1Mluvil pak Hospodin k Mojžíšovi, řka: 2Mluv k synům Izraelským, ať navrátíce se, rozbijí stany před Fiarot, mezi Magdalem a mořem, proti Belsefon; naproti němu rozbijete stany při moři. 3A dí Farao o synech Izraelských: Ssouženi jsou na zemi, sevřela je poušť. 4I zatvrdím srdce Faraonovo, a honiti je bude, a oslaven budu v Faraonovi a ve všem vojsku jeho; a zvědí Egyptští, že já jsem Hospodin. I učinili tak. 5Povědíno pak bylo králi Egyptskému, že by lid utíkal. I obráceno jest srdce Faraonovo a služebníků jeho proti lidu, a řekli: Co jsme to učinili, že jsme propustili Izraele, aby nesloužil nám? 6Protož zapřáhl do svého vozu, a lid svůj vzal s sebou. 7A vzal šest set vozů vybraných, i všecky vozy Egyptské, nad nimiž nade všemi byli hejtmané. 8I zatvrdil Hospodin srdce Faraona krále Egyptského, tak že honil syny Izraelské; synové pak Izraelští vyšli v ruce vyvýšené. 9I honili je Egyptští, a postihli je, když se položili při moři, všickni vozové Faraonovi, a jezdci jeho i vojsko jeho podlé Fiarot, před Belsefon. 10A když se přiblížil Farao, pozdvihli synové Izraelští očí svých, a aj, Egyptští táhnou za nimi. I báli se velmi, a volali synové Izraelští k Hospodinu. 11A řekli Mojžíšovi: Zdali proto, že ne bylo hrobů v Egyptě, vyvedl jsi nás, abychom zemřeli na poušti? Co jsi nám to učinil, že jsi vyvedl nás z Egypta? 12Zdali jsme toho nemluvili tobě ještě v Egyptě, řkouce: Nech nás, ať sloužíme Egyptským? Nebo lépe bylo nám sloužiti Egyptským, než zemříti na poušti. 13I řekl Mojžíš lidu: Nebojte se, stůjte a vizte spasení Hospodinovo, kteréž vám způsobí dnes; nebo Egyptských, kteréž jste viděli dnes, neuzříte nikdy více až na věky. 14Hospodin bojovati bude za vás, a vy mlčeti budete. 15I řekl Hospodin Mojžíšovi: Co voláš ke mně? Mluv synům Izraelským, ať jdou předce. 16Ty pak zdvihni hůl svou, a vztáhni ruku svou na moře, a rozděl je; a nechať jdou synové Izraelští prostředkem moře po suše. 17Jáť pak, aj, já zatvrdím srdce Egyptských, a vejdou za nimi; i budu oslaven v Faraonovi, a ve všem vojsku jeho, v vozích jeho i v jezdcích jeho. 18A zvědí Egyptští, že já jsem Hospodin, když oslaven budu v Faraonovi, v vozích jeho a v jezdcích jeho. 19I bral se anděl Boží, kterýž byl prvé předcházel vojsko Izraelské, a šel z zadu za nimi; nebo hnul se sloup oblakový, kterýž byl před nimi, a stál z zadu za nimi. 20A přišed mezi vojska Egyptských a vojska Izraelská, byl Egyptským oblakem a tmou, Izraelským pak osvěcoval noc, tak aby nepřiblížili se jedni k druhým přes celou noc. 21I vztáhl Mojžíš ruku svou na moře, a Hospodin rozdělil moře větrem východním prudce vějícím přes celou noc; a učinil moře v suchost, když se rozstoupily vody. 22Tedy šli synové Izraelští prostředkem moře po suše, a vody jim byly jako zed po pravé i po levé straně. 23A honíce je Egyptští, vešli za nimi do prostřed moře, všecka jízda Faraonova, vozové i jízdní jeho. 24Stalo se pak v bdění jitřním, že pohleděl Hospodin na vojska Egyptských z sloupu ohně a oblaku, a zmátl vojsko Egyptské. 25A odjal kola vozů jejich, aby je těžce táhli. I řekli Egyptští: Utecme před Izraelem, nebo Hospodin bojuje za ně proti Egyptským. 26Tedy řekl Hospodin Mojžíšovi: Vztáhni ruku svou na moře, ať se zase vrátí vody na Egyptské, na vozy jejich a na jezdce jejich. 27I vztáhl Mojžíš ruku svou na moře, a navrátilo se moře ráno k moci své, a Egyptští utíkali proti němu; a vrazil Hospodin Egyptské do prostřed moře. 28A navrátivše se vody, zatopily vozy i jezdce se vším vojskem Faraonovým, což jich koli vešlo za nimi do moře, tak že nezůstal z nich ani jeden. 29Ale synové Izraelští šli po suchu prostředkem moře, a vody jim byly místo zdi po pravé i po levé straně. 30A tak vysvobodil Hospodin v ten den Izraele z ruky Egyptských; a viděl Izrael Egyptské mrtvé na břehu mořském. 31Viděl také Izrael moc velikou, kterouž prokázal Hospodin na Egyptských. I bál se lid Hospodina, a věřili Hospodinu i Mojžíšovi, služebníku jeho.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 GOD INSTRUCTS THE ISRAELITES AS TO THEIR JOURNEY. (Exo. 14:1-31)
