Exodus 14:3

Myles Coverdale Bible

For Pharao shall saye of the children of Israel: They can not tell how to get out of the londe, the wyldernesse hath shut them in.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Par`oh will say of the children of Yisra'el, 'They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.'

King James Version
For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

Lexham English Bible
And Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering around in the land. The desert has closed in on them.'

New Century Version
The king will think, ‘The Israelites are lost, trapped by the desert.'

New English Translation
Pharaoh will think regarding the Israelites, ‘They are wandering around confused in the land—the desert has closed in on them.'

Amplified Bible
"For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'

New American Standard Bible
"For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, 'They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are tangled in the land: the wildernesse hath shut them in.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering in confusion in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'

Contemporary English Version
The king will think they were afraid to cross the desert and that they are wandering around, trying to find another way to leave the country.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then Pharaoh will say that the people of Isra'el are wandering aimlessly in the countryside, the desert has closed in on them.

Darby Translation
And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has hemmed them in.

Easy-to-Read Version
Pharaoh will think that the Israelites are lost in the desert and that the people will have no place to go.

English Standard Version
For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'

George Lamsa Translation
For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are strangers in the land, the wilderness has shut them in.

Good News Translation
The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert.

Christian Standard Bible®
Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.

Literal Translation
And Pharaoh will say as to the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in,

American Standard Version
And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

Bible in Basic English
And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are wandering without direction, they are shut in by the waste land.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For Pharao wyll say of the chyldren of Israel: they are tangled in the lande, the wyldernesse hath shut them in.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel: They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

King James Version (1611)
For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are intangled in the land, the wildernesse hath shut them in.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Pharao will say to his people, As for these children of Israel, they are wandering in the land, for the wilderness has shut them in.

English Revised Version
And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

Berean Standard Bible
For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Farao schal seie on the sones of Israel, Thei ben maad streit in the lond, the deseert hath closid hem to gidere.

Young's Literal Translation
and Pharaoh hath said of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut upon them;

Update Bible Version
And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in.

Webster's Bible Translation
For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They [are] entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

World English Bible
Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.'

New King James Version
For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, "They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.'

New Living Translation
Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!'

New Life Bible
For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They have lost their way. The desert has shut them in.'

New Revised Standard
Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, "They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then will Pharaoh say, of the sons of Israel, Entangled, they are in the land, - the desert hath closed in upon them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Pharao will say of the children of Israel: They are straitened in the land, the desert hath shut them in.

Revised Standard Version
For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, 'They are entangled in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'

THE MESSAGE
"Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are lost; they're confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.' Then I'll make Pharaoh's heart stubborn again and he'll chase after them. And I'll use Pharaoh and his army to put my Glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize that I am God ." And that's what happened.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, 'They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'

Contextual Overview

¹ And the LORDE spake vnto Moses, and sayde: ² Speake vnto the children of Israel, and byd them that they turne aboute, & pitch their tentes before the valley of Hyroth, betwixte Migdol & the see towarde Baal Zepho, and there pitch ye tentes right ouer by the see. ³ For Pharao shall saye of the children of Israel: They can not tell how to get out of the londe, the wyldernesse hath shut them in. ⁴ And I wyll harden his hert, yt he shal folowe after them, & I wil get me honoure vpon Pharao, and vpon all his power. And ye Egipcias shal knowe, yt I am the LORDE. And they dyd so. ⁵ And whan it was tolde ye kinge of Egipte, yt ye people fled, his hert & his seruauntes were turned agaynst ye people, & saide: Why haue we done this, that we haue let Israel go, yt they shulde not serue vs? ⁶ And he bounde his charettes fast, and toke his people wt him, ⁷ and toke sixe hudreth chosen charettes, and the other charettes besyde that were in Egipte, and the captaynes ouer all his: ⁸ for the LORDE hardened ye hert of Pharao kynge of Egipte, that he folowed after the children of Israel. And the children of Israel wente out with an hye hande. ⁹ And the Egipcians folowed after the, & ouertoke them (where they had pitched by ye see) with horses and charettes, and horsme, and with his power, in the valley of Hyrath towarde Baal Zephon.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Pharaoh: Exodus 7:3, Exodus 7:4, Deuteronomy 31:21, Psalms 139:2, Psalms 139:4, Ezekiel 38:10, Ezekiel 38:11, Ezekiel 38:17, Acts 4:28

They are entangled: Judges 16:2, 1 Samuel 23:7, 1 Samuel 23:23, Psalms 3:2, Psalms 71:11, Jeremiah 20:10, Jeremiah 20:11

Reciprocal: Joshua 8:6 - They flee Judges 15:14 - the Philistines 2 Chronicles 32:14 - your God Jeremiah 34:11 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
Then the LORDE caused brymstone and fyre to rayne downe from the LORDE out of heauen vpon Sodoma and Gomorra,

Numbers 34:12
and come downe by Iordane, so yt the goynge out of it be the Salt see. Let this be youre londe with the borders therof rounde aboute.

Deuteronomy 3:17
the felde also, and Iordane (which is the coaste) from Cinereth vnto the see in the felde, namely, ye Salt see vnder mount Pisga, Eastwarde.

Joshua 3:16
then the water that came downe fro aboue, stode straight vp vpon one heape, very farre from the cite of Adom, that lyeth on the syde of Zarthan: But the water that ranne downe to the see (euen to the salt see) fell awaye, and decreased. So ye people wente thorow ouer agaynst Iericho.

Psalms 107:34
A frutefull londe maketh he baren, for the wickednesse of them that dwell therin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel,.... The Septuagint version adds, "to his people", his ministers and courtiers, when he hears where they are:

they are entangled in the land; have lost their way, and got into places they cannot easily get out of, and are perplexed in their minds, and do not know what way to take or course to steer:

the wilderness hath shut them in; or, "shut up the way to them" n; the wilderness between the mountains the above mentioned traveller speaks of o the mountains of Gewoubee; these would stop their flight or progress to the southward, as those of the Attackah would do the same towards the land of the Philistines; the Red sea likewise lay before them to the east, while Pharaoh (could) close up the valley behind them, with his chariots and his horsemen; and which, no doubt, appeared very advantageous and encouraging to him, as it must be very distressing to the Israelites.

n סגר עליהם "clausit viam illis", Pagninus, "praeclusit sese illis", Vatablus. o Dr. Shaw's Travels, p. 309. Ed. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They are entangled ... - The original intention of Moses was to go toward Palestine by the wilderness: when that purpose was changed by God’s direction and they moved southwards, Pharaoh, on receiving information, was of course aware that they were completely shut in, since the waters of the Red Sea then extended to the Bitter Lakes. It is known that the Red Sea at some remote period extended considerably further toward the north than it does at present. In the time of Moses the water north of Kolsum joined the Bitter Lakes, though at present the constant accumulation of sand has covered the intervening space to the extent of 8000 to 10,000 yards.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 14:3. They are entangled in the land — God himself brought them into straits from which no human power or art could extricate them. Consider their situation when once brought out of the open country, where alone they had room either to fight or fly. Now they had the Red Sea before them, Pharaoh and his host behind them, and on their right and left hand fortresses of the Egyptians to prevent their escape; nor had they one boat or transport prepared for their passage! If they be now saved, the arm of the Lord must be seen, and the vanity and nullity of the Egyptian idols be demonstrated. By bringing them into such a situation he took from them all hope of human help, and gave their adversaries every advantage against them, so that they themselves said, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.