Exodus 15:9

Complete Jewish Bible

The enemy said, ‘I will pursue and overtake, divide the spoil and gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.'

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

King James Version
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Lexham English Bible
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide plunder, my desire will be full of them, I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

New Century Version
"The enemy bragged, ‘I'll chase them and catch them. I'll take all their riches; I'll take all I want. I'll pull out my sword, and my hand will destroy them.'

New English Translation
The enemy said, ‘I will chase, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

Amplified Bible
"The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied against them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall dispossess them and drive them out.'

New American Standard Bible
"The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils; I shall be satisfied against them; I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
The enemie sayd, I wil pursue, I wil ouertake them, I will deuide the spoyle, my lust shall bee satisfied vpon them, I will drawe my sworde, mine hand shall destroy them.

Legacy Standard Bible
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;My desire shall be fulfilled against them;I will draw out my sword, my hand will dispossess them.'

Contemporary English Version
Your enemies boasted that they would pursue and capture us, divide up our possessions, treat us as they wished, then take out their swords and kill us right there.

Darby Translation
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul shall be sated upon them; I will unsheath my sword, my hand shall dispossess them.

Easy-to-Read Version
"The enemy said, ‘I'll chase them and catch them. I'll take all their riches. I'll take it all with my sword. I'll take everything for myself.'

English Standard Version
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.'

George Lamsa Translation
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul will devour them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Good News Translation
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue them and catch them; I will divide their wealth and take all I want; I will draw my sword and take all they have.'

Christian Standard Bible®
The enemy said:“I will pursue, I will overtake,I will divide the spoil.My desire will be gratified at their expense.I will draw my sword;my hand will destroy them.”

Literal Translation
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul shall be filled with them; I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The enemie thought: I will folowe vpon them, and ouertake them, and deuyde ye spoyle, and coole my mynde vpon them. I wil drawe out my swerde, and my hande shal destroye them.

American Standard Version
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Bible in Basic English
Egypt said, I will go after them, I will overtake, I will make division of their goods: my desire will have its way with them; my sword will be uncovered, my hand will send destruction on them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The enemie sayde, I wyll folowe [on the] I wyll ouertake [them] I wyll deuide the spoyle, and my lust shalbe satisfied vppon them: I wyll drawe my sworde, myne hande shall destroy them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The enemy said: 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

King James Version (1611)
The enemie said, I will pursue, I wil ouertake, I wil diuide the spoile: my lust shall be satisfied vpon them: I will draw my sword, mine hand shall destroy them.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils; I will satisfy my soul, I will destroy with my sword, my hand shall have dominion.

English Revised Version
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil: My lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Berean Standard Bible
The enemy declared, 'I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The enemy seide, Y schal pursue, and Y schal take; Y schal departe spuylis, my soule schal be fillid. I schal drawe out my swerde; myn hond schal sle hem.

Young's Literal Translation
The enemy said, I pursue, I overtake; I apportion spoil; Filled is my soul with them; I draw out my sword; My hand destroyeth them: --

Update Bible Version
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Webster's Bible Translation
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

World English Bible
The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

New King James Version
The enemy said, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, My hand shall destroy them.'

New Living Translation
"The enemy boasted, ‘I will chase them and catch up with them. I will plunder them and consume them. I will flash my sword; my powerful hand will destroy them.'

New Life Bible
Those who hated us said, ‘I will go after them. I will catch them. I will divide the riches taken from them. My soul will have its way against them. I will take out my sword and my hand will destroy them.'

New Revised Standard
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Said the fee - I will pursue - overtake divide spoil, - Take her fill of them - shall my soul, I will bare my sword, root them out - shall my hand.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The enemy said: I will pursue and overtake, I will divide the spoils, my soul shall have its fill: I will draw my sword, my hand shall slay them.

Revised Standard Version
The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

THE MESSAGE
The enemy spoke, "I'll pursue, I'll hunt them down, I'll divide up the plunder, I'll glut myself on them; I'll pull out my sword, my fist will send them reeling."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be gratified against them; I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

