Ex 14:1-31.
GOD
INSTRUCTS THE
ISRAELITES AS TO
THEIR
JOURNEY.
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and
encamp--The Israelites had now completed their three days' journey,
and at Etham the decisive step would have to be taken whether they
would celebrate their intended feast and return, or march onwards by
the head of the Red Sea into the desert, with a view to a final
departure. They were already on the borders of the desert, and a short
march would have placed them beyond the reach of pursuit, as the
chariots of Egypt could have made little progress over dry and yielding
sand. But at Etham, instead of pursuing their journey eastward with the
sea on their right, they were suddenly commanded to diverge to the
south, keeping the gulf on their left; a route which not only detained
them lingering on the confines of Egypt, but, in adopting it, they
actually turned their backs on the land of which they had set out to
obtain the possession. A movement so unexpected, and of which the
ultimate design was carefully concealed, could not but excite the
astonishment of all, even of Moses himself, although, from his implicit
faith in the wisdom and power of his heavenly Guide, he obeyed. The
object was to entice Pharaoh to pursue, in order that the moral effect,
which the judgments on Egypt had produced in releasing God's people
from bondage, might be still further extended over the nations by the
awful events transacted at the Red Sea.
Pi-hahiroth--the mouth of the defile, or pass--a description
well suited to that of Bedea, which extended from the Nile and opens on
the shore of the Red Sea.
Migdol--a fortress or citadel.
Baal-zephon--some marked site on the opposite or eastern
coast.
3. the wilderness hath shut them in--Pharaoh, who would eagerly
watch their movements, was now satisfied that they were meditating
flight, and he naturally thought from the error into which they
appeared to have fallen by entering that defile, he could intercept
them. He believed them now entirely in his power, the mountain chain
being on one side, the sea on the other, so that, if he pursued them in
the rear, escape seemed impossible.
5. the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the
people, &c.--Alas, how soon the obduracy of this reprobate king
reappears! He had been convinced, but not converted--overawed, but not
sanctified by the appalling judgments of heaven. He bitterly repented
of what he now thought a hasty concession. Pride and revenge, the honor
of his kingdom, and the interests of his subjects, all prompted him to
recall his permission to reclaim those runaway slaves and force them to
their wonted labor. Strange that he should yet allow such
considerations to obliterate or outweigh all his painful experience of
the danger of oppressing that people. But those whom the Lord has
doomed to destruction are first infatuated by sin.
6, 7. he made ready his chariot--His preparations for an
immediate and hot pursuit are here described: A difference is made
between "the chosen chariots" and "the chariots of Egypt." The first
evidently composed the king's guard, amounting to six hundred, and they
are called "chosen," literally, "third men"; three men being allotted
to each chariot, the charioteer and two warriors. As to "the chariots
of Egypt," the common cars contained only two persons, one for driving
and the other for fighting; sometimes only one person was in the
chariot, the driver lashed the reins round his body and fought;
infantry being totally unsuitable for a rapid pursuit, and the
Egyptians having had no cavalry, the word "riders" is in the
grammatical connection applied to war chariots employed, and these were
of light construction, open behind, and hung on small wheels.
10. when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their
eyes--The great consternation of the Israelites is somewhat
astonishing, considering their vast superiority in numbers, but their
deep dismay and absolute despair at the sight of this armed host
receives a satisfactory explanation from the fact that the civilized
state of Egyptian society required the absence of all arms, except when
they were on service. If the Israelites were entirely unarmed at their
departure, they could not think of making any resistance
[WILKINSON and
HENGSTENBERG].
13, 14. Moses said, . . . Fear ye not, stand still, and
see the salvation of the Lord--Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of
a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis,
exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most
formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate
multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one
of the sublimest examples of moral courage to be found in history. And
whence did his courage arise? He saw the miraculous cloud still
accompanying them, and his confidence arose solely from the hope of a
divine interposition, although, perhaps, he might have looked for the
expected deliverance in every quarter, rather than in the direction of
the sea.
15-18. the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me?
&c.--When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to
go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation
of his mighty charge was to be effected.
