Exodus 15: The song at the sea, and bitter water
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses and the Israelites sing a song to Yahweh about what he did at the sea, and Miriam leads the women in singing and dancing. Israel then travels three days in the wilderness with no water and comes to Marah, where the water is bitter. Yahweh shows Moses a tree that makes it sweet and says he is the one who heals them, and Israel comes to Elim, where there are twelve springs and seventy palm trees.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. The song is the words of Moses and the Israelites, not of God. God's own words are in 1 of the 27 verses: verse 26. Moses and the Israelites sing in verses 1 to 18, Miriam sings in verse 21, and the people speak to Moses in verse 24. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Yahweh, and said, “I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.
In plain English: Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to Yahweh. They said, "I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.
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2Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
In plain English: Yah is my strength and my song (or: my strength and my might). He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father's God, and I will lift him up.
The Hebrew words: "Yah" is a shorter word than Yahweh. The dictionary gives it as "Jah, the sacred name". "Song" is zimrath, which the dictionary gives as "instrumental music; by implication, praise".
How it is translated: This Bible says "Yah" in 44 of the 46 verses that use the word. In Exodus it is in only 2 verses, this one and . The word-by-word meaning of zimrath in this verse is "strength".
What changes: Read as "strength", the line says Yah is my might and my strength, not my strength and my song.
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3Yahweh is a man of war. Yahweh is his name.
In plain English: Yahweh is a man of war (literally: a man of battle). Yahweh is his name.
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4He has cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea. His chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.
In plain English: He has thrown Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea. His chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea (literally: the Sea of Reeds).
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5The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone.
In plain English: The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone.
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6Your right hand, Yahweh, is glorious in power. Your right hand, Yahweh, dashes the enemy in pieces.
In plain English: Your right hand, Yahweh, is glorious in power. Your right hand, Yahweh, smashes the enemy to pieces.
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7In the greatness of your excellency, you overthrow those who rise up against you. You send out your wrath. It consumes them as stubble.
In plain English: In the greatness of your majesty you throw down those who rise up against you. You send out your anger, and it burns them up like stubble (dry stalks).
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8With the blast of your nostrils, the waters were piled up. The floods stood upright as a heap. The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.
In plain English: By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The floods stood upright like a heap. The deeps became solid (or: congealed) in the heart of the sea.
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9The enemy said, ‘I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the plunder. My desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword. My hand will destroy them.’
In plain English: The enemy said, 'I will chase them. I will catch them. I will divide the plunder. My desire (literally: my soul) will be filled with them. I will draw my sword. My hand will destroy them (literally: dispossess them).'
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10You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
In plain English: You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
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11Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
In plain English: Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, to be feared in praises, doing wonders?
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12You stretched out your right hand. The earth swallowed them.
In plain English: You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them.
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13“You, in your loving kindness, have led the people that you have redeemed. You have guided them in your strength to your holy habitation.
In plain English: In your loving kindness you have led the people you have redeemed. In your strength you have guided them to your holy home (or: holy habitation).
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14The peoples have heard. They tremble. Pangs have taken hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
In plain English: The peoples have heard, and they tremble. Anguish has taken hold of the people of Philistia.
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15Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed. Trembling takes hold of the mighty men of Moab. All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
In plain English: Then the chiefs of Edom were terrified. Trembling takes hold of the mighty men (or: leaders) of Moab. All the people living in Canaan have melted away.
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16Terror and dread falls on them. By the greatness of your arm they are as still as a stone, until your people pass over, Yahweh, until the people you have purchased pass over.
In plain English: Terror and dread fall on them. By the greatness of your arm they are as still as a stone, until your people pass over, Yahweh, until the people you bought pass over.
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17You will bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, the place, Yahweh, which you have made for yourself to dwell in: the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established.
In plain English: You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance, the place, Yahweh, that you have made for yourself to live in: the sanctuary, Lord, that your hands have set up.
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18Yahweh will reign forever and ever.”
In plain English: Yahweh will reign forever and ever."
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19For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea.
In plain English: For the horses of Pharaoh went into the sea with his chariots and his horsemen, and Yahweh brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked on dry land in the middle of the sea.
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20Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
In plain English: Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.
Good to know: This is the first verse that names Miriam. speaks of the baby Moses' sister without a name, and calls Miriam the sister of Aaron and Moses. This is also the first verse in the Bible that calls a woman a prophetess.
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21Miriam answered them, “Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.”
In plain English: Miriam answered (or: sang to) them, "Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea."
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22Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
In plain English: Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea (literally: the Sea of Reeds), and they went out into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
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23When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.
In plain English: They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah, because it was bitter. That is why its name was called Marah.
The Hebrew word: "Marah" sounds like mar, the Hebrew word for bitter. The dictionary gives mar as "bitter (literally or figuratively)". The verse gives the bitter water as the reason for the name.
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24The people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
In plain English: The people grumbled (or: murmured) against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
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25Then he cried to Yahweh. Yahweh showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them.
In plain English: Then he cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh showed him a tree. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance (a rule and a custom) for them, and there he tested them.
The Hebrew word: "Tested" is nasah, to test. In Exodus this verb is in 5 verses: here; , where Yahweh says, "that I may test them"; and , where the people test Yahweh; and , where Moses says God has come to test the people.
Good to know: The Hebrew does not name who "he" is in "he made a statute and an ordinance" and "he tested them". It can be Yahweh or Moses. The Hebrew says "for it" and "tested it"; this Bible says "them".
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26He said, “If you will diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you.”God speaks
In plain English: He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of Yahweh your God, do what is right in his eyes, pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians. For I am Yahweh who heals you."
The Hebrew word: "Heals" is rapha. The dictionary gives it as "properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure".
How it is translated: This Bible says "heal" in about 9 of every 10 of the 62 verses that use it.
Good to know: The verse says only "he said". The speaker calls himself Yahweh in the speech ("I am Yahweh who heals you"), so the words are Yahweh's.
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27They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They encamped there by the waters.
In plain English: They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the water.
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