King James Version
Exodus 14
31 verses with commentary
Pharaoh Pursues Israel
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The divine initiative 'the LORD spake unto Moses' launches the Red Sea narrative. Each stage of redemption begins with God's word, not human planning. This instruction will lead Israel into apparent danger (trapped between sea and army), testing faith. God's ways often seem counterintuitive—leading toward crisis to demonstrate His power. The following commands will put Israel in a position where o...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. roast with fire--**for the sake of expedition; and this difference was always observed between the cooking of the paschal lamb and the other offerings (2Ch 35:13).
**unleavened bread--**also for the sake of despatch (De 16:3), but as a kind of corruption (Lu 12:1) there seems to have been a typical meaning under it (1Co 5:8).
**bitter herbs--**literally, "bitters"--to remind the Israelite...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The command to 'turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon' redirects Israel toward the sea. This positioning, with water blocking forward progress and Egyptians behind, creates a strategic trap—from human perspective. The phrase 'before it shall ye encamp by the sea' places them in visible vulnerability. God intentionally creates a crisis requiring mira...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XIV.
THE PURSUIT BY PHARAOH AND THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA.
(2) **Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn.**—The march of the Israelites had been hitherto almost due south-east. They had reached the edge of the desert (Exodus 13:20), near the head of the Bitter Lakes. If this direction had been maintained, their next day’s march would have taken them out of Egypt into the “wilderness of ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. Eat not of it raw--**that is, with any blood remaining; a caveat against conformity to idolatrous practices. It was to be roasted whole, not a bone to be broken, and this pointed to Christ (Joh 19:36).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
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KJV Study Commentary
God predicts Pharaoh's interpretation: 'They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.' The verb 'entangled' (Hebrew 'buk,' בּוּךְ—confused, perplexed) pictures Israel as lost wanderers. God orchestrates circumstances to appear as vulnerable foolishness, baiting the enemy into overconfidence. The phrase 'I will harden Pharaoh's heart' shows God controlling even the enemy's respo...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Entangled in the land.**—Literally, *confused, perplexed.* (Comp. Esther 3:15.) Pharaoh, seeing that the Israelites had placed the Bitter Lakes on their left, and were marching southward, in a direction which would soon put the Red Sea on one side of them and a desert region—that about the Jebel Atakah—on the other, thought that they must be quite ignorant of the geography, and have, as it w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. let nothing of it remain until the morning--**which might be applied in a superstitious manner, or allowed to putrefy, which in a hot climate would speedily have ensued; and which was not becoming in what had been offered to God.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's purpose statement: 'I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host.' The Hebrew 'kaved' (כָּבֵד) means to be heavy, weighty, glorious—God will display His glory through Egypt's defeat. The outcome: 'the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.' God's judgment serves pedagogical purposes—teaching His identity and character. The prediction 'they did so' confirms Israel's obedient faith...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ex 12:11-14. The Rite of the Passover.
