The Song of Moses
Study note
This victory song is one of the oldest pieces of poetry in the Bible. Moses and the people sang it to celebrate God's triumph over the Egyptian army at the Red Sea. The song praises God as a warrior who threw the horses and riders into the sea. It describes the waters piling up like walls and then crashing down on the enemy. The song also looks forward, describing how the nations around them would tremble when they heard what God had done. It declares that God will bring His people to the Promised Land and reign forever.
1 Then Moses and the Israelites burst into this song for the Lord: "I will sing to the Lord — what an incredible victory he has won! He hurled horse and rider alike into the sea!" Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2 "The Lord is my strength and my song. He is the one who saved me! He is my God, and I will praise him. He is the God my ancestors worshiped, and I will lift him high!" The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3 "The Lord is a mighty warrior! The Lord — that is his name!" The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
4 "He tossed Pharaoh's chariots and army into the sea. Pharaoh's finest officers sank beneath the Red Sea." Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
5 "The deep ocean waters closed over them. They dropped to the bottom like rocks." The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
6 "Your right hand, Lord, is breathtaking in power! Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy!" Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
7 "In the greatness of your majesty, you toppled everyone who stood against you. You released your fierce anger, and it burned them up like dry straw." And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
8 "When you blew your breath, the waters stacked up high. The rushing currents stood at attention like a wall. The deep waters turned solid in the heart of the sea." And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 "The enemy boasted, 'I will chase them down! I will overtake them! I will divide up everything they own! I will take all I want! I will draw my sword, and my own power will finish them off!'" 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.
10 "But you breathed on the sea, and the waters buried them. They dropped like lead into the churning depths." Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11 "Lord, who among all the gods comes close to you? Who else is so magnificent in holiness? Who else is so awe-inspiring in glory? Who else works wonders like you?" Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 "You reached out your right hand, and the earth opened up and swallowed them whole." Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13 "With your unfailing love, you led the people you set free. With your strength, you guided them toward the place where you dwell in holiness." Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
14 "The other nations will hear about this and shake with fear. The people of Philistia will be gripped with dread." The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
15 "The leaders of Edom will be horrified. The rulers of Moab will tremble uncontrollably. Every person living in Canaan will lose their nerve." Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
16 "Terror and dread will overwhelm them. Faced with your mighty power, they will freeze like stone — until your people have safely passed through, Lord, until the people you claimed for yourself have passed by." Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
17 "You will bring them home and plant them on your own mountain, Lord. This is the place you made for yourself to live in, the sanctuary your own hands built." Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
18 "The Lord will be king forever and ever!" The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
19 This all happened because Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen had charged into the sea, and the Lord brought the waters crashing back down on top of them. But the Israelites walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
Bitter Water at Marah and Rest at Elim
Study note
The celebration was short-lived. The Israelites traveled three days into the wilderness without finding water. When they finally found water at Marah, it was too bitter to drink. The name Marah means 'bitter.' The people complained to Moses. God showed Moses a piece of wood to throw into the water, and the water became sweet. God told the people that if they obeyed Him, He would protect them from the diseases He brought on Egypt. Then they came to Elim, a beautiful oasis with twelve springs and seventy palm trees.
22 Moses then led the Israelites away from the Red Sea and into the Shur wilderness. For three whole days they traveled without finding a single drop of water. So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23 When they finally reached a place called Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was too bitter. That is how Marah got its name — it means "bitter." And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 The people turned on Moses and grumbled, "So what exactly are we supposed to drink?" And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord pointed out a special piece of wood. Moses tossed it into the water, and the water became perfectly drinkable. There, God established rules and guidelines for the people and put them to the test. And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
26 God told them, "Truly listen to the Lord your God. Do what is right in his eyes. Follow his commands. Obey all his rules. Then I will not bring on you the diseases I put on the Egyptians. I am the Lord. I am the one who heals you." And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
27 From there they traveled to Elim, where they discovered twelve freshwater springs and seventy palm trees. They made camp there beside the water. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.