Exodus 14 Study Notes
General
How did the Israelites cross the sea, according to 14:21-22?
Answer: They walked across the seabed on dry land, with the water standing like a wall on either side
Moses held out his hand toward the waters, and through the night God drove the sea back by a powerful wind from the east, turning the seabed into dry land. The waters parted, and Israel walked across on a dry path, with water standing like a wall on each side (14:21-22). The wind was the tool God used, but the text presents the whole event as God's mighty act: water does not naturally stand up like walls. The psalmist says God split the waters and made the waters stand like a wall (Psalm 78:13), and Isaiah says God opened a highway through the deep for His redeemed people (Isaiah 51:10). Paul later says that Israel, having gone beneath the cloud and through the sea, was baptized into Moses (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Just as baptism marks a Christian as belonging to Christ, passing through the sea marked Israel as a people joined to Moses, the leader God had given them.
- Exodus 14:21-22 (BSB)“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.”The LORD drives back the sea through the night, and Israel crosses on dry ground between walls of water.
- Psalm 78:13 (BSB)“He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.”The psalmist credits God with splitting the sea and making the waters stand like a wall.
- Isaiah 51:10 (BSB)“Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?”Recalls that God dried up the sea and made a road in its depths for the redeemed to cross.
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 (BSB)“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”Paul says Israel was baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, identifying them with their God-given mediator.
Theological
What does 14:21-22 record about the crossing?
Answer: That the LORD, using a powerful wind from the east through the night, parted the waters so Israel crossed on a dry path with water standing like a wall on either side
At Moses' outstretched hand, the LORD drives the sea back through the night by a powerful wind from the east; the waters part and Israel crosses on a dry path with water standing like a wall on either side (14:21-22). The wind is God's instrument, but the narrative presents the event as a mighty act of God, not a natural phenomenon: the psalmist says He made the waters stand up like a wall (Psalm 78:13), and Isaiah celebrates the road made in the depths for the redeemed (Isaiah 51:10). Paul reads the crossing typologically: Israel, beneath the cloud and through the sea, was baptized into Moses (1 Corinthians 10:1-2), their passage through the waters identifying them with the mediator God had appointed, in the way Christian baptism signifies union with Christ.
- Exodus 14:21-22 (BSB)“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.”The LORD drives back the sea through the night, and Israel crosses on dry ground between walls of water.
- Psalm 78:13 (BSB)“He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.”The psalmist credits God with splitting the sea and making the waters stand like a wall.
- Isaiah 51:10 (BSB)“Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?”Recalls that God dried up the sea and made a road in its depths for the redeemed to cross.
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 (BSB)“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”Paul says Israel was baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, identifying them with their God-given mediator.
General
True or False: In 14:17 God says He will make the Egyptians' hearts stubborn, so that they follow Israel into the sea.
Answer: True
This is true. This time God speaks of hardening not only Pharaoh but the Egyptians as a group, so that they chase Israel into the sea (14:17). Through the king and his chariot force God will gain glory, and Egypt will learn that He is the LORD (14:18). God had earlier said He was hardening the hearts of Pharaoh's officials too (Exodus 10:1), and the Bible records Him doing the same thing later with the kings of Canaan (Joshua 11:20). Paul sums it up: God shows mercy to whom He wills and hardens whom He wills (Romans 9:18). The Egyptians were not forced against their own desires; they wanted to recapture their slaves, and God's hardening gave them over to that desire, leading to their judgment.
- Exodus 14:17-18 (BSB)“And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.””God says He will harden the Egyptians' hearts so they follow Israel, and that He will gain honor over them.
- Joshua 11:20 (BSB)“For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.”Another case in which God hardened hearts to engage Israel in battle, leading to their destruction.
- Exodus 10:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,”God had earlier said He hardened the hearts of Pharaoh's officials as well as Pharaoh's.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul's summary: God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
Theological
True or False: In 14:17 the hardening God announces extends beyond Pharaoh to the Egyptians generally, so that they follow Israel into the sea.
Answer: True
This is true. God announces a hardening of the Egyptians' hearts so that they follow Israel in, and that He will be honored through the king and his whole chariot force, so that Egypt will know He is the LORD (14:17-18). The hardening is corporate, as it was with Pharaoh's officials (Exodus 10:1) and later with the Canaanite kings (Joshua 11:20). It is judicial: God gives the Egyptians over to the very pursuit their own hearts desire, which ends in their destruction. Paul's conclusion applies directly: He shows mercy to whomever He wills, and whomever He wills He hardens (Romans 9:18).
- Exodus 14:17-18 (BSB)“And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.””God says He will harden the Egyptians' hearts so they follow Israel, and that He will gain honor over them.
- Joshua 11:20 (BSB)“For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.”Another case in which God hardened hearts to engage Israel in battle, leading to their destruction.
- Exodus 10:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,”God had earlier said He hardened the hearts of Pharaoh's officials as well as Pharaoh's.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul's summary: God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
General
According to 14:4, what does God say He will accomplish through Pharaoh's pursuit?