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp--The Israelites had now completed their three days' journey, and at Etham the decisive step would have to be taken whether they would celebrate their intended feast and return, or march onwards by the head of the Red Sea into the desert, with a view to a final departure. They were already on the borders of the desert, and a short march would have placed them beyond the reach of pursuit, as the chariots of Egypt could have made little progress over dry and yielding sand. But at Etham, instead of pursuing their journey eastward with the sea on their right, they were suddenly commanded to diverge to the south, keeping the gulf on their left; a route which not only detained them lingering on the confines of Egypt, but, in adopting it, they actually turned their backs on the land of which they had set out to obtain the possession. A movement so unexpected, and of which the ultimate design was carefully concealed, could not but excite the astonishment of all, even of Moses himself, although, from his implicit faith in the wisdom and power of his heavenly Guide, he obeyed. The object was to entice Pharaoh to pursue, in order that the moral effect, which the judgments on Egypt had produced in releasing God's people from bondage, might be still further extended over the nations by the awful events transacted at the Red Sea.
Pi-hahiroth--the mouth of the defile, or pass--a description well suited to that of Bedea, which extended from the Nile and opens on the shore of the Red Sea.
Migdol--a fortress or citadel.
Baal-zephon--some marked site on the opposite or eastern coast.
3 the wilderness hath shut them in--Pharaoh, who would eagerly watch their movements, was now satisfied that they were meditating flight, and he naturally thought from the error into which they appeared to have fallen by entering that defile, he could intercept them. He believed them now entirely in his power, the mountain chain being on one side, the sea on the other, so that, if he pursued them in the rear, escape seemed impossible.
5 the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, &c.--Alas, how soon the obduracy of this reprobate king reappears! He had been convinced, but not converted--overawed, but not sanctified by the appalling judgments of heaven. He bitterly repented of what he now thought a hasty concession. Pride and revenge, the honor of his kingdom, and the interests of his subjects, all prompted him to recall his permission to reclaim those runaway slaves and force them to their wonted labor. Strange that he should yet allow such considerations to obliterate or outweigh all his painful experience of the danger of oppressing that people. But those whom the Lord has doomed to destruction are first infatuated by sin.
6 he made ready his chariot--His preparations for an immediate and hot pursuit are here described: A difference is made between "the chosen chariots" and "the chariots of Egypt." The first evidently composed the king's guard, amounting to six hundred, and they are called "chosen," literally, "third men"; three men being allotted to each chariot, the charioteer and two warriors. As to "the chariots of Egypt," the common cars contained only two persons, one for driving and the other for fighting; sometimes only one person was in the chariot, the driver lashed the reins round his body and fought; infantry being totally unsuitable for a rapid pursuit, and the Egyptians having had no cavalry, the word "riders" is in the grammatical connection applied to war chariots employed, and these were of light construction, open behind, and hung on small wheels.
10 when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes--The great consternation of the Israelites is somewhat astonishing, considering their vast superiority in numbers, but their deep dismay and absolute despair at the sight of this armed host receives a satisfactory explanation from the fact that the civilized state of Egyptian society required the absence of all arms, except when they were on service. If the Israelites were entirely unarmed at their departure, they could not think of making any resistance [WILKINSON and HENGSTENBERG].
13 Moses said, . . . Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord--Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the sublimest examples of moral courage to be found in history. And whence did his courage arise? He saw the miraculous cloud still accompanying them, and his confidence arose solely from the hope of a divine interposition, although, perhaps, he might have looked for the expected deliverance in every quarter, rather than in the direction of the sea.