**11. thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet--**as prepared for a journey. The first was done by the skirts of the loose outer cloth being drawn up and fastened in the girdle, so as to leave the leg and knee free for motion. As to the other, the Orientals never wear shoes indoors, and the ancient Egyptians, as appears from the ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The report to Pharaoh 'that the people fled' triggers regret. The question 'Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?' reveals the economic motive behind slavery—losing workforce, not concern for Israel's welfare. The phrase 'Pharaoh and his servants' indicates both king and court reversed position. Hardened hearts forget terror quickly when inconvenience arises. This illu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **The heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people.**—No doubt the change began as soon as Israel commenced its march. The emigration left Eastern Egypt a solitude, suspended all the royal works that were in progress, threw the whole course of commerce and business into disorder. Beforehand, neither the king nor the people had understood what the loss of six hundred thous...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. smite ... gods of Egypt--**perhaps used here for princes and grandees. But, according to Jewish tradition, the idols of Egypt were all on that night broken in pieces (see Nu 33:4; Is 19:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Pharaoh 'made ready his chariot, and took his people with him' shows decisive military mobilization. The personal involvement—taking his own forces—indicates Pharaoh's determination. Egypt's military might, which enslaved Israel for 400 years, now pursues them for recapture. This sets up the ultimate confrontation: Egypt's best versus Israel's God. Human might versus divine power.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **He made ready his chariot.**—Egyptian monarchs of the Rameside period almost always led their armies out to battle, and when they did so, uniformly rode with a single attendant, who acted as charioteer, in a two-horse chariot. “Made ready” means, of course, *ordered to be made ready.*
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The force composition—'six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them'—emphasizes overwhelming military superiority. 'Chosen' chariots were elite forces; 'all the chariots' indicates full mobilization; 'captains' (shalishim, שָׁלִשִׁים) were third-man crews (driver, fighter, shield-bearer). This massive force pursues unarmed former slaves. God orche...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Six hundred chosen chariots.**—The chariot force was that on which the Egyptians chiefly relied for victory from the beginning of the eighteenth
dynasty. Diodorus Siculus assigns to his Sesostris (probably Rameses II.) a force of 27,000 chariots; but this is, no doubt, an exaggeration. The largest number of chariots brought together on any one occasion that is *sufficiently attested,* is bel...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. for a memorial, &c.--**The close analogy traceable in all points between the Jewish and Christian passovers is seen also in the circumstance that both festivals were instituted before the events they were to commemorate had transpired.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The phrase 'the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh' reiterates divine sovereignty over the enemy's will. Egypt pursues 'the children of Israel' because 'the children of Israel went out with an high hand.' The expression 'ramah yad' (רָמָה יָד—high hand) means boldly, defiantly, openly. Israel's confident departure provoked Egypt's pride. God uses their bold freedom to bait the trap that will destr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **The children of Israel went out.**—Rather, *were going out.*
**With an high hand**—i.e., confidently, boldly, perhaps somewhat proudly, as having brought the Egyptians to entreat them to take their departure (Exodus 12:33).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ex 12:15-51. Unleavened Bread.
**15. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread, &c.--**This was to commemorate another circumstance in the departure of the Israelites, who were urged to leave so hurriedly that their dough was unleavened (Ex 12:39), and they had to eat unleavened cakes (De 16:3). The greatest care was always taken by the Jews to free their houses from leaven--the owner searchin...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The comprehensive pursuit—'the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army'—emphasizes total military commitment. Finding Israel 'encamping by the sea' confirms they're trapped in the strategic location God commanded. The specific place names recall verse 2's instructions. God's plan unfolds exactly as predicted—crisis created, enemy engaged...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh.**—Heb., *all the chariot-horses of Pharaoh.*
**And his horsemen.**—It is questioned whether “horsemen” are really intended here, and suggested that the word used may apply to the “riders” *in the chariots.* But it certainly means “horsemen” in the later books of Scripture, and, indeed, is the only Hebrew word having exactly that signification. Though t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16. there shall be an holy convocation--**literally, calling of the people, which was done by sound of trumpets (Nu 10:2), a sacred assembly--for these days were to be regarded as Sabbaths--excepting only that meat might be cooked on them (Ex 16:23).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
God directs the Israelites to Pihahiroth, Pharaoh pursues after them.(1-9)
The Israelites murmur, Moses comforts them.(10-14)
God instructs Moses, The cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians.(15-20)
The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians.(21-31)
**Verses 1-9**
Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled ...
Read full commentary →And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
When 'the children of Israel lifted up their eyes' and saw Egyptian approach, fear replaced faith. Despite witnessing ten plagues and miraculous exodus, visible danger overwhelmed prior experience. Their response—'cried out unto the LORD'—shows mixed faith: they appeal to God while complaining to Moses. This realistic portrayal shows weak faith can still cry to the right source. God answers fearfu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **The children of Israel . . . were sore afraid.**—It has been objected that 600,000 men above twenty years of age had no need to be afraid of such an army as the Pharaoh could have hastily gathered. The entire armed force of Egypt is reckoned by Herodotus (2:166-168) at 410,000, and it is tolerably clear that not one-half of these could have been mustered. It would imply, indeed, more facili...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. ye shall observe, &c.--**The seven days of this feast were to commence the day after the passover. It was a distinct festival following that feast; but although this feast was instituted like the passover before the departure, the observance of it did not take place till after.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
There was no way open to Israel but upward, and thence their deliverance came. We may be in the way of duty, following God, and hastening toward heaven, yet may be troubled on every side. Some cried out unto the Lord; their fear led them to pray, and that was well. God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to our knees. Others cried out against Moses; fear set them murm...