Answer: He will make Pharaoh stubborn enough to give chase, and win glory over Pharaoh and his army so Egypt knows He is the LORD
God tells Moses exactly what will happen: He will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn, Pharaoh will chase Israel, and God will win glory for Himself over Pharaoh and his whole army, so that Egypt will come to know Him as the LORD (14:4). To harden a heart means to make it stubborn and unwilling to yield. The Bible teaches that God is in complete control, even over a king's stubbornness. Paul quotes God's words about Pharaoh and concludes that God shows mercy to whomever He chooses and hardens whomever He chooses (Romans 9:17-18). God had said from the beginning that the Egyptians would come to know Him as the LORD (Exodus 7:5). Yet Pharaoh is never an innocent puppet: the same story repeatedly says he hardened his own heart, and God is never the author of his sin. Paul also speaks of God patiently enduring vessels of wrath in order to display His power (Romans 9:22), which is exactly how He dealt with Pharaoh.
- Exodus 14:4 (BSB)“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.”God states that He will harden Pharaoh's heart and gain honor through Pharaoh and his army.
- Romans 9:17-18 (BSB)“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul cites God's purpose in raising up Pharaoh and concludes that God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
- Exodus 7:5 (BSB)“And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.””God had announced from the start that the Egyptians would know He is the LORD when He brought Israel out.
- Romans 9:22 (BSB)“What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?”Paul describes God enduring vessels of wrath in order to make His power known, the very pattern seen with Pharaoh.
Theological
What purpose does God announce in 14:4 for Pharaoh's pursuit?
Answer: To harden Pharaoh so that the king gives chase, bringing God glory over Pharaoh's forces and teaching Egypt that He is the LORD
God announces both the means and the end: He will harden Pharaoh so that the king gives chase, and He will be glorified through the king and his whole army, so that Egypt will know that He is the LORD (14:4; cf. 7:5). Paul draws precisely on God's purpose in raising up Pharaoh to conclude that God shows mercy to whomever He wills and hardens whomever He wills (Romans 9:17-18), and that He bears with vessels of wrath to display His power (Romans 9:22). God's sovereign hardening is real and purposeful; yet Pharaoh's hardness is also genuinely his own, and he is fully culpable for it. God ordains the event for His glory without being the author of Pharaoh's sin.
- Exodus 14:4 (BSB)“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.”God states that He will harden Pharaoh's heart and gain honor through Pharaoh and his army.
- Romans 9:17-18 (BSB)“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul cites God's purpose in raising up Pharaoh and concludes that God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
- Exodus 7:5 (BSB)“And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.””God had announced from the start that the Egyptians would know He is the LORD when He brought Israel out.
- Romans 9:22 (BSB)“What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?”Paul describes God enduring vessels of wrath in order to make His power known, the very pattern seen with Pharaoh.
General
How did the Israelites respond after seeing the LORD's great power against the Egyptians (14:31)?
Answer: They stood in awe of the LORD and trusted both Him and Moses His servant
Once Israel saw the mighty power the LORD had used against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD, meaning they were filled with deep reverence and awe, and they put their trust in Him and also in Moses, who served Him (14:31). Just before the crossing they had accused Moses of leading them to their deaths (14:11-12). Now their fear of Egypt had turned into fear of God. The psalmist says that at this point they trusted God's promises and sang praise to Him, but he also warns that they soon forgot what He had done (Psalm 106:12-13). Moses is called God's servant, faithful throughout God's household (Hebrews 3:5). In the same way, Jesus' first miracle displayed His glory and led His disciples to trust in Him (John 2:11).
- Exodus 14:31 (BSB)“When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.”Seeing the LORD's power, Israel fears the LORD and believes in Him and in Moses His servant.
- Psalm 106:12-13 (BSB)“Then they believed His promises and sang His praise. Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel.”The psalmist records that Israel believed and sang, yet soon forgot God's works.
- Hebrews 3:5 (BSB)“Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later.”Calls Moses faithful as a servant in God's house, the role in which Israel now trusts him.
- John 2:11 (BSB)“Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”Shows the same pattern in Christ's ministry: a mighty sign revealing glory, and disciples believing.
Theological
What is Israel's response in 14:31 to the LORD's great work against Egypt?
Answer: They stood in awe of the LORD and trusted both Him and Moses His servant
Seeing the great hand the LORD had used against Egypt, the people revered the LORD and put their trust in Him and also in Moses His servant (14:31), a striking reversal of their terror and accusation in 14:10-12. The fear of Egypt gives way to the fear of God. Trust in the mediator follows trust in the LORD, since Moses served faithfully in all God's household (Hebrews 3:5). Yet Psalm 106:12-13 notes both that they believed and sang, and that His works quickly slipped from their memory, a sober reminder that faith must persevere and not rest on a single experience of deliverance. The pattern of sign, revealed glory, and faith reappears in Christ's first sign at Cana (John 2:11).