15 the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? &c.--When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation of his mighty charge was to be effected.
19 the angel of God--that is, the pillar of cloud [see on
Exod 13:21]. The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air, and occupying a position behind them must have excited the astonishment of the Israelites (
Isa 58:8). It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud produced light (a symbol of favor) to the people of God, and darkness (a symbol of wrath) to their enemies (compare
2Cor 2:16).
21 Moses stretched out his hand, &c.--The waving of the rod was of great importance on this occasion to give public attestation in the presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses and the divine mission with which he was charged.
the Lord caused . . . a strong east wind all that night--Suppose a mere ebb tide caused by the wind, raising the water to a great height on one side, still as there was not only "dry land," but, according to the tenor of the sacred narrative, a wall on the right hand and on the left [
Exod 14:22], it would be impossible on the hypothesis of such a natural cause to rear the wall on the other. The idea of divine interposition, therefore, is imperative; and, assuming the passage to have been made at Mount Attakah, or at the mouth of Wady Tawarik, an east wind would cut the sea in that line. The Hebrew word kedem, however, rendered in our translation, "east," means, in its primary signification, previous; so that this verse might, perhaps, be rendered, "the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong previous wind all that night"; a rendering which would remove the difficulty of supposing the host of Israel marched over on the sand, in the teeth of a rushing column of wind, strong enough to heap up the waters as a wall on each side of a dry path, and give the intelligible narrative of divine interference.
22 the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, &c.--It is highly probable that Moses, along with Aaron, first planted his footsteps on the untrodden sand, encouraging the people to follow him without fear of the treacherous walls; and when we take into account the multitudes that followed him, the immense number who through infancy and old age were incapable of hastening their movements, together with all the appurtenances of the camp, the strong and steadfast character of the leaders' faith was strikingly manifested (
Josh 2:10;
Josh 4:23;
Ps 66:6;
Ps 74:13;
Ps 106:9;
Ps 136:13;
Isa 63:11-
Isa 63:13;
1Cor 10:1;
Heb 11:29).
23 the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea--From the darkness caused by the intercepting cloud, it is probable that they were not aware on what ground they were driving: they heard the sound of the fugitives before them, and they pushed on with the fury of the avengers of blood, without dreaming that they were on the bared bed of the sea.
24 Lord looked . . . through . . . the cloud, and troubled them--We suppose the fact to have been that the side of the pillar of cloud towards the Egyptians was suddenly, and for a few moments, illuminated with a blaze of light, which, coming as it were in a refulgent flash upon the dense darkness which had preceded, so frightened the horses of the pursuers that they rushed confusedly together and became unmanageable. "Let us flee," was the cry that resounded through the broken and trembling ranks, but it was too late; all attempts at flight were vain [BUSH].
27 Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, &c.--What circumstances could more clearly demonstrate the miraculous character of this transaction than that at the waving of Moses' rod, the dividing waters left the channel dry, and on his making the same motion on the opposite side, they returned, commingling with instantaneous fury? Is such the character of any ebb tide?
28 there remained not so much as one of them--It is surprising that, with such a declaration, some intelligent writers can maintain there is no evidence of the destruction of Pharaoh himself (
Ps 106:11).
30 Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore, &c.--The tide threw them up and left multitudes of corpses on the beach; a result that brought greater infamy on the Egyptians, but that tended, on the other hand, to enhance the triumph of the Israelites, and doubtless enriched them with arms, which they had not before. The locality of this famous passage has not yet been, and probably never will be, satisfactorily fixed. Some place it in the immediate neighborhood of Suez; where, they say, the part of the sea is most likely to be affected by "a strong east wind" [
Exod 14:21]; where the road from the defile of Migdol (now Muktala) leads directly to this point; and where the sea, not above two miles broad, could be crossed in a short time. The vast majority, however, who have examined the spot, reject this opinion, and fix the passage, as does local tradition, about ten or twelve miles further down the shore at Wady Tawarik. "The time of the miracle was the whole night, at the season of the year, too, when the night would be about its average length. The sea at that point extends from six and a half to eight miles in breadth. There was thus ample time for the passage of the Israelites from any part of the valley, especially considering their excitement and animation by the gracious and wonderful interposition of Providence in their behalf" [WILSON].