Read full commentary →And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Israel's complaint 'Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?' uses bitter sarcasm—Egypt had plenty of graves (pyramids!). The accusation against Moses challenges his leadership and questions God's purposes. The phrase 'wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?' shows how quickly gratitude for deliverance turns to accusat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Because there were no graves in Egypt.**—Spoken in bitter irony, doubtless, but scarcely with any conscious reference to Egypt as “a land of tombs.” They meant simply to say: “Might we not as well have died there as here?”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
There was no way open to Israel but upward, and thence their deliverance came. We may be in the way of duty, following God, and hastening toward heaven, yet may be troubled on every side. Some cried out unto the Lord; their fear led them to pray, and that was well. God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to our knees. Others cried out against Moses; fear set them murm...
Read full commentary →Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
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KJV Study Commentary
The continued complaint 'Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?' claims they warned Moses, though no such conversation is recorded. Fear rewrites history, imagining past wisdom. The perverse conclusion 'it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness' prefers slavery to freedom, bondage to fait...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Is not this the word that we did tell thee . . .**?—At one time they had refused to listen to Moses (Exodus 6:9) but in the main they had acquiesced in his proceedings, and allowed him to act in their name. The reproach was therefore unjust and undeserved; but it is in human nature to make such reproaches in times of danger and difficulty.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. stranger--**No foreigner could partake of the passover, unless circumcised; the "stranger" specified as admissible to the privilege must, therefore, be considered a Gentile proselyte.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
There was no way open to Israel but upward, and thence their deliverance came. We may be in the way of duty, following God, and hastening toward heaven, yet may be troubled on every side. Some cried out unto the Lord; their fear led them to pray, and that was well. God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to our knees. Others cried out against Moses; fear set them murm...
Read full commentary →And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. for the: or, for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians to day
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses' response—'Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD'—commands both negative (don't fear) and positive (stand firm) actions. The phrase 'see the salvation' (yeshu'at YHWH, יְשׁוּעַת יְהוָה) calls them to witness divine deliverance. The promise regarding Egyptians: 'whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever' predicts complete victory. Salvation requi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13, 14) **Fear ye not, stand still.**—There are times when all our strength must be “in quietness and confidence” (Isaiah 30:15). So long as we have means of resistance put in our power, with a reasonable prospect of success, it is our duty to use them—to exert ourselves to the uttermost, to make all possible efforts. God, for the most part, “helps those who help themselves.” But there are occasi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
There was no way open to Israel but upward, and thence their deliverance came. We may be in the way of duty, following God, and hastening toward heaven, yet may be troubled on every side. Some cried out unto the Lord; their fear led them to pray, and that was well. God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to our knees. Others cried out against Moses; fear set them murm...
Read full commentary →The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
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KJV Study Commentary
The declaration 'The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace' assigns roles clearly: God fights, Israel watches. The Hebrew 'hecharish' (תַּחֲרִשׁוּן) means be silent, still, trust. This doesn't mean passivity in obedience but restful trust in battle. It anticipates Israel's role throughout Canaan conquest—God fights, they participate but trust His power. This principle extends to s...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-25. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, &c.--**Here are given special directions for the observance.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
There was no way open to Israel but upward, and thence their deliverance came. We may be in the way of duty, following God, and hastening toward heaven, yet may be troubled on every side. Some cried out unto the Lord; their fear led them to pray, and that was well. God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to our knees. Others cried out against Moses; fear set them murm...