Contextual Overview

¹ Then Moshe and the people of Isra'el sang this song to Adonai : "I will sing to Adonai , for he is highly exalted: the horse and its rider he threw in the sea. ² Yah is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. This is my God: I will glorify him; my father's God: I will exalt him. ³ Adonai is a warrior; Adonai is his name. ⁴ Pharaoh's chariots and his army he hurled into the sea. His elite commanders were drowned in the Sea of Suf. ⁵ The deep waters covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. ⁶ Your right hand, Adonai , is sublimely powerful; your right hand, Adonai , shatters the foe. ⁷ By your great majesty you bring down your enemies; you send out your wrath to consume them like stubble. ⁸ With a blast from your nostrils the waters piled up — the waters stood up like a wall, the depths of the sea became firm ground. ⁹ The enemy said, ‘I will pursue and overtake, divide the spoil and gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.' ¹⁰ You blew with your wind, the sea covered them, they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I will pursue: Genesis 49:27, Judges 5:30, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Kings 20:10, Isaiah 10:8-13, Isaiah 36:20, Isaiah 53:12, Habakkuk 3:14, Luke 11:22

destroy: or, repossess, Exodus 14:5, Exodus 14:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:23 - General Deuteronomy 11:4 - how he made Joshua 8:6 - They flee Judges 20:41 - were amazed 1 Samuel 23:7 - he is shut 1 Kings 20:3 - General 2 Kings 3:23 - now therefore 2 Kings 19:24 - with the sole 2 Chronicles 32:14 - your God Esther 8:12 - one day Job 20:5 - the triumphing Psalms 10:3 - boasteth Psalms 12:3 - tongue Psalms 17:10 - with Psalms 35:25 - so Psalms 37:36 - General Psalms 64:5 - encourage Psalms 76:10 - Surely Psalms 94:4 - boast Psalms 106:10 - And he Psalms 124:6 - who hath not Proverbs 11:7 - General Proverbs 16:19 - than Proverbs 27:22 - General Isaiah 33:10 - now will I be exalted Isaiah 37:24 - By the Isaiah 51:13 - were ready Jeremiah 31:2 - The people Jeremiah 46:8 - I will go Jeremiah 46:17 - Pharaoh Ezekiel 21:3 - will draw Ezekiel 38:11 - go up Daniel 3:19 - he spake Daniel 4:31 - the word Luke 1:51 - he hath scattered 1 Thessalonians 5:3 - then James 3:5 - so James 4:6 - God

Cross-References

Genesis 22:13
Avraham raised his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.

Leviticus 1:3
If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he must offer a male without defect. He is to bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, so that it can be accepted by Adonai .

Leviticus 1:10
"‘If his offering is from the flock, whether from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he must offer a male without defect.

Leviticus 1:14
(ii) "‘If his offering to Adonai is a burnt offering of birds, he must offer a dove or a young pigeon.

Leviticus 3:1
(iv) "‘If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, then, if he offers before Adonai an animal from the herd, then, no matter whether it is male or female, it must be without defect.

Leviticus 3:6
"‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Adonai is from the flock, then, when he offers it, no matter whether it is male or female, it must be without defect.

Leviticus 9:2
and said to Aharon, "Take a male calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before Adonai .

Leviticus 9:4
and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before Adonai ; also a grain offering mixed with olive oil — because today Adonai is going to appear to you.'"

Leviticus 12:8
If she can't afford a lamb, she is to take two doves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; the cohen will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

Leviticus 14:22
and two doves or two young pigeons, such as he can afford, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The enemy said,.... That is, Pharaoh, who repented that he had let Israel go; an emblem of Satan, who when the people of God are taken out of his hands is uneasy at it, and seeks to recover them again into his possession; or of antichrist breathing out threatening and slaughter to the saints, the reformers departed from him, and delivered out of his captivity:

I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; which words being expressed without the copulative "and", show the passion he was in, the hastiness of his expressions, and the eagerness of his mind; and being delivered in such an absolute manner, "I will", "I will", c. denote not only the fixed resolution and determination he had made to pursue, but the assurance he had of carrying his point he thought as surely, as he pursued he should overtake, and overtaking should conquer, and get into his hands all the riches the people of Israel went out of Egypt with:

my lust shall be satified upon them; both his lust of covetousness to possess himself of the wealth the people had of their own, and which they had spoiled the Egyptians of, by borrowing of them; and also his lust of revenge and cruelty upon them; as appears from what follows:

I will draw my sword; out of its scabbard, and sheathe it in them:

my hand shall destroy them; which he made no doubt of, they being an unarmed people; and therefore, though numerous, were unable to engage with him, and defend themselves; see Revelation 6:14 and with it compare Isaiah 10:11.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

With the deliverance of Israel is associated the development of the national poetry, which finds its first and perfect expression in this magnificent hymn. It was sung by Moses and the people, an expression which evidently points to him as the author. That it was written at the time is an assertion expressly made in the text, and it is supported by the strongest internal evidence. In every age this song gave the tone to the poetry of Israel; especially at great critical epochs of deliverance: and in the book of Revelation Exodus 15:3 it is associated with the final triumph of the Church.