19. the angel of God--that is, the pillar of cloud [see on
Ex 13:21].
The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air,
and occupying a position behind them must have excited the astonishment
of the Israelites
(Isa 58:8).
It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only
protecting them, but concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud
produced light (a symbol of favor) to the people of God, and darkness
(a symbol of wrath) to their enemies (compare
2Co 2:16).
21. Moses stretched out his hand, &c.--The waving of the rod was
of great importance on this occasion to give public attestation in the
presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses
and the divine mission with which he was charged.
the Lord caused . . . a strong east wind all that
night--Suppose a mere ebb tide caused by the wind, raising the
water to a great height on one side, still as there was not only
"dry land," but, according to the tenor of the sacred narrative, a wall
on the right hand and on the left
[Ex 14:22],
it would be impossible on the hypothesis of such a natural cause to
rear the wall on the other. The idea of divine interposition,
therefore, is imperative; and, assuming the passage to have been made
at Mount Attakah, or at the mouth of Wady Tawarik, an east wind
would cut the sea in that line. The Hebrew word kedem,
however, rendered in our translation, "east," means, in its primary
signification, previous; so that this verse might, perhaps, be
rendered, "the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong
previous wind all that night"; a rendering which would remove
the difficulty of supposing the host of Israel marched over on the
sand, in the teeth of a rushing column of wind, strong enough to heap
up the waters as a wall on each side of a dry path, and give the
intelligible narrative of divine interference.
22. the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea,
&c.--It is highly probable that Moses, along with Aaron, first planted
his footsteps on the untrodden sand, encouraging the people to follow
him without fear of the treacherous walls; and when we take into
account the multitudes that followed him, the immense number who
through infancy and old age were incapable of hastening their
movements, together with all the appurtenances of the camp, the strong
and steadfast character of the leaders' faith was strikingly manifested
(Jos 2:10; 4:23;
Ps 66:6; 74:13; 106:9; 136:13;
Isa 63:11-13;
1Co 10:1;
Heb 11:29).
23. the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of
the sea--From the darkness caused by the intercepting cloud, it is
probable that they were not aware on what ground they were driving:
they heard the sound of the fugitives before them, and they pushed on
with the fury of the avengers of blood, without dreaming that they were
on the bared bed of the sea.
24, 25. Lord looked . . . through . . . the
cloud, and troubled them--We suppose the fact to have been that the
side of the pillar of cloud towards the Egyptians was suddenly, and for
a few moments, illuminated with a blaze of light, which, coming as it
were in a refulgent flash upon the dense darkness which had preceded,
so frightened the horses of the pursuers that they rushed confusedly
together and became unmanageable. "Let us flee," was the cry that
resounded through the broken and trembling ranks, but it was too late;
all attempts at flight were vain [BUSH].
27. Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, &c.--What
circumstances could more clearly demonstrate the miraculous character
of this transaction than that at the waving of Moses' rod, the dividing
waters left the channel dry, and on his making the same motion on the
opposite side, they returned, commingling with instantaneous fury? Is
such the character of any ebb tide?
28. there remained not so much as one of them--It is surprising
that, with such a declaration, some intelligent writers can maintain
there is no evidence of the destruction of Pharaoh himself
(Ps 106:11).
30. Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore, &c.--The
tide threw them up and left multitudes of corpses on the beach; a
result that brought greater infamy on the Egyptians, but that tended,
on the other hand, to enhance the triumph of the Israelites, and
doubtless enriched them with arms, which they had not before. The
locality of this famous passage has not yet been, and probably never
will be, satisfactorily fixed. Some place it in the immediate
neighborhood of Suez; where, they say, the part of the sea is most
likely to be affected by "a strong east wind"
[Ex 14:21];
where the road from the defile of Migdol (now Muktala) leads directly
to this point; and where the sea, not above two miles broad, could be
crossed in a short time. The vast majority, however, who have examined
the spot, reject this opinion, and fix the passage, as does local
tradition, about ten or twelve miles further down the shore at Wady
Tawarik. "The time of the miracle was the whole night, at the season of
the year, too, when the night would be about its average length. The
sea at that point extends from six and a half to eight miles in
breadth. There was thus ample time for the passage of the Israelites
from any part of the valley, especially considering their excitement
and animation by the gracious and wonderful interposition of Providence
in their behalf" [WILSON].
