Exodus 14:16–15:21

Footnotes

1. 44 The conjunction plus pronoun (“and you”) is emphatic—“and as for you”—before the imperative “lift up.” In contrast, v. 17 begins with “and as for me, I.…”
2. 45 The imperfect (or jussive) with the vav (ו) is sequential, coming after the series of imperatives instructing Moses to divide the sea; the form then gives the purpose (or result) of the activity—“that they may go.”
3. 46 הִנְנִי (hinni) before the participle gives it the force of a futur instans participle, meaning “I am about to harden” or “I am going to harden” their heart.
4. 47 The form again is the imperfect tense with vav (ו) to express the purpose or the result of the hardening. The repetition of the verb translated “come” is interesting: Moses is to divide the sea in order that the people may cross, but God will harden the Egyptians’ hearts in order that they may follow.
5. 48 For the comments on this verb see the discussion in v. 4. God would get glory by defeating Egypt.
6. 49 Or “I will get glory over.”
7. 50 The construction is unusual in that it says, “And Egypt will know.” The verb is plural, and so “Egypt” must mean “the Egyptians.” The verb is the perfect tense with the vav consecutive, showing that this recognition or acknowledgment by Egypt will be the result or purpose of the defeat of them by God.
8. 51 The form is בְּהִכָּבְדִי (béhikkavédi), the Niphal infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffix. For the suffix on a Niphal, see §61.c. The word forms a temporal clause in the line.
9. 52 B. Jacob (Exodus, 400–401) makes a good case that there may have been only one pillar, one cloud; it would have been a dark cloud behind it, but in front of it, shining the way, a pillar of fire. He compares the manifestation on Sinai, when the mountain was on fire but veiled by a dark cloud (Deut 4:11; 5:22). See also Exod 13:21; Num 14:14; Deut 1:33; Neh 9:12, 19; Josh 24:7; Pss 78:14; 105:39.
10. 53 The two nouns “cloud” and “darkness” form a nominal hendiadys: “and it was the cloud and the darkness” means “and it was the dark cloud.” Perhaps this is what the Egyptians saw, preventing them from observing Moses and the Israelites.
11. 54 Heb “this to this”; for the use of the pronouns in this reciprocal sense of “the one to the other,” see §139.e, n. 3.
12. 55 The reads very differently at the end of this verse: “and there was darkness and blackness and the night passed.” B. S. Childs (Exodus [], 218) summarizes three proposals: (1) One takes the as it stands and explains it along the lines of the and Jewish exegesis, that there was one cloud that was dark to one group and light to the other. (2) Another tries to reconstruct a verb from the noun “darkness” or make some use of the Greek verb. (3) A third seeks a different meaning for the verb “lit,” “gave light” by comparative philology, but no consensus has been reached. Given that there is no easy solution apart from reconstructing the text, and given that the can be interpreted as it is, the present translation follows the .
13. 56 Or “drove the sea back” (, , , ). The verb is simply the Hiphil of הָלַךְ (halakh, “to walk, go”). The context requires that it be interpreted along the lines of “go back, go apart.”
14. 57 The clause literally reads, “and the waters [were] for them a wall.” The word order in Hebrew is disjunctive, with the vav (ו) on the noun introducing a circumstantial clause. S. R. Driver (Exodus, ), still trying to explain things with natural explanations, suggests that a northeast wind is to be thought of (an east wind would be directly in their face he says), such as a shallow ford might cooperate with an ebb tide in keeping a passage clear. He then quotes Dillmann about the “wall” of water: “A very summary poetical and hyperbolical (15:8) description of the occurrence, which at most can be pictured as the drying up of a shallow ford, on both sides of which the basin of the sea was much deeper, and remained filled with water.” There is no way to “water down” the text to fit natural explanations; the report clearly shows a miraculous work of God making a path through the sea—a path that had to be as wide as half a mile in order for the many people and their animals to cross between about 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” 2:). The text does not say that they actually only started across in the morning watch, however.
