off

Commentary

v1-2: The first part of the journey was part of God's plan. The route included turning back to camp; their obedience was essential in ensuring their full deliverance.

v3-4: The Egyptians would follow after the children of Israel. Pharaoh's heart was again hardened. God's power would be manifest again, and He would get glory for Himself again.

v5: The changed minds and the hardened hearts. Pharaoh and his officials realised their "mistake" in letting the children of Israel go.

v6-8: Pharaoh put together an impressive army, given the destruction that had already fallen. And he personally led the army. Again we read of his hardened heart.

v9: Pharaoh in his chariots, soon overtook the children of Israel, who were travelling by foot.

v10: The Israelites saw the Egyptians, and were afraid.

v11-12: The Israelites' response was in grumbling. This was the first of several instances of their grumbling. They had quickly forgotten God's clear promises, that He would bring them out of Egypt and into the land of the Canaanites. They had also forgotten the cruel bondage in Egypt. This attitude of grumbling persisted until the whole generation had died out in the wilderness, fulfilling their words of v11.

v13-14: In contrast to the people, Moses believed God. His only answer for the people was what God had said. He told them to stand still, rather than returning to Egypt. The people were not to be afraid, but to observe what God was going to do. The people would not have to fight. Note also that there is no mention of the goodness of the children of Israel; this is the grace of God, as He acts on behalf of His people. The defeat of the Egyptian army was to be an encouragement to the people; see v31. God had made no specific promise here to Moses, but his own faith in God was clear.

v15-18: Even Moses was rebuked for standing still. His instructions were clear. He had to raise his staff over the Red Sea, so that the waters would part for the children of Israel to cross over on dry ground. God would gain glory for Himself, as the Egyptian army pursued the Israelites into the water (v17). The testimony, that "I am the Lord" (v18). The Egyptians would know that the God of Israel was the only true God.

v19-20: At this time also, the pillar of cloud moved from in front of Israel to behind them, to prevent the Egyptians from coming any closer. The pillar meant darkness to the Egyptians, but light to the Israelites. Similarly, the Red Sea meant death to the Egyptians and life to the Israelites. The Scriptures themselves, and the testimony of Christians, are the savour of life to life and death to death; 1 Cor 1.18; 2 Cor 1.16. The Egyptians were unable to come any closer to the Israelites throughout the night.

v21-22: The waters were divided, when Moses stretched out his hand over the Sea. We read again that the Israelites went through on dry ground (as in v16), such was the power of the strong east wind that the Lord had sent. The waters are described as a wall on both sides as they walked through. Again, their walk through the waters demanded real faith; but it seems Moses led them, again demonstrating his own faith.

v23-25: The Egyptians followed the Israelites into the Sea. First the Lord sent confusion, and took off, or jammed the wheels of their chariots. The Egyptians became fearful, and tried to escape.

v26: Then Moses stretched out his hand again, to bring back the waters.

v27: The timing of Moses' action was such that the Egyptians were fleeing , and the Lord swept them into the sea.

v28: The waters covered the whole army of the Egyptians, drowning all the army.

v29: The contrast is drawn; the Israelites went through on dry ground.

v30-31: Israel had once more seen the clear evidence of God's power on their behalf. They had seen a whole catalogue of dramatic miracles. Yet few of them were full of devotion and zeal for God. Yet they did believe God. Further, Moses was magnified in their sight; compare Josh 3.7. God uses human leaders, and it is important that such are properly respected.