Read full commentary →The Red Sea Crossing
And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
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KJV Study Commentary
God's question 'Wherefore criest thou unto me?' seems surprising after telling them to cry out (verse 10). The issue isn't prayer but paralysis—they're praying instead of obeying. The command 'speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward' requires movement toward the sea despite no visible path. Faith obeys before seeing the way. This distinguishes genuine faith (obedient action) from m...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15-18) **Wherefore criest thou unto me?**—Like the people (Exodus 14:10), Moses had cried to Jehovah, though he tells us of his cry only thus indirectly. God made answer that it was not a time to cry, but to act: “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward,” &c. The Israelites were to strike their tents at once, and prepare for a forward movement. Moses was to descend to the edge of ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-25. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, &c.--**Here are given special directions for the observance.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided bet...
Read full commentary →But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The command to Moses: 'lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it' combines divine power with human agency. The rod (already used in plagues) serves as God's appointed instrument. The act—stretching hand toward impossible obstacle—requires faith. The promise 'the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea' states the impossible outcome ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-25. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, &c.--**Here are given special directions for the observance.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided bet...
Read full commentary →And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God's declaration 'I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians' uses emphatic double pronoun (ani hineni, אֲנִי הִנְנִי—I, behold, I), stressing personal divine agency. The purpose: 'they shall follow them' ensures Egypt enters the trap. The outcome: 'I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen' reveals this as divine glory-display th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-25. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, &c.--**Here are given special directions for the observance.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided bet...
Read full commentary →And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The repeated purpose statement: 'the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen' emphasizes pedagogical judgment. Even enemies will learn God's identity through His acts. The threefold repetition (Pharaoh, chariots, horsemen) emphasizes comprehensive judgment on all levels of power—king, technology, soldiers. Knowled...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-25. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, &c.--**Here are given special directions for the observance.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided bet...
Read full commentary →And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The angel of God's movement 'from before them' to 'behind them' repositions God's presence from leading to protecting. The pillar of cloud similarly relocates, creating a barrier between Israel and Egypt. This defensive posture shows God doesn't merely guide but actively protects His people. The angel (mal'ach, מַלְאָךְ) likely represents the pre-incarnate Christ—the divine messenger who embodies ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19, 20) **The angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel**—The “Jehovah” of Exodus 13:21 becomes here “the angel of God,” as “the angel of Jehovah” in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2) becomes “God” (Exodus 14:4), and “Jehovah” (Exodus 14:7). The angel is distinguished from the cloud, and represented as antedating its movements and directing them. It is clear that the object of the movement n...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**26. when your children shall say, ... What mean ye by this service--**Independently of some observances which were not afterwards repeated, the usages practised at this yearly commemorative feast were so peculiar that the curiosity of the young would be stimulated, and thus parents had an excellent opportunity, which they were enjoined to embrace, for instructing each rising generation in the or...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided bet...
Read full commentary →And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The pillar's dual function—'it gave light to them' (Israel) while 'it was a cloud and darkness to them' (Egypt)—demonstrates one divine presence producing opposite effects based on relationship. Light to believers, darkness to unbelievers. The result: 'the one came not near the other all the night' means God prevented Egyptian advance overnight. The same gospel is life to believers, death to unbel...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-28. the people bowed the head, and worshipped--**All the preceding directions were communicated through the elders, and the Israelites, being deeply solemnized by the influence of past and prospective events, gave prompt and faithful obedience.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided bet...