Exodus 14 Bible Commentary
Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown
Ex 14:1-31. GOD INSTRUCTS THE ISRAELITES AS TO THEIR JOURNEY.
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp--The Israelites had now completed their three days' journey, and at Etham the decisive step would have to be taken whether they would celebrate their intended feast and return, or march onwards by the head of the Red Sea into the desert, with a view to a final departure. They were already on the borders of the desert, and a short march would have placed them beyond the reach of pursuit, as the chariots of Egypt could have made little progress over dry and yielding sand. But at Etham, instead of pursuing their journey eastward with the sea on their right, they were suddenly commanded to diverge to the south, keeping the gulf on their left; a route which not only detained them lingering on the confines of Egypt, but, in adopting it, they actually turned their backs on the land of which they had set out to obtain the possession. A movement so unexpected, and of which the ultimate design was carefully concealed, could not but excite the astonishment of all, even of Moses himself, although, from his implicit faith in the wisdom and power of his heavenly Guide, he obeyed. The object was to entice Pharaoh to pursue, in order that the moral effect, which the judgments on Egypt had produced in releasing God's people from bondage, might be still further extended over the nations by the awful events transacted at the Red Sea.
Pi-hahiroth--the mouth of the defile, or pass--a description well suited to that of Bedea, which extended from the Nile and opens on the shore of the Red Sea.
Migdol--a fortress or citadel.
Baal-zephon--some marked site on the opposite or eastern coast.
3. the wilderness hath shut them in--Pharaoh, who would eagerly watch their movements, was now satisfied that they were meditating flight, and he naturally thought from the error into which they appeared to have fallen by entering that defile, he could intercept them. He believed them now entirely in his power, the mountain chain being on one side, the sea on the other, so that, if he pursued them in the rear, escape seemed impossible.
5. the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, &c.--Alas, how soon the obduracy of this reprobate king reappears! He had been convinced, but not converted--overawed, but not sanctified by the appalling judgments of heaven. He bitterly repented of what he now thought a hasty concession. Pride and revenge, the honor of his kingdom, and the interests of his subjects, all prompted him to recall his permission to reclaim those runaway slaves and force them to their wonted labor. Strange that he should yet allow such considerations to obliterate or outweigh all his painful experience of the danger of oppressing that people. But those whom the Lord has doomed to destruction are first infatuated by sin.
6, 7. he made ready his chariot--His preparations for an immediate and hot pursuit are here described: A difference is made between "the chosen chariots" and "the chariots of Egypt." The first evidently composed the king's guard, amounting to six hundred, and they are called "chosen," literally, "third men"; three men being allotted to each chariot, the charioteer and two warriors. As to "the chariots of Egypt," the common cars contained only two persons, one for driving and the other for fighting; sometimes only one person was in the chariot, the driver lashed the reins round his body and fought; infantry being totally unsuitable for a rapid pursuit, and the Egyptians having had no cavalry, the word "riders" is in the grammatical connection applied to war chariots employed, and these were of light construction, open behind, and hung on small wheels.
10. when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes--The great consternation of the Israelites is somewhat astonishing, considering their vast superiority in numbers, but their deep dismay and absolute despair at the sight of this armed host receives a satisfactory explanation from the fact that the civilized state of Egyptian society required the absence of all arms, except when they were on service. If the Israelites were entirely unarmed at their departure, they could not think of making any resistance [WILKINSON and HENGSTENBERG].
13, 14. Moses said, . . . Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord--Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the sublimest examples of moral courage to be found in history. And whence did his courage arise? He saw the miraculous cloud still accompanying them, and his confidence arose solely from the hope of a divine interposition, although, perhaps, he might have looked for the expected deliverance in every quarter, rather than in the direction of the sea.
15-18. the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? &c.--When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation of his mighty charge was to be effected.