The division of the song into three parts is distinctly marked: Exodus 15:1-5; Exodus 15:6-10; Exodus 15:11-18 : each begins with an ascription of praise to God; each increases in length and varied imagery unto the triumphant close.

Exodus 15:1

He hath triumphed gloriously - Literally, He is gloriously glorious.

The horse and his rider - The word “rider” may include horseman, but applies properly to the charioteer.

Exodus 15:2

The Lord is my strength and song - My strength and song is Jah. See Psalms 68:4. The name was chosen here by Moses to draw attention to the promise ratified by the name “I am.”

I will prepare Him an habitation - I will glorify Him. Our Authorized Version is open to serious objection, as suggesting a thought (namely, of erecting a temple) which could hardly have been in the mind of Moses at that time, and unsuited to the occasion.

Exodus 15:3

A man of war - Compare Psalms 24:8. The name has on this occasion a special fitness: man had no part in the victory; the battle was the Lord’s.

The Lord is his name - “Jah is His name.” See Exodus 15:2.

Exodus 15:4

Hath He cast - “Hurled,” as from a sling. See Exodus 14:27.

His chosen captains - See Exodus 14:7 note.

Exodus 15:5

As a stone - The warriors in chariots are always represented on the monuments with heavy coats of mail; the corslets of “chosen captains” consisted of plates of highly tempered bronze, with sleeves reaching nearly to the elbow, covering the whole body and the thighs nearly to the knee. The wearers must have sunk at once like a stone, or as we read in Exodus 5:10, like lumps of lead.

Exodus 15:7

Thy wrath - Literally, Thy burning, i. e. the fire of Thy wrath, a word chosen expressly with reference to the effect.

Exodus 15:8

The blast of God’s nostrils corresponds to the natural agency, the east wind Exodus 14:21, which drove the waters back: on the north the waters rose high, overhanging the sands, but kept back by the strongwind: on the south they laid in massive rollers, kept down by the same agency in the deep bed of the Red Sea.

Exodus 15:9

The enemy said - The abrupt, gasping utterances; the haste, cupidity and ferocity of the Egyptians; the confusion and disorder of their thoughts, belong to the highest order of poetry. They enable us to realize the feelings which induced Pharaoh and his host to pursue the Israelites over the treacherous sandbanks.

Exodus 15:10

Thou didst blow with thy wind - Notice the solemn majesty of these few words, in immediate contrast with the tumult and confusion of the preceding verse. In Exodus 14:28, we read only, “the waters returned,” here we are told that it was because the wind blew. A sudden change in the direction of the wind would bring back at once the masses of water heaped up on the north.

They sank as lead - See the note at Exodus 15:5.

Exodus 15:11

Among the gods - Compare Psalms 86:8; Deuteronomy 32:16-17. A Hebrew just leaving the land in which polytheism attained its highest development, with gigantic statues and temples of incomparable grandeur, might well on such an occasion dwell upon this consummation of the long series of triumphs by which the “greatness beyond compare” of Yahweh was once for all established.

Exodus 15:13

Thy holy habitation - Either Palestine, regarded as the land of promise, sanctified by manifestations of God to the Patriarchs, and destined to be both the home of God’s people, and the place where His glory and purposes were to be perfectly revealed: or Mount Moriah.

Exodus 15:14

The inhabitants of Palestina - i. e. the country of the Philistines. They were the first who would expect an invasion, and the first whose district would have been invaded but for the faintheartedness of the Israelites.

Exodus 15:15

The dukes of Edom - See Genesis 36:15. It denotes the chieftains, not the kings of Edom.

The mighty men of Moab - The physical strength and great stature of the Moabites are noted in other passages: see Jeremiah 48:29, Jeremiah 48:41.

Canaan - The name in this, as in many passages of Genesis, designates the whole of Palestine: and is used of course with reference to the promise to Abraham. It was known to the Egyptians, and occurs frequently on the monuments as Pa-kanana, which applies, if not to the whole of Palestine, yet to the northern district under Lebanon, which the Phoenicians occupied and called “Canaan.”

Exodus 15:17

In the mountain of thine inheritance - See Exodus 15:13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 15:9. The enemy said — As this song was composed by Divine inspiration, we may rest assured that these words were spoken by Pharaoh and his captains, and the passions they describe felt, in their utmost sway, in their hearts; but how soon was their boasting confounded? "Thou didst blow with thy wind, and the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters!"