15. 58 The night was divided into three watches of about four hours each, making the morning watch about 2:00–6:00 a.m. The text has this as “the watch of the morning,” the genitive qualifying which of the night watches was meant.
16. 59 This particular verb, שָׁקַף (shaqaf) is a bold anthropomorphism: Yahweh looked down. But its usage is always with some demonstration of mercy or wrath. S. R. Driver (Exodus, ) suggests that the look might be with fiery flashes to startle the Egyptians, throwing them into a panic. Ps 77:17–19 pictures torrents of rain with lightning and thunder.
17. 60 Heb “camp.” The same Hebrew word is used in Exod 14:20. Unlike the English word “camp,” it can be used of a body of people at rest (encamped) or on the move.
18. 61 Heb “camp.”
19. 62 The verb הָמַם (hamam) means “throw into confusion.” It is used in the Bible for the panic and disarray of an army before a superior force (Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15).
20. 63 The word in the text is וַיָּסַר (vayyasar), which would be translated “and he turned aside” with the sense perhaps of removing the wheels. The reading in the , , and suggests a root אָסַר (’asar, “to bind”). The sense here might be “clogged—presumably by their sinking in the wet sand” (S. R. Driver, Exodus, ).
21. 64 The clause is וַיְנַהֲגֵהוּ בִּכְבֵדֻת (vaynahagehu bikhvedut). The verb means “to drive a chariot”; here in the Piel it means “cause to drive.” The suffix is collective, and so the verbal form can be translated “and caused them to drive.” The idea of the next word is “heaviness” or “hardship”; it recalls the previous uses of related words to describe Pharaoh’s heart. Here it indicates that the driving of the crippled chariots was with difficulty.
22. 65 The cohortative has the hortatory use here, “Let’s flee.” Although the form is singular, the sense of it is plural and so hortatory can be used. The form is singular to agree with the singular subject, “Egypt,” which obviously means the Egyptian army. The word for “flee” is used when someone runs from fear of immanent danger and is a different word than the one used in 14:5.
23. 66 The form is the Niphal participle; it is used as the predicate here, that is, the verbal use: “the Lord is fighting.” This corresponds to the announcement in v. 14.
24. 67 The verb, “and they will return,” is here subordinated to the imperative preceding it, showing the purpose of that act.
25. 68 The Hebrew term לְאֵיתָנוֹ (lé’etano) means “to its place,” or better, “to its perennial state.” The point is that the sea here had a normal level, and now when the Egyptians were in the sea on the dry ground the water would return to that level.
26. 69 Heb “at the turning of the morning”; , , , “at daybreak.”
27. 70 The clause begins with the disjunctive vav (ו) on the noun, signaling either a circumstantial clause or a new beginning. It could be rendered, “Although the Egyptians … Yahweh …” or “as the Egyptians.…”
28. 71 The verb means “shake out” or “shaking off.” It has the significance of “throw downward.” See Neh 5:13 or Job 38:13.
29. 72 Heb “that was coming after them into the sea.” The referent of “them” (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
30. 73 Heb “not was left among them as much as one.”
31. 74 The Hebrew term וַיּוֹשַׁע (vayyosha’) is the key summation of the chapter, and this part of the book: “So Yahweh saved Israel.” This is the culmination of all the powerful works of God through these chapters.
32. 75 Heb “the hand,” with “hand” being a metonymy for power.
33. 76 The participle “dead” is singular, agreeing in form with “Egypt.”
34. 77 The preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces a clause that is subordinate to the main points that the verse is making.
35. 78 Heb “the great hand,” with “hand” being a metonymy for work or power. The word play using “hand” contrasts the Lord’s hand/power at work on behalf of the Israelites with the hand/power of Egypt that would have killed them.
36. 79 Heb “did, made.”
37. 80 Heb “and the people feared.”
38. 81 The verb is the Hiphil preterite of אָמַן (’aman). S. R. Driver says that the belief intended here is not simply a crediting of a testimony concerning a person or a thing, but a laying firm hold morally on a person or a thing (Exodus, ). Others take the Hiphil sense to be declarative, and that would indicate a considering of the object of faith trustworthy or dependable, and therefore to be acted on. In this passage it does not mean that here they came to faith, but that they became convinced that he would save them in the future.
