Study Desk

Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

"Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you must camp in front of Baal-zephon, facing it by the sea.^(a)

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

I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh." So the Israelites did this.^(b)

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: "What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us."

So he got his chariot ready and took his troops^[a] with him;

he took 600 of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one.

The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out triumphantly.^[b](c)

The Egyptians—all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, his horsemen,^[c] and his army—chased^(d) after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Then the Israelites were terrified and cried out^(e) to the Lord for help.

They said to Moses: "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?

Isn't this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."^(f)

But Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and see^(g) the Lord 's salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.

The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet."^(h)

The Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp.

As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.⁽ⁱ⁾

I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen.

The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."

Then the Angel of God,^(j) who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them.^(k)

It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night.^[d] So neither group came near the other all night long.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided,^(l)

and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.^(m)

The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen—and went into the sea after them.

Then during the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire⁽ⁿ⁾ and cloud, and threw them into confusion.

He caused their chariot wheels to swerve^[e][f] and made them drive^[g] with difficulty. "Let's get away from Israel," the Egyptians said, "because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt!"

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen."

So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord threw them into the sea.^(o)

The waters came back and covered the chariots^(p) and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh, that had gone after them into the sea. None of them survived.

But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.

That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed^(q) in Him and in His servant Moses.

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord . They said: I will sing to the Lord , for He is highly exalted; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my song;^[a] He has become my salvation.^(a) This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him.^(b)

The Lord is a warrior;^(c) Yahweh is His name.^(d)

He threw Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea; the elite of his officers were drowned in the Red Sea.^(e)

The floods covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.^(f)

Lord , Your right hand is glorious in power. Lord , Your right hand shattered the enemy.^(g)

You overthrew Your adversaries by Your great majesty. You unleashed Your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble.^(h)

The waters heaped up⁽ⁱ⁾ at the blast of Your nostrils; the currents stood firm like a dam. The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea.

The enemy said: "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil.^(j) My desire will be gratified at their expense. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy^[b] them."

But You blew with Your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Lord , who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness,^(k) revered with praises, performing wonders?^(l)

You stretched out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them.

You will lead the people You have redeemed with Your faithful love; You will guide them to Your holy dwelling with Your strength.^(m)

When the peoples hear, they will shudder; anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.

Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified;⁽ⁿ⁾ trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; the inhabitants of Canaan will panic;

and terror^(o) and dread will fall on them. They will be as still^[c] as a stone because of Your powerful arm until Your people pass by, Lord , until the people whom You purchased^[d] pass by.^(p)

You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your possession;^(q) Lord , You have prepared the place for Your dwelling; Lord,^[e] Your hands have established the sanctuary.

The Lord will reign^(r) forever and ever!

When Pharaoh's horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

Then Miriam the prophetess,^(s) Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with their tambourines and danced.^(t)

Miriam sang to them: Sing to the Lord , for He is highly exalted; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.

Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur. They journeyed for three days in the wilderness without finding water.

They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter—that is why it was named Marah.^[f]

The people grumbled to Moses, "What are we going to drink?"^(u)

So he cried out to the Lord , and the Lord showed him a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became drinkable. He made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah and He tested them there.^(v)

He said, "If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, I will not inflict any illnesses on you that I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am Yahweh who heals you."^(w)

Then they came to Elim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms, and they camped there by the waters.