- Exodus 14:31 (BSB)“When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.”Seeing the LORD's power, Israel fears the LORD and believes in Him and in Moses His servant.
- Psalm 106:12-13 (BSB)“Then they believed His promises and sang His praise. Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel.”The psalmist records that Israel believed and sang, yet soon forgot God's works.
- Hebrews 3:5 (BSB)“Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later.”Calls Moses faithful as a servant in God's house, the role in which Israel now trusts him.
- John 2:11 (BSB)“Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”Shows the same pattern in Christ's ministry: a mighty sign revealing glory, and disciples believing.
General
When the Israelites saw the Egyptian army coming, what bitter question did they throw at Moses (14:11)?
Answer: Whether Egypt had run out of burial places, so he had led them into the desert to perish
When Israel caught sight of the Egyptian army closing in, they panicked and cried to the LORD for help (14:10). Then they turned on Moses with sarcasm, asking whether Egypt had run out of graves, so that he had to bring them into the desert to die. They even claimed they had told him in Egypt to leave them alone, since serving the Egyptians was better than dying in the wilderness (14:11-12). Fear made them forget all the plagues they had just watched God send. The psalmist remembers this moment as rebellion by the sea, yet says God rescued them anyway, for His own name's sake (Psalm 106:7-8). Sadly, the same complaining pattern appeared again later (Numbers 14:2-4).
- Exodus 14:10-12 (BSB)“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.””Terrified by the approaching army, the Israelites cry out to the LORD and bitterly accuse Moses.
- Psalm 106:7-8 (BSB)“Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders or remember Your abundant kindness; but they rebelled by the sea, there at the Red Sea. Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known.”Recalls that Israel rebelled at the Red Sea, yet God saved them for His name's sake.
- Numbers 14:2-4 (BSB)“All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.””Shows the same pattern repeated later, when Israel wished to die in Egypt and planned to return there.
Theological
How does Israel respond to Moses when the Egyptian army approaches (14:10-12)?
Answer: With terror and bitter sarcasm, asking whether Egypt lacked graves and claiming slavery was preferable
Israel cries to the LORD in terror and then accuses Moses with sarcasm: had he brought them out because Egypt had no graves? Slavery, they say, would have been preferable to death in the desert (14:10-12). The ten plagues were fresh in memory, yet unbelief reinterprets deliverance as a death march. Psalm 106 names this as rebellion beside the sea and stresses that God saved them anyway, for His name's sake, to display His power (Psalm 106:7-8), a deliverance grounded in God's glory rather than Israel's merit. The same unbelieving pattern recurs at Kadesh (Numbers 14:2-4).
- Exodus 14:10-12 (BSB)“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.””Terrified by the approaching army, the Israelites cry out to the LORD and bitterly accuse Moses.
- Psalm 106:7-8 (BSB)“Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders or remember Your abundant kindness; but they rebelled by the sea, there at the Red Sea. Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known.”Recalls that Israel rebelled at the Red Sea, yet God saved them for His name's sake.
- Numbers 14:2-4 (BSB)“All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.””Shows the same pattern repeated later, when Israel wished to die in Egypt and planned to return there.
General
True or False: A few of Pharaoh's charioteers escaped the returning waters and fled back to Egypt.
Answer: False
This is false. At God's command Moses held out his hand toward the waters again, and at dawn the sea went back to its usual place. As the Egyptians attempted to retreat, the LORD hurled them into the waves. The water buried Pharaoh's chariots and riders, the whole army that had followed Israel in, and none of them survived (14:26-28). The psalmist says the same thing: not one of Israel's enemies remained (Psalm 106:11). Hebrews explains the difference between the two groups: Israel crossed by faith, but the Egyptians who attempted it drowned (Hebrews 11:29). The same sea that was a path of rescue for God's people was a place of judgment for His enemies (compare Isaiah 43:16-17).
- Exodus 14:26-28 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea. The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”At God's command Moses stretches out his hand, the sea returns, and the whole pursuing army is covered.
- Hebrews 11:29 (BSB)“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.”Israel passed through by faith, but the Egyptians who attempted the same were drowned.
- Psalm 106:11 (BSB)“The waters covered their foes; not one of them remained.”The psalmist confirms that the waters covered Israel's foes and not one remained.
- Isaiah 43:16-17 (BSB)“Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters, who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:”Recalls the LORD bringing out chariots and horses to lie down, never to rise again.
Theological
True or False: According to 14:28, some of the Egyptian force that followed Israel into the sea survived the returning waters.
Answer: False
This is false. When Moses again stretches out his hand, the sea returns at daybreak, the LORD sweeps the fleeing Egyptians into it, and the waters cover Pharaoh's chariots and riders, the entire army that had entered after Israel; no one survived (14:26-28; cf. Psalm 106:11). Hebrews draws the contrast: by faith Israel passed through as if on dry land, while the Egyptians attempting it were drowned (Hebrews 11:29). The same waters are salvation for the redeemed and judgment for the enemies of God, a pattern Isaiah recalls when he speaks of Egypt's chariotry lying still, never to get up again (Isaiah 43:16-17).
