Pharaoh Chases the Israelites
Study note
God told the Israelites to camp by the sea in a position that would make it look like they were lost and trapped. This was part of God's plan to lure Pharaoh into one final confrontation. When Pharaoh heard the Israelites had fled, he changed his mind about letting them go. He gathered six hundred of his best chariots and his entire army and chased after them. The Egyptians caught up to the Israelites as they were camped by the Red Sea.
1 The Lord gave Moses new directions. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Have the Israelites change course and set up camp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, facing Baal Zephon. Make camp there along the shore." Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
3 "Pharaoh will assume the Israelites are lost and wandering in circles, boxed in by the desert." For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
4 "I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he chases after them. Then I will display my glory through what happens to Pharaoh and his whole army. After that, every Egyptian will know that I am the Lord." The Israelites did as they were told. 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.
5 When news reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials had second thoughts. "What were we thinking?" they said. "We gave up our entire slave workforce!" 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?
6 Pharaoh had his war chariot made ready and gathered his army. And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
7 Pharaoh gathered 600 of Egypt's finest chariots. He also took every other chariot he could find. Each one had an officer in charge. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
8 The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and the king of Egypt launched a pursuit of the Israelites. But the Israelites were marching out fearlessly. 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.
9 The whole Egyptian force raced after them. All of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and riders chased them. They caught up near the sea by Pi Hahiroth, across from Baal Zephon. 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 Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
The Israelites Cry Out in Fear
Study note
When the Israelites saw the Egyptian army marching toward them, they were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They angrily accused Moses of bringing them into the wilderness to die, saying it would have been better to stay as slaves in Egypt. Moses gave one of the most famous commands in the Bible: 'Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch the Lord fight for you. You only need to be still.'
10 As Pharaoh's army drew near, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians closing in on them. Sheer terror gripped them, and they cried out desperately to the Lord. 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.
11 Then they turned on Moses: "Were there not enough graves back in Egypt? Is that why you dragged us out here — to die in the desert? Look what you have done to us by taking us out of Egypt!" 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?
12 "Did we not tell you back in Egypt, 'Leave us alone! Let us serve the Egyptians'? Being slaves in Egypt was better than dying out here in the wilderness!" 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.
13 Moses told the people, "Do not panic. Stand your ground and watch — today you are going to witness the Lord rescue you. These Egyptians you see right now? After today, you will never lay eyes on them again." 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.
14 "The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
God Parts the Red Sea
Study note
God told Moses to stop crying out and to tell the people to move forward. Moses was to raise his staff and stretch his hand over the sea. God would divide the waters so the Israelites could walk through on dry ground. The angel of God and the pillar of cloud moved from the front of the Israelites to behind them, placing a barrier of cloud and darkness between the Israelites and the Egyptian army. Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and God drove the water back with a strong east wind all night long, creating walls of water on each side.
15 The Lord asked Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to start moving!" And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
16 "Lift your staff high, stretch your hand out over the sea, and split the water apart. The Israelites will walk right through on dry land." 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.
17 "I will harden the Egyptians' hearts so they follow you straight into the sea. Then I will win glory through what happens to Pharaoh, his army, his chariots, and his horsemen." 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.
18 "When I show my glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen, all of Egypt will know that I am the Lord." 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.
19 The angel of God, who had been leading the Israelite march, shifted to the back of the column. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and took a position behind them. 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:
20 The cloud settled in between the Egyptian army and the Israelites. On the Egyptian side, it brought deep darkness. On the Israelite side, it provided light all through the night. The two groups never came close to each other the entire night. 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.
21 Then Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back with a fierce east wind that howled all night long. The seabed turned into dry land as the waters split apart. 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.
22 The Israelites walked straight through the middle of the sea on dry ground. Towering walls of water rose up on their right side and their left side. 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.
The Egyptian Army Is Destroyed
Study note
The Egyptians foolishly chased the Israelites into the path through the sea. In the early morning hours, God looked down on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and cloud and threw them into confusion. He caused the wheels of their chariots to come off, making them impossible to drive. The Egyptians cried out, 'The Lord is fighting for Israel! Let us get away!' But God told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea again, and the walls of water came crashing down on the entire Egyptian army. Not one of them survived. This was the greatest act of salvation in the Old Testament.
23 The Egyptians chased after them. Every one of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen rushed into the sea after them. 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.
24 Just before dawn, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud. He threw their troops into total confusion. 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,
25 He caused the wheels of their chariots to jam and fall off, making them nearly impossible to drive. The Egyptian soldiers shouted, "We need to get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting on their side against us!" 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.
26 Then the Lord told Moses, "Stretch your hand back out over the sea. The waters will crash down on the Egyptians — on their chariots and their horsemen." 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.
27 Moses stretched his hand over the sea. As dawn broke, the sea came surging back to its normal place. The Egyptians tried to flee from it, but the Lord swept them straight into the churning water. 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.
28 The returning waters swallowed the chariots, the horsemen, and every last soldier of Pharaoh's army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them made it out alive. 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.
29 But the Israelites had crossed safely through the sea on completely dry ground, with water standing like walls on both sides of them. 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.
30 That day, the Lord rescued Israel from the power of Egypt. The Israelites could see Egyptian bodies washed up along the shore. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
31 When the Israelites witnessed the incredible power the Lord had unleashed against Egypt, they were filled with awe. They believed in the Lord and placed their trust in his servant Moses. 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.