Exodus 14: The crossing of the sea
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What happens?
Yahweh tells Israel to camp by the sea and says he will harden Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh changes his mind and chases them with his army. The people are afraid and blame Moses, and Moses tells them to stand still and see Yahweh's salvation. The sea divides, Israel walks through on dry ground, and the water comes back over the Egyptian army.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 8 of the 31 verses: his words to Moses in verses 2 to 4, 15 to 18 and 26. In verse 3 Yahweh tells Moses what Pharaoh will say. Pharaoh and his servants speak in verse 5, the people in verses 11 and 12, Moses in verses 13 and 14, and the Egyptians in verse 25. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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2“Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea.God speaks
In plain English: "Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal Zephon. You are to camp opposite it, by the sea.
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3Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.’God speaks
In plain English: Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are entangled (or: wandering in confusion) in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.'
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4I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh.” They did so.God speaks
In plain English: I will harden Pharaoh's heart (literally: make it strong), and he will chase after them. I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh." The Israelites did so.
The Hebrew word: "Harden" is chazaq, which means to make strong or firm. It is the word in and , where Yahweh also hardens Pharaoh's heart.
Good to know: Yahweh says here that he will harden Pharaoh's heart, and says he did. In he says he will harden the hearts of the Egyptians. The verb in is a different word, hafak, which the dictionary gives as "to turn about or over; by implication, to change". In the plagues Pharaoh is also the one who makes his heart heavy (, , ), with another verb, kaved.
Church tradition: Churches differ on how Yahweh's hardening of Pharaoh's heart and Pharaoh's own hardening of it fit together. The text states both.
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5The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of 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?”
In plain English: The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled. The heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed (literally: turned) toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"
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6He prepared his chariot, and took his army with him;
In plain English: He harnessed his chariot and took his army (literally: his people) with him.
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7and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, with captains over all of them.
In plain English: He took six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
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8Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; for the children of Israel went out with a high hand.
In plain English: Yahweh hardened (literally: made strong) the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he chased the Israelites, as the Israelites were going out with a high hand (literally: a raised hand).
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9The Egyptians pursued them. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his army overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
In plain English: The Egyptians chased them. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his army caught up with them as they camped by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, in front of Baal Zephon.
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10When Pharaoh came near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were very afraid. The children of Israel cried out to Yahweh.
In plain English: As Pharaoh came near, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them. They were very afraid, and the Israelites cried out to Yahweh.
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11They said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us out of Egypt?
In plain English: They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you took us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?
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12Isn’t this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘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.”
In plain English: Is this not the word we spoke to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone, so that we can serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."
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13Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today; for you will never again see the Egyptians whom you have seen today.
In plain English: Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today. You have seen the Egyptians today, but you will never see them again.
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14Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still.”
In plain English: Yahweh will fight for you, and you are to be still."
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15Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward.God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward (literally: set out).
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16Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. Then the children of Israel shall go into the middle of the sea on dry ground.God speaks
In plain English: Lift up your rod, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it. Then the Israelites will go into the middle of the sea on dry ground.
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17Behold, I myself will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in after them. I will get myself honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.God speaks
In plain English: I myself will harden the hearts of the Egyptians (literally: the heart of Egypt), and they will go in after them. I will gain honor over Pharaoh, over all his army, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.
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18The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh when I have gotten myself honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.”God speaks
In plain English: The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I have gained honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen."
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19The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them.
In plain English: The angel of God, who had been going in front of the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front of them and stood behind them.
Good to know: says Yahweh went in front of the people in the pillar. Here the angel of God and the pillar of cloud both move from in front of the camp to behind it, and says Yahweh looked down through the pillar. The text does not say how the angel and the pillar are related.
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20It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night. One didn’t come near the other all night.
In plain English: It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night. One camp did not come near the other all night.
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21Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
In plain English: Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. Yahweh drove the sea back with a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
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22The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
In plain English: The Israelites went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.
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23The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
In plain English: The Egyptians chased them and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
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24In the morning watch, Yahweh looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.
In plain English: In the morning watch, Yahweh looked down on the Egyptian camp through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he confused the Egyptian camp.
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25He took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from the face of Israel, for Yahweh fights for them against the Egyptians!”
In plain English: He took off (or: turned aside) their chariot wheels, and they drove with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "Let's flee from Israel (literally: from the face of Israel), for Yahweh is fighting for them against the Egyptians!"
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26Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen."
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27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.
In plain English: Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and when morning came the sea returned to its strength (or: its normal state). The Egyptians fled toward it (literally: to meet it), and Yahweh shook them off (or: overthrew them) in the middle of the sea.
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28The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh’s army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them.
In plain English: The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, all of Pharaoh's army that had gone in after them into the sea. Not one of them was left.
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29But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
In plain English: But the Israelites walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.
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30Thus Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
In plain English: That day Yahweh saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea.
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31Israel saw the great work which Yahweh did to the Egyptians, and the people feared Yahweh; and they believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.
In plain English: Israel saw the great work (literally: the great hand) that Yahweh did against the Egyptians. The people feared Yahweh, and they believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.
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