- Exodus 14:26-28 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea. The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”At God's command Moses stretches out his hand, the sea returns, and the whole pursuing army is covered.
- Hebrews 11:29 (BSB)“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.”Israel passed through by faith, but the Egyptians who attempted the same were drowned.
- Psalm 106:11 (BSB)“The waters covered their foes; not one of them remained.”The psalmist confirms that the waters covered Israel's foes and not one remained.
- Isaiah 43:16-17 (BSB)“Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters, who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:”Recalls the LORD bringing out chariots and horses to lie down, never to rise again.
General
True or False: God tells Moses that Pharaoh will look at Israel's camp and conclude that the Israelites are lost and trapped by the desert.
Answer: True
This is true. God tells Moses in advance that Pharaoh will say the Israelites are wandering around confused, hemmed in by the wilderness (14:3). God used Israel's odd camping spot to draw Pharaoh out. What looked like weakness was bait in God's plan. Scripture says the LORD overturns what nations scheme (Psalm 33:10) and catches the clever in their own schemes (Job 5:13). Pharaoh thought he was reading the situation shrewdly, but he was walking into God's judgment.
- Exodus 14:3 (BSB)“For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’”God foretells how Pharaoh will read Israel's position.
- Psalm 33:10 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.”The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations, as He is about to do with Pharaoh's calculation.
- Job 5:13 (BSB)“He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.”God catches the clever in their own schemes, the pattern of Pharaoh's miscalculation.
Theological
True or False: According to 14:3, God foretells that Pharaoh will interpret Israel's position as proof that they are confused and hemmed in by the wilderness.
Answer: True
This is true. God predicts Pharaoh's reading of the situation: Israel is wandering in confusion and the wilderness has shut them in (14:3). The apparent vulnerability is God's own design to draw Pharaoh into pursuit. The LORD overturns the counsel of the nations (Psalm 33:10) and traps the clever in their own cunning (Job 5:13); Pharaoh's shrewd calculation becomes the very means of his overthrow.
- Exodus 14:3 (BSB)“For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’”God foretells how Pharaoh will read Israel's position.
- Psalm 33:10 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.”The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations, as He is about to do with Pharaoh's calculation.
- Job 5:13 (BSB)“He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.”God catches the clever in their own schemes, the pattern of Pharaoh's miscalculation.
General
True or False: Pharaoh took 600 of his finest chariots, along with the rest of Egypt's chariots, when he set out after Israel.
Answer: True
This is true. Pharaoh got his own chariot ready, gathered his army, and took 600 choice chariots plus every other chariot in Egypt, with officers commanding them (14:6-7). Chariots were the most powerful military weapon of that time, and Israel was a crowd of former slaves on foot. Yet Scripture repeatedly teaches that horses and chariots are nothing compared to the LORD. Some rely on chariots, but God's people trust in His name (Psalm 20:7). Later, Israel was warned not to rely on Egypt's chariots (Isaiah 31:1) and not to fear any army with horses and chariots, because the God who brought them out of Egypt was with them (Deuteronomy 20:1).
- Exodus 14:6-7 (BSB)“So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him. He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.”Pharaoh assembles his chariot force with 600 choice chariots and all the rest of Egypt's chariots.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”Contrasts trust in chariots and horses with trust in the name of the LORD.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Warns against relying on Egypt's chariots and horsemen instead of the LORD, the very power defeated at the sea.
- Deuteronomy 20:1 (BSB)“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”Later tells Israel not to fear horses and chariots, because the God who brought them out of Egypt is with them.
Theological
True or False: The pursuing force described in 14:6-7 included 600 choice chariots in addition to the rest of Egypt's chariotry, with officers over them.
Answer: True
This is true. Pharaoh mobilized his personal chariot, his army, 600 select chariots, and the rest of Egypt's chariots, each under officers (14:6-7), the most formidable military technology of the day, arrayed against a multitude of former slaves on foot. The disparity is the point. Israel's later worship and prophecy set trust in the LORD's name against trust in chariots (Psalm 20:7), condemn reliance on Egypt's horsemen (Isaiah 31:1), and ground courage in battle on the God of the exodus (Deuteronomy 20:1).
- Exodus 14:6-7 (BSB)“So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him. He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.”Pharaoh assembles his chariot force with 600 choice chariots and all the rest of Egypt's chariots.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”Contrasts trust in chariots and horses with trust in the name of the LORD.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Warns against relying on Egypt's chariots and horsemen instead of the LORD, the very power defeated at the sea.
- Deuteronomy 20:1 (BSB)“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”Later tells Israel not to fear horses and chariots, because the God who brought them out of Egypt is with them.
General
What does Moses tell the frightened people to do in 14:13-14?