Read full commentary →And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses' obedience—'stretched out his hand over the sea'—activates God's power. The LORD's action: 'caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night' combines supernatural and natural means. The 'strong east wind' (ruach qadim azah, רוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה) was fierce enough to divide waters. The result: 'made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided' created a path through impossibil...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind.**—By “a strong east wind” we are at liberty to understand one blowing from any point between N.Ë. and S.E. If we imagine the Bitter Lakes joined to the Red Sea by a narrow and shallow channel, and a south-east wind blowing strongly up this channel, we can easily conceive that the water in the Bitter Lakes might be driven northward, a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-28. the people bowed the head, and worshipped--**All the preceding directions were communicated through the elders, and the Israelites, being deeply solemnized by the influence of past and prospective events, gave prompt and faithful obedience.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
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KJV Study Commentary
The statement 'the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground' describes the impossible made real. Walking 'into the midst of the sea' required faith—entering where water should be. The waters 'were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left' pictures walls of water held supernaturally. This creates a corridor of salvation through judgment. Paul later types ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **The waters were a wall unto them.**—Any protection is in Scripture called “a wall,” or “a rampart” (1Samuel 25:16; Proverbs 18:11; Isaiah 26:1; Jeremiah 1:18; Nahum 3:8). In the present case, the waters protected Israel on either flank—the Red Sea upon the right, the Bitter Lakes upon the left. Poetical writers, as was natural, used language still more highly metaphorical (Psalm 78:13; Exod...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29. at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt--**At the moment when the Israelites were observing the newly instituted feast in the singular manner described, the threatened calamity overtook the Egyptians. It is more easy to imagine than describe the confusion and terror of that people suddenly roused from sleep and enveloped in darkness--none could assist their neighbo...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Egyptian pursuit 'went in after them to the midst of the sea' shows the blinding power of hardened hearts. Despite witnessing miraculous water-walls, Egypt's entire military force—'even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen'—follows into the trap. This defiant pursuit into obvious miracle demonstrates judicial hardening's effects. Those determined to oppose God become blind to c...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23-28) **The Egyptians pursued.**—All the Israelites having entered the bed of the sea, the pillar of the cloud, it would seem, withdrew after them, and the Egyptians, who, if they could not see, could at any rate hear the sound of the departure, began to advance, following on the track of the fugitives. What they thought concerning the miracle, or what they expected, it is difficult to say. They...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**30. there was not a house where there was not one dead--**Perhaps this statement is not to be taken absolutely. The Scriptures frequently use the words "all," "none," in a comparative sense--and so in this case. There would be many a house in which there would be no child, and many in which the first-born might be already dead. What is to be understood is, that almost every house in Egypt had a ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
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KJV Study Commentary
The timing 'in the morning watch' (approximately 2-6 AM, the darkest hours) marks the moment of judgment. The LORD 'looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud' combines investigation and judgment. Divine scrutiny troubles—'troubled' (hamam, הָמַם) means threw into panic, confused. God's gaze alone defeats His enemies. The same presence that guided Israel terr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **In the morning watch.**—Between 2 a.m. and 6.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31. called for Moses and Aaron--**a striking fulfilment of the words of Moses (Ex 11:8), and showing that they were spoken under divine suggestion.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. that they: or, and made them to go heavily
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KJV Study Commentary
God 'took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily' demonstrates how God can disable superior technology with simple mechanical failure. The verb 'yasur' (יָסוּר) means removed or loosened—either breaking or jamming wheels. Egypt's elite chariots become death-traps. The Egyptian realization 'Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians' co...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32. also take your flocks, &c.--**All the terms the king had formerly insisted on were now departed from; his pride had been effectually humbled. Appalling judgments in such rapid succession showed plainly that the hand of God was against him. His own family bereavement had so crushed him to the earth that he not only showed impatience to rid his kingdom of such formidable neighbors, but eve...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's command to Moses—'Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians'—reverses the miracle. What provided salvation to Israel becomes judgment on Egypt. The same waters that walled protection now bring destruction. The comprehensive targets—'chariots, and...horsemen'—ensure total defeat. God's judgments are thorough, His deliverances complete.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **And the Lord said.**—Or, *The Lord had said.* Probably the command was given as soon as the Israelites were safe across. It would take some hours for the north-west wind to bring back the waters of the Bitter Lakes.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. overthrew: Heb. shook off
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses' obedience—'stretched forth his hand over the sea'—again activates judgment. The timing 'when the morning appeared' (at dawn) means Egyptians saw the wall of water returning. The phrase 'the sea returned to his strength' indicates waters resumed their natural course violently. Egypt's attempt to flee came too late—'the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.' God didn't merely ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **When the morning appeared.**—This would be about five o’clock. The light showed the Egyptian their danger. The white-crested waves were seen advancing on either side, and threatening to fill up the channel. The Egyptians had to race against them; but in vain. Their chariot wheels clogged, themselves and their horses encumbered with heavy armour, they made but slow way over the soft and slim...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**34. people took ... their kneading-troughs--**Having lived so long in Egypt, they must have been in the habit of using the utensils common in that country. The Egyptian kneading-trough was a bowl of wicker or rush work, and it admitted of being hastily wrapped up with the dough in it and slung over the shoulder in their hykes or loose upper garments.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
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KJV Study Commentary
The comprehensive destruction—'the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh'—left no survivors. The phrase 'there remained not so much as one of them' emphasizes totality. This fulfilled God's promise of honor through complete victory. The contrast between Israel ('all that entered...after them') and Egypt's fate demonstrates salvation's dividing lin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **The chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host . . . —**This translation is misleading. The Heb. runs thus: “The chariots and the horsemen (who were) all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea.” It is implied that his footmen did not enter the sea.