39. 82 Here the title of “servant” is given to Moses. This is the highest title a mortal can have in the OT—the “servant of Yahweh.” It signifies more than a believer; it describes the individual as acting on behalf of God. For example, when Moses stretched out his hand, God used it as his own (Isa 63:12). Moses was God’s personal representative. The chapter records both a message of salvation and of judgment. Like the earlier account of deliverance at the Passover, this chapter can be a lesson on deliverance from present troubles—if God could do this for Israel, there is no trouble too great for him to overcome. The passage can also be understood as a picture (at least) of the deliverance at the final judgment on the world. But the Israelites used this account for a paradigm of the power of God: namely, God is able to deliver his people from danger because he is the sovereign Lord of creation. His people must learn to trust him, even in desperate situations; they must fear him and not the situation. God can bring any threat to an end by bringing his power to bear in judgment on the wicked.
40. 1 This chapter is a song of praise sung by Moses and the people right after the deliverance from the Sea. The song itself is vv. 1b–18; it falls into three sections—praise to God (1b–3), the cause for the praise (4–13), and the conclusion (14–18). The point of the first section is that God’s saving acts inspire praise from his people; the second is that God’s powerful acts deliver his people from the forces of evil; and the third section is that God’s demonstrations of his sovereignty inspire confidence in him by his people. So the Victory Song is very much like the other declarative praise psalms—the resolve to praise, the power of God, the victory over the enemies, the incomparability of God in his redemption, and the fear of the people. See also C. Cohen, “Studies in Early Israelite Poetry I: An Unrecognized Case of Three Line Staircase Parallelism in the Song of the Sea,” 7 (1975): 13–17; D. N. Freedman, “Strophe and Meter in Exodus 15,” A Light unto My Path, 163–203; E. Levine, “Neofiti I: A Study of Exodus 15,” 54 (1973): 301–30; T. C. Butler, “ ‘The Song of the Sea’: Exodus 15:1–18: A Study in the Exegesis of Hebrew Poetry,” 32 (1971): 2782-A.
41. 2 The verb is יָשִׁיר (yashir), a normal imperfect tense form. But after the adverb “then” this form is to be treated as a preterite (see §107.c).
42. 3 Heb “and they said, saying.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
43. 4 The form is the singular cohortative, expressing the resolution of Moses to sing the song of praise (“I will” being stronger than “I shall”).
44. 5 This causal clause gives the reason for and summary of the praise. The Hebrew expression has כִּי־גָּאֹה גָּאָה (ki ga’oh ga’ah). The basic idea of the verb is “rise up loftily” or “proudly.” But derivatives of the root carry the nuance of majesty or pride (S. R. Driver, Exodus, ). So the idea of the perfect tense with its infinitive absolute may mean “he is highly exalted” or “he has done majestically” or “he is gloriously glorious.”
45. 6 The common understanding is that Egypt did not have people riding horses at this time, and so the phrase the horse and its rider is either viewed as an anachronism or is interpreted to mean charioteers. The word “to ride” can mean on a horse or in a chariot. Some have suggested changing “rider” to “chariot” (re-vocalization) to read “the horse and its chariot.”
46. 7 Heb “Yah.” Moses’ poem here uses a short form of the name Yahweh, traditionally rendered in English by “the LORD.”
47. 8 The word וְזִמְרָת (vézimrat) is problematic. It probably had a suffix yod (י) that was accidentally dropped because of the yod (י) on the divine name following. Most scholars posit another meaning for the word. A meaning of “power” fits the line fairly well, forming a hendiadys with strength—“strength and power” becoming “strong power.” Similar lines are in Isa 12:2 and Ps 118:14. Others suggest “protection” or “glory.” However, there is nothing substantially wrong with “my song” in the line—only that it would be a nicer match if it had something to do with strength.