Answer: Stop fearing, hold their ground, and watch the LORD save them, since He would do battle for them while they stayed calm
Moses answers the people's panic with calm faith. He tells them not to fear, to stand their ground, and to watch the salvation the LORD will bring that very day. The Egyptians in front of them will never appear again. God Himself will do the fighting; the people need only keep still (14:13-14). Salvation here means rescue, and Moses makes it clear that the rescue is entirely God's work. Centuries later, a prophet spoke almost the same words to Judah when a huge army attacked (2 Chronicles 20:17). God tells His people that their real strength is quiet trust in Him (Isaiah 30:15), and He calls them to be quiet and recognize that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
- Exodus 14:13-14 (BSB)“But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””Moses tells the frightened people not to fear, to stand firm, and to watch the LORD save and fight for them.
- 2 Chronicles 20:17 (BSB)“You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’””Echoes Moses' words to Judah centuries later: they will not need to fight but will stand firm and see the LORD's salvation.
- Isaiah 30:15 (BSB)“For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.””God tells His people that their strength lies in quiet trust rather than frantic self-reliance.
- Psalm 46:10 (BSB)““Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.””God calls His people to be still and know that He is God, exalted over the nations.
Theological
What is the substance of Moses' reply to the people in 14:13-14?
Answer: Put away fear, hold your ground, and watch the LORD's rescue, for He will do the fighting while you stay quiet
Moses meets unbelief with a word of pure promise: put away fear, hold your ground, and watch the rescue God will work today; these Egyptians will vanish from your sight forever; the LORD does the fighting while you keep quiet (14:13-14). The deliverance is wholly God's work: He alone fights, and Israel's part is simply to trust Him and receive the rescue. The formula recurs in Jahaziel's word to Judah (2 Chronicles 20:17), and the prophets and psalmist echo the call to quiet trust and stillness before the God who is exalted over the nations (Isaiah 30:15; Psalm 46:10).
- Exodus 14:13-14 (BSB)“But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””Moses tells the frightened people not to fear, to stand firm, and to watch the LORD save and fight for them.
- 2 Chronicles 20:17 (BSB)“You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’””Echoes Moses' words to Judah centuries later: they will not need to fight but will stand firm and see the LORD's salvation.
- Isaiah 30:15 (BSB)“For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.””God tells His people that their strength lies in quiet trust rather than frantic self-reliance.
- Psalm 46:10 (BSB)““Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.””God calls His people to be still and know that He is God, exalted over the nations.
General
What does the LORD tell Moses to do in 14:15-16?
Answer: Tell the people to move forward, and raise his staff and reach his hand out across the waters to split them so the people could cross on a dry path
The LORD asks Moses why he is crying out to Him, and then tells him it is time to act: the people must move forward (14:15). Moses is to raise his staff and reach his hand out across the waters to split them, so the Israelites can walk through on a dry path (14:16). Prayer was right, but now God's answer called for obedience. The staff was the one God had given Moses for doing signs (Exodus 4:17). Moses' hand was the instrument, but the power was God's alone: Isaiah says it was God who parted the waters by Moses' hand to make a lasting name for Himself (Isaiah 63:12).
- Exodus 14:15-16 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”God tells Moses to have the people move forward and to raise his staff over the sea to divide it.
- Exodus 4:17 (BSB)“But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.””God had given Moses the staff specifically to perform signs with it.
- Isaiah 63:12 (BSB)“who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown,”Credits God with dividing the waters before Israel by Moses' hand, to make an everlasting name for Himself.
Theological
What command does the LORD give in 14:15-16?
Answer: That Moses cease crying out and command Israel to go forward, while he lifts his staff over the sea to divide it
The LORD's question, why Moses is crying out to Him, is followed by a command: Israel is to move ahead, and Moses is to raise his staff and extend his hand across the waters to split them, so that Israel may cross on a dry path (14:15-16). The moment for supplication yields to the moment for obedient action on God's word. The staff is the appointed instrument of signs (Exodus 4:17), but Isaiah attributes the division of the waters to God's glorious arm working by the hand of Moses, for His everlasting renown (Isaiah 63:12). Moses is the mediator of the act; God is its author.
- Exodus 14:15-16 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”God tells Moses to have the people move forward and to raise his staff over the sea to divide it.
- Exodus 4:17 (BSB)“But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.””God had given Moses the staff specifically to perform signs with it.
- Isaiah 63:12 (BSB)“who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown,”Credits God with dividing the waters before Israel by Moses' hand, to make an everlasting name for Himself.
General
What happens to God's angel and the cloud pillar in 14:19-20?