19. the angel of God--that is, the pillar of cloud [see on Ex 13:21]. The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air, and occupying a position behind them must have excited the astonishment of the Israelites (Isa 58:8). It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud produced light (a symbol of favor) to the people of God, and darkness (a symbol of wrath) to their enemies (compare 2Co 2:16).
21. Moses stretched out his hand, &c.--The waving of the rod was of great importance on this occasion to give public attestation in the presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses and the divine mission with which he was charged.
the Lord caused . . . a strong east wind all that night--Suppose a mere ebb tide caused by the wind, raising the water to a great height on one side, still as there was not only "dry land," but, according to the tenor of the sacred narrative, a wall on the right hand and on the left [Ex 14:22], it would be impossible on the hypothesis of such a natural cause to rear the wall on the other. The idea of divine interposition, therefore, is imperative; and, assuming the passage to have been made at Mount Attakah, or at the mouth of Wady Tawarik, an east wind would cut the sea in that line. The Hebrew word kedem, however, rendered in our translation, "east," means, in its primary signification, previous; so that this verse might, perhaps, be rendered, "the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong previous wind all that night"; a rendering which would remove the difficulty of supposing the host of Israel marched over on the sand, in the teeth of a rushing column of wind, strong enough to heap up the waters as a wall on each side of a dry path, and give the intelligible narrative of divine interference.
22. the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, &c.--It is highly probable that Moses, along with Aaron, first planted his footsteps on the untrodden sand, encouraging the people to follow him without fear of the treacherous walls; and when we take into account the multitudes that followed him, the immense number who through infancy and old age were incapable of hastening their movements, together with all the appurtenances of the camp, the strong and steadfast character of the leaders' faith was strikingly manifested (Jos 2:10; 4:23; Ps 66:6; 74:13; 106:9; 136:13; Isa 63:11-13; 1Co 10:1; Heb 11:29).
23. the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea--From the darkness caused by the intercepting cloud, it is probable that they were not aware on what ground they were driving: they heard the sound of the fugitives before them, and they pushed on with the fury of the avengers of blood, without dreaming that they were on the bared bed of the sea.
24, 25. Lord looked . . . through . . . the cloud, and troubled them--We suppose the fact to have been that the side of the pillar of cloud towards the Egyptians was suddenly, and for a few moments, illuminated with a blaze of light, which, coming as it were in a refulgent flash upon the dense darkness which had preceded, so frightened the horses of the pursuers that they rushed confusedly together and became unmanageable. "Let us flee," was the cry that resounded through the broken and trembling ranks, but it was too late; all attempts at flight were vain [BUSH].
27. Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, &c.--What circumstances could more clearly demonstrate the miraculous character of this transaction than that at the waving of Moses' rod, the dividing waters left the channel dry, and on his making the same motion on the opposite side, they returned, commingling with instantaneous fury? Is such the character of any ebb tide?
28. there remained not so much as one of them--It is surprising that, with such a declaration, some intelligent writers can maintain there is no evidence of the destruction of Pharaoh himself (Ps 106:11).
30. Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore, &c.--The tide threw them up and left multitudes of corpses on the beach; a result that brought greater infamy on the Egyptians, but that tended, on the other hand, to enhance the triumph of the Israelites, and doubtless enriched them with arms, which they had not before. The locality of this famous passage has not yet been, and probably never will be, satisfactorily fixed. Some place it in the immediate neighborhood of Suez; where, they say, the part of the sea is most likely to be affected by "a strong east wind" [Ex 14:21]; where the road from the defile of Migdol (now Muktala) leads directly to this point; and where the sea, not above two miles broad, could be crossed in a short time. The vast majority, however, who have examined the spot, reject this opinion, and fix the passage, as does local tradition, about ten or twelve miles further down the shore at Wady Tawarik. "The time of the miracle was the whole night, at the season of the year, too, when the night would be about its average length. The sea at that point extends from six and a half to eight miles in breadth. There was thus ample time for the passage of the Israelites from any part of the valley, especially considering their excitement and animation by the gracious and wonderful interposition of Providence in their behalf" [WILSON].