48. 9 The word נָוָה (navah) occurs only here. It may mean “beautify, adorn” with praises (see 627 ). See also M. Dahood, “Exodus 15:2: ‘anwehu and Ugaritic snwt,” 59 (1979): 260–61; and M. Klein, “The Targumic Tosefta to Exodus 15:2,” 26 (1975): 61–67; and S. B. Parker, “Exodus 15:2 Again,” 21 (1971): 373–79.
49. 10 Heb “man of war” (so , ). “Warrior” is now the preferred translation since “man of war” is more commonly known today as a warship. The expression indicates that Yahweh is one who understands how to fight and defeat the enemy. The word “war” modifies “man” to reveal that Yahweh is a warrior. Other passages use similar descriptions: Isa 42:13 has “man of wars”; Ps 24:8 has “mighty man of battle.” See F. Cross, “The Divine Warrior in Israel’s Early Cult,” Biblical Motifs, 11–30.
50. 11 Heb “Yahweh is his name.” As throughout, the name “Yahweh” is rendered as “the Lord” in the translation, as is typically done in English translations.
51. 12 Gesenius notes that the sign of the accusative, often omitted in poetry, is not found in this entire song ( §117.b).
52. 13 The word is a substantive, “choice, selection”; it is here used in the construct state to convey an attribute before a partitive genitive—“the choice of his officers” means his “choice officers” (see §128.r).
53. 14 The form is a Qal passive rather than a Pual, for there is not Piel form or meaning.
54. 15 The verb form is יְכַסְיֻמוּ (yékhasyumu) is the Piel preterite. Normally a vav (ו) consecutive is used with the preterite, but in some ancient poems the form without the vav appears, as is the case frequently in this poem. That such an archaic form is used should come as no surprise, because the word also uses the yod (י) of the root ( §75.dd), and the archaic suffix form ( §91.l). These all indicate the antiquity of the poem.
55. 16 The parasynonyms here are תְּהֹמֹת (téhomot, “deep, ocean depths, deep waters”) and מְצוֹלֹת (métsolot, “the depths”); S. R. Driver says properly the “gurgling places” (Exodus, ).
56. 17 The form נֶאְדָּרִי (ne’dari) may be an archaic infinitive with the old ending i, used in place of the verb and meaning “awesome.” Gesenius says that the vowel ending may be an old case ending, especially when a preposition is inserted between the word and its genitive ( §90.l), but he suggests a reconstruction of the form.
57. 18 This expression is cognate with words in v. 1. Here that same greatness or majesty is extolled as in abundance.
58. 19 Here, and throughout the song, these verbs are the prefixed conjugation that may look like the imperfect but are actually historic preterites. This verb is to “overthrow” or “throw down”—like a wall, leaving it in shattered pieces.
59. 20 The form קָמֶיךָ (qamekha) is the active participle with a pronominal suffix. The participle is accusative, the object of the verb, but the suffix is the genitive of nearer definition (see §116.i).
60. 21 The verb is the Piel of שָׁלַח (shalakh), the same verb used throughout for the demand on Pharaoh to release Israel. Here, in some irony, God released his wrath on them.
61. 22 The word wrath is a metonymy of cause; the effect—the judgment—is what is meant.
62. 23 The verb is the prefixed conjugation, the preterite, without the consecutive vav (ו).
63. 24 The phrase “the blast of your nostrils” is a bold anthropomorphic expression for the wind that came in and dried up the water.
64. 25 The word “heap” describes the walls of water. The waters, which are naturally fluid, stood up as though they were a heap, a mound of earth. Likewise, the flowing waters deep in the ocean solidified—as though they were turned to ice (U. Cassuto, Exodus, ).
65. 26 W. C. Kaiser observes the staccato phrases that almost imitate the heavy, breathless heaving of the Egyptians as, with what reserve of strength they have left, they vow, “I will …, I will …, I will …” (“Exodus,” 2:).
66. 27 The form is נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”). But this word refers to the whole person, the body and the soul, or better, a bundle of appetites in a body. It therefore can figuratively refer to the desires or appetites (Deut 12:15; 14:26; 23:24). Here, with the verb “to be full” means “to be satisfied”; the whole expression might indicate “I will be sated with them” or “I will gorge myself.” The greedy appetite was to destroy.