Answer: They move from in front of Israel to behind them, standing between Israel and Egypt so neither camp comes near the other all night
God's angel, who had been going ahead of Israel, moved and took up a position behind them, and the cloud column moved from the front to the rear as well. It stood between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. The text speaks of both darkness and light that night, with the cloud lighting up the night, and the result was that neither camp came near the other all night long (14:19-20). God put Himself between His people and their enemies. The psalmist describes the cloud as a protective canopy spread over Israel (Psalm 105:39). God would later promise to send an angel ahead of Israel to guard them on the way (Exodus 23:20), and the psalmist says the LORD's angel surrounds those who revere God and rescues them (Psalm 34:7). Some Bible teachers believe this angel was the Son of God appearing before He became man, while others see a created angel acting for God; either way, the passage shows God Himself protecting His people.
- Exodus 14:19-20 (BSB)“And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them, so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other.”The angel of God and the pillar of cloud move behind Israel and stand between the two camps all night.
- Psalm 105:39 (BSB)“He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to light up the night.”Describes the cloud as a covering spread over Israel, the protective role it plays here.
- Exodus 23:20 (BSB)“Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”God promises to send an angel before Israel to guard them on the way, the same protective ministry seen at the sea.
- Psalm 34:7 (BSB)“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”The angel of the LORD camps around those who fear Him and rescues them.
Theological
What does 14:19-20 describe?
Answer: God's angel and the cloud column moving from before Israel to behind them, standing between the camps so that neither approached the other all night
God's angel, who had been leading the camp, withdraws to the rear, and the cloud column likewise moves from the front to stand between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The text describes the cloud with darkness and yet lighting the night, and the effect is that neither camp comes near the other all night (14:19-20). The divine presence interposes itself between God's people and their enemies, the cloud functioning as a protective covering (Psalm 105:39), in keeping with the angelic guardianship God promises (Exodus 23:20; Psalm 34:7). Whether God's angel here is the pre-incarnate Son, as many in the Reformed tradition hold, or a created angel acting in God's name, the narrative closely links the angel with the pillar in which the LORD Himself is present (14:24).
- Exodus 14:19-20 (BSB)“And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them, so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other.”The angel of God and the pillar of cloud move behind Israel and stand between the two camps all night.
- Psalm 105:39 (BSB)“He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to light up the night.”Describes the cloud as a covering spread over Israel, the protective role it plays here.
- Exodus 23:20 (BSB)“Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”God promises to send an angel before Israel to guard them on the way, the same protective ministry seen at the sea.
- Psalm 34:7 (BSB)“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”The angel of the LORD camps around those who fear Him and rescues them.
General
What did the Egyptians conclude after the LORD threw their army into confusion (14:24-25)?
Answer: That they should run from Israel, because the LORD was fighting for Israel against Egypt
In the last hours before dawn, the LORD gazed down at the Egyptian army from the fiery cloud and threw them into panic. He made their chariot wheels wobble so that driving became hard (14:24-25). The Egyptians finally realized what was happening and cried out that they must run from Israel, since the LORD was battling on Israel's side against Egypt (14:25). Their words confirm exactly what Moses had promised in 14:14. Moses later reminded Israel that the LORD who went before them fought for them, as they had seen in Egypt (Deuteronomy 1:30). Scripture records other days when the LORD battled for Israel (Joshua 10:14), and David declared that the battle belongs to the LORD, who does not save by mere weapons (1 Samuel 17:47).
- Exodus 14:24-25 (BSB)“At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion. He caused their chariot wheels to wobble, so that they had difficulty driving. “Let us flee from the Israelites,” said the Egyptians, “for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!””The LORD throws the Egyptian army into confusion, and the Egyptians recognize that He is fighting against them.
- Deuteronomy 1:30 (BSB)“The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt”Moses later reminds Israel that the LORD who goes before them fights for them, just as He did in Egypt.
- Joshua 10:14 (BSB)“There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel.”Another day when the LORD fought for Israel, showing that the battle belongs to Him.
- 1 Samuel 17:47 (BSB)“And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.””The LORD does not save by sword or spear, for the battle is the LORD's.
Theological
What confession do the Egyptians make in 14:25?
Answer: That they must escape from Israel, since the LORD was battling on Israel's side against Egypt
During the morning watch the LORD looks down from the fiery cloud, throws the Egyptian camp into confusion, and makes their chariot wheels wobble (14:24-25). The enemy's own confession, that the LORD is battling on Israel's side against Egypt (14:25), vindicates Moses' promise in 14:14 and begins to fulfill God's stated aim that Egypt would know that He is the LORD (14:4, 18). The divine-warrior theme continues through Israel's history: the LORD who goes before His people fights for them (Deuteronomy 1:30; Joshua 10:14), and the battle belongs to the LORD (1 Samuel 17:47).
- Exodus 14:24-25 (BSB)“At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion. He caused their chariot wheels to wobble, so that they had difficulty driving. “Let us flee from the Israelites,” said the Egyptians, “for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!””The LORD throws the Egyptian army into confusion, and the Egyptians recognize that He is fighting against them.
- Deuteronomy 1:30 (BSB)“The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt”Moses later reminds Israel that the LORD who goes before them fights for them, just as He did in Egypt.
- Joshua 10:14 (BSB)“There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel.”Another day when the LORD fought for Israel, showing that the battle belongs to Him.