**There remained not so much as one of them.**—The armour of an Egyptian warrior would make it impossible for him to escape by swimming fr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35. children of Israel borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver--**When the Orientals go to their sacred festivals, they always put on their best jewels. The Israelites themselves thought they were only going three days' journey to hold a feast unto the Lord, and in these circumstances it would be easy for them to borrow what was necessary for a sacred festival. But borrow conveys a wrong mean...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
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KJV Study Commentary
The explicit contrast—'But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea'—emphasizes the different outcomes for the two groups in the same location. Both were 'in the midst of the sea'; outcome depended on relationship with God. The repetition 'the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left' reinforces the miracle's magnitude. Same circumstances, oppo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36. the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians--**Such a dread of them was inspired into the universal minds of the Egyptians, that whatever they asked was readily given.
**spoiled the Egyptians--**The accumulated earnings of many years being paid them at this moment, the Israelites were suddenly enriched, according to the promise made to Abraham (Ge 15:14), and they left th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
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KJV Study Commentary
The summary statement 'the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians' credits God alone for deliverance. The verb 'saved' (yasha, יָשַׁע) is the root of 'Jesus' (Yeshua)—God saves. The phrase 'Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore' provided visible confirmation of complete victory. Seeing enemy corpses washed ashore proved the threat was ended. What terrified them the ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.**—On one who saw this sight it would be likely to make a great impression; to after generations it was nothing, since it had no further consequences. That it is recorded indicates the pen of an eyewitness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**37. The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses--**now generally identified with the ancient Heroopolis, and fixed at the modern Abu-Keisheid. This position agrees with the statement that the scene of the miraculous judgments against Pharaoh was "in the field of Zoan" [Psa 78:12, 43]. And it is probable that, in expectation of their departure, which the king on one pretext or another delayed, ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. work: Heb. hand
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KJV Study Commentary
The response 'Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians' indicates they recognized divine action, not natural coincidence. The result was threefold: 'the people feared the LORD'—proper reverence; 'believed the LORD'—trust in His character; 'and his servant Moses'—recognition of appointed leadership. This triple response shows genuine miracle produces worship, faith, and resp...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **Israel saw that great work.**—The destruction of the Pharaoh’s chariot force and cavalry in the Red Sea secured the retreat of Israel, and saved them from any further molestation at the hands of the Egyptians. The spirit of the nation was effectually broken for the time; and it was not till after several reigns, and an interval of anarchy, that there was a revival. The king himself probably...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**38. a mixed multitude went with them--**literally, "a great rabble" (see also Nu 11:4; De 29:11); slaves, persons in the lowest grades of society, partly natives and partly foreigners, bound close to them as companions in misery, and gladly availing themselves of the opportunity to escape in the crowd. (Compare Zec 8:23).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-31**
The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power,...
Read full commentary →