67. 28 The verb רִיק (riq) means “to be empty” in the Qal, and in the Hiphil “to empty.” Here the idea is to unsheathe a sword.
68. 29 The verb is יָרַשׁ (yarash), which in the Hiphil means “to dispossess” or “root out.” The meaning “destroy” is a general interpretation.
69. 30 “But” has been supplied here.
70. 31 Here “and” has been supplied.
71. 32 The verb may have the idea of sinking with a gurgling sound, like water going into a whirlpool (R. A. Cole, Exodus [], ; S. R. Driver, Exodus, ). See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, “The Song of Miriam,” 14 (1955): 243–47.
72. 33 The question is of course rhetorical; it is a way of affirming that no one is comparable to God. See C. J. Labuschagne, The Incomparability of Yahweh in the Old Testament, 22, 66–67, and 94–97.
73. 34 Verses 11–17 will now focus on Yahweh as the incomparable one who was able to save Israel from their foes and afterward lead them to the promised land.
74. 35 S. R. Driver suggests “praiseworthy acts” as the translation (Exodus, ).
75. 36 The verb is the prefixed conjugation, the preterite without the vav consecutive. The subject, the “earth,” must be inclusive of the sea, or it may indicate the grave or Sheol; the sea drowned them. Some scholars wish to see this as a reference to Dathan and Abiram, and therefore evidence of a later addition or compilation. It fits this passage well, however.
76. 37 The verbs in the next two verses are perfect tenses, but can be interpreted as a prophetic perfect, looking to the future.
77. 38 The particle זוּ (zu) is a relative pronoun, subordinating the next verb to the preceding.
78. 39 This verb seems to mean “to guide to a watering-place” (See Ps 23:2).
79. 40 This verb is a prophetic perfect, assuming that the text means what it said and this song was sung at the Sea. So all these countries were yet to hear of the victory.
80. 41 The word properly refers to “pangs” of childbirth. When the nations hear, they will be terrified.
81. 42 The verb is again a prophetic perfect.
82. 43 This is a prophetic perfect.
83. 44 This verb is imperfect tense.
84. 45 The two words can form a nominal hendiadys, “a dreadful fear,” though most English versions retain the two separate terms.
85. 46 The form is an imperfect.
86. 47 The adjective is in construct form and governs the noun “arm” (“arm” being the anthropomorphic expression for what God did). See §132.c.
87. 48 For a study of the words for fear, see N. Waldman, “A Comparative Note on Exodus 15:14–16,” 66 (1976): 189–92.
88. 49 Clauses beginning with עַד (’ad) express a limit that is not absolute, but only relative, beyond which the action continues ( §138.g).
89. 50 The verb קָנָה (qanah) here is the verb “acquire, purchase,” and probably not the homonym “to create, make” (see Gen 4:1; Deut 32:6; and Prov 8:22).
90. 51 The verb is imperfect.
91. 52 The “mountain” and the “place” would be wherever Yahweh met with his people. It here refers to Canaan, the land promised to the patriarchs.
92. 53 The verb is perfect tense, referring to Yahweh’s previous choice of the holy place.
93. 54 See J. N. Easton, “Dancing in the Old Testament,” 86 (1975): 136–40.
94. 55 The verb עָנָה (’ana) normally means “to answer,” but it can be used more technically to describe antiphonal singing in Hebrew and in Ugaritic.
95. 56 This song of the sea is, then, a great song of praise for Yahweh’s deliverance of Israel at the Sea, and his preparation to lead them to the promised land, much to the (anticipated) dread of the nations. The principle here, and elsewhere in Scripture, is that the people of God naturally respond to God in praise for his great acts of deliverance. Few will match the powerful acts that were exhibited in Egypt, but these nonetheless set the tone. The song is certainly typological of the song of the saints in heaven who praise God for delivering them from the bondage of this world by judging the world. The focus of the praise, though, still is on the person (attributes) and works of God.