- 1 Samuel 17:47 (BSB)“And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.””The LORD does not save by sword or spear, for the battle is the LORD's.
General
According to 14:8, who made Pharaoh's heart hard, leading him to chase the Israelites?
Answer: The LORD
Verse 8 says directly that it was the LORD who hardened Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh then chased after Israel, who were leaving boldly and confidently (14:8). God had told Moses long before that He would harden Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 4:21). The Bible teaches that a king's heart is in the LORD's hand, and He directs it wherever He wants (Proverbs 21:1). At the same time, just three verses earlier Pharaoh and his court decided for themselves to go after Israel (14:5). Both are true together: God rules over Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh freely and wickedly chooses to pursue. God never tempts anyone to do evil (James 1:13), and Pharaoh remains fully responsible. Israel, meanwhile, marched out openly in front of the Egyptians (Numbers 33:3), not sneaking away like runaways.
- Exodus 14:8 (BSB)“And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.”The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh pursues Israel, who are going out boldly.
- Exodus 4:21 (BSB)“The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”God had told Moses before the plagues began that He would harden Pharaoh's heart.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”A king's heart is in the LORD's hand, and He turns it wherever He wishes.
- James 1:13 (BSB)“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”God tempts no one to evil, so His hardening never makes Him the author of Pharaoh's sin.
- Numbers 33:3 (BSB)“On the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the Passover, the Israelites set out from Rameses. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians,”Confirms that Israel left in full view of the Egyptians, marching out boldly.
Theological
Whom does 14:8 identify as the agent of Pharaoh's hardening before the pursuit?
Answer: The LORD
The text is explicit: the LORD is the one who hardened the Egyptian king's heart, and the king then chased Israel (14:8), fulfilling what God had announced from the beginning (Exodus 4:21). The heart of a king lies in the LORD's hand (Proverbs 21:1). Yet 14:5 has just described the decision to pursue as the real deliberation of Pharaoh and his court. Scripture holds both without contradiction: God's sovereign hardening and Pharaoh's culpable, willing obstinacy. God is not the author of sin and tempts no one (James 1:13). Meanwhile Israel goes out boldly, with a high hand, in plain sight of Egypt (Numbers 33:3).
- Exodus 14:8 (BSB)“And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.”The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh pursues Israel, who are going out boldly.
- Exodus 4:21 (BSB)“The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”God had told Moses before the plagues began that He would harden Pharaoh's heart.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”A king's heart is in the LORD's hand, and He turns it wherever He wishes.
- James 1:13 (BSB)“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”God tempts no one to evil, so His hardening never makes Him the author of Pharaoh's sin.
- Numbers 33:3 (BSB)“On the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the Passover, the Israelites set out from Rameses. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians,”Confirms that Israel left in full view of the Egyptians, marching out boldly.
General
In 14:30, who does the text say rescued Israel from the Egyptians?
Answer: The LORD
After recalling that Israel had crossed the seabed on dry land (14:29), the text sums up the day: it was the LORD who rescued Israel from Egypt's power, and the people saw their enemies' bodies lying on the beach (14:30). Moses had promised that the people would see the LORD's rescue and never see these Egyptians again (14:13), and now both parts came true. The credit belongs entirely to God. The psalmist says God saved and redeemed Israel from the enemy (Psalm 106:10), Joshua says the LORD made the sea dry so everyone would know His hand is mighty (Joshua 4:23-24), and Jonah sums up the truth behind it all: salvation comes from the LORD (Jonah 2:9).
- Exodus 14:29-30 (BSB)“But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.”Israel has crossed on dry ground, and the text credits the LORD with saving them from the Egyptians.
- Psalm 106:10 (BSB)“He saved them from the hand that hated them; He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.”The psalmist says God saved and redeemed Israel from the hand of the enemy, the same event credited to God alone.
- Joshua 4:23-24 (BSB)“For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.””Joshua recalls that the LORD dried up the Red Sea so that all peoples would know His hand is mighty.
- Jonah 2:9 (BSB)“But I, with the voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the LORD!””States the principle the whole episode demonstrates: salvation belongs to the LORD.
Theological
To whom does 14:30 ascribe Israel's deliverance at the sea?
Answer: To the LORD
The narrator's summary is unambiguous: the LORD was Israel's Savior from Egypt's power that day, and the people saw their enemies' corpses on the beach (14:29-30), fulfilling Moses' promise of 14:13 to the letter. Scripture everywhere credits this salvation to God alone: He saved and redeemed them from their enemies' grip (Psalm 106:10), and He did it so that all peoples would know that His hand is mighty (Joshua 4:23-24). The exodus is the paradigm of the confession that salvation belongs to the LORD (Jonah 2:9).
- Exodus 14:29-30 (BSB)“But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.”Israel has crossed on dry ground, and the text credits the LORD with saving them from the Egyptians.
- Psalm 106:10 (BSB)“He saved them from the hand that hated them; He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.”The psalmist says God saved and redeemed Israel from the hand of the enemy, the same event credited to God alone.
- Joshua 4:23-24 (BSB)“For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.””Joshua recalls that the LORD dried up the Red Sea so that all peoples would know His hand is mighty.
- Jonah 2:9 (BSB)“But I, with the voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the LORD!””States the principle the whole episode demonstrates: salvation belongs to the LORD.
General
What surprising instruction does the LORD give Moses at the start of Exodus 14?
Answer: Have the people double back and pitch camp on the shore by Pi-hahiroth
Instead of pressing on into the desert, the LORD tells Moses to have the people turn back and set up camp on the shore at Pi-hahiroth, with Migdol nearby and Baal-zephon across from them (14:1-2). From a human point of view this looked like a trap, with water in front and the desert around them. But the move was God's own plan. The later record of Israel's journeys confirms that they turned back and camped there (Numbers 33:7). People may plan their path, but the LORD decides where their steps actually go (Proverbs 16:9), and His ways are far higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
- Exodus 14:1-2 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal-zephon.”The LORD directs Israel to turn back and camp by the sea near Pi-hahiroth.
- Numbers 33:7 (BSB)“They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and they camped near Migdol.”The later travel record confirms that Israel set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, camping near Migdol.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their way, but the LORD directs their steps, as He does with Israel's route here.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 (BSB)““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”God's ways are higher than human ways, which explains a command that looks militarily foolish.
Theological
What does the LORD command concerning Israel's encampment in 14:1-2?
Answer: That they double back and pitch camp on the shore at Pi-hahiroth, facing Baal-zephon
God deliberately has Israel double back and pitch camp on the shore at Pi-hahiroth, with Migdol nearby and Baal-zephon facing them (14:1-2), a position that looks tactically hopeless. The itinerary in Numbers confirms the reversal (Numbers 33:7). The episode illustrates the sovereignty of God over the path of His people: human plans give way to the LORD's direction of each step (Proverbs 16:9), and His ways transcend human calculation (Isaiah 55:8-9). What appears to be a blunder is the stage God has chosen for His glory.
- Exodus 14:1-2 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal-zephon.”The LORD directs Israel to turn back and camp by the sea near Pi-hahiroth.
- Numbers 33:7 (BSB)“They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and they camped near Migdol.”The later travel record confirms that Israel set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, camping near Migdol.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their way, but the LORD directs their steps, as He does with Israel's route here.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 (BSB)““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”God's ways are higher than human ways, which explains a command that looks militarily foolish.
General
When Pharaoh and his court change their minds in 14:5, what do they regret?
Answer: Letting Israel go, which cost them the Israelites' labor
When Pharaoh hears that the people have fled, he and his court change their minds. Their complaint is that they have let Israel go and lost their service (14:5). They are not sorry for their cruelty or for the deaths the plagues brought; they are sorry to lose their workforce. Only a short time earlier, Pharaoh had urged Israel to leave (Exodus 12:31-32). This quick reversal matches the earlier pattern in which Pharaoh and his court hardened their hearts together (Exodus 9:34). God had also said that He was hardening the officials' hearts (Exodus 10:1). Both are true: these men chose freely and sinfully, and God was ruling over their choices.
- Exodus 14:5 (BSB)“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.””Pharaoh and his officials regret releasing Israel.
- Exodus 12:31-32 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds as well, just as you have said, and depart! And bless me also.””Only days before, Pharaoh had urgently sent Israel away, showing how quickly he reversed himself.
- Exodus 9:34 (BSB)“When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.”Earlier, Pharaoh and his officials hardened their hearts together, the same shared stubbornness seen here.
- Exodus 10:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,”God had also said He hardened the hearts of Pharaoh's officials, showing God's rule over their choice as well.
Theological
What does the regret of Pharaoh and his court in 14:5 reveal?
Answer: Regret at releasing Israel from their service, revealing hearts still set on bondage
The court's regret is purely economic: they have let Israel go from serving them (14:5). There is no contrition for oppression or for the judgments suffered, only a desire to reclaim their slaves, days after Pharaoh had urged Israel to go (Exodus 12:31-32). The officials share Pharaoh's hardness, as they had before (Exodus 9:34), and God had declared that He hardened their hearts too (Exodus 10:1). Their decision is genuinely theirs and culpable, while at the same time it falls within God's sovereign purpose announced in 14:4.
- Exodus 14:5 (BSB)“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.””Pharaoh and his officials regret releasing Israel.
- Exodus 12:31-32 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds as well, just as you have said, and depart! And bless me also.””Only days before, Pharaoh had urgently sent Israel away, showing how quickly he reversed himself.
- Exodus 9:34 (BSB)“When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.”Earlier, Pharaoh and his officials hardened their hearts together, the same shared stubbornness seen here.
- Exodus 10:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,”God had also said He hardened the hearts of Pharaoh's officials, showing God's rule over their choice as well.