Exodus 14

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed], word study 2 “Tell the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] to turn back [return, go back] and encamp [set up camp, pitch tents] before [in the presence of, facing] Pi-hahiroth [the place of sedge or reeds], between [in the midst of, surrounded by] Migdol [the tower, a fortified city] and the sea [the large body of water]. You are to encamp [camp, settle] by [near, beside] the sea, directly [exactly, precisely] opposite [across from, facing] Baal-zephon [the Lord of the north, a place in Egypt]. word study 3 For Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] will say of the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob], ‘They are wandering [entangled, perplexed] the land [the earth, the territory] in confusion [without direction]; the wilderness [the desert, the open field] has boxed [shut, enclosed] them in [upon them, surrounding them].’ word study 4 And I will harden [make stubborn, strengthen] Pharaoh’s heart [mind, will, intellect] so that he will pursue [chase, follow after] them. But I will gain [obtain, get] honor [glory, recognition] by means of [through, by] Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] and all [every, the entire] his army [host, forces], and the Egyptians [the people of Egypt] will know [understand, recognize] that I am [exist as, am truly] the LORD [Yehovah].” So this is what the Israelites [the people of Israel] did [acted, performed]. word study 5 When the king [ruler, sovereign] of Egypt was told [declared, announced] that the people [nation, community] had fled [escaped, run away], Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] and his officials [servants, attendants] changed their minds [had a change of heart, turned against] about them and said, “What have we done [what is this we have done, why have we acted this way]? We have released [let go, set free] Israel [God’s chosen people, the descendants of Jacob] from serving [working, being in bondage to] us [as our slaves, in our kingdom].” word study 6 So Pharaoh [the king, ruler] prepared [made ready, harnessed] his chariot [vehicle, team of horses] and took [gathered, brought] his army [people, nation] with him [together, in his company]. word study 7 He took [selected, chose] 600 of the best [chosen, elite] chariots [vehicles, teams of horses], and all [every one, the entire collection] the other chariots [cavalry, horse-drawn carriages] of Egypt [the land, the people], with officers [captains, high-ranking officials] over all [each one, every single] of them. word study 8 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] hardened [strengthened, made stubborn] the heart [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect] of Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] king of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] so that he pursued [chased after with hostile intent] the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people], who were marching out [leaving with confidence, going out with a high hand] defiantly [with a high hand, triumphantly, with fists raised]. word study 9 The Egyptians [pursuing with hostile intent]—all Pharaoh’s [the king of Egypt] horses [chariot horses, cavalry] and chariots [vehicles, teams of horses], horsemen [cavalry soldiers] and troops [army, military force]—pursued [chased after] the Israelites and overtook [caught up to, reached] them as they camped [set up tents, encamped] by the sea [a large body of water] near Pi-hahiroth [the place of sedge or reeds], opposite [before, in front of] Baal-zephon [the Lord of the north, a place in Egypt]. word study 10 As Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] approached, the Israelites [sons of Jacob, God’s chosen people] looked up and saw the Egyptians [those from the country of Egypt] marching after them, and they were terrified [exceedingly afraid, filled with fear] and cried out [with a loud voice, in distress] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 11 They said to Moses [the Israelite leader], “Was it because there were no graves [places of burial, sepulchres] in Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] that you brought us into the wilderness [a desert or open field] to die [to perish, meet our end]? What have you done [accomplished, brought about] to us by bringing us out [leading us forth, causing us to depart] of Egypt [the land of the Egyptians]? word study 12 Did we not say [told thee, spoke unto thee] to you in Egypt [the land of bondage], ‘Leave us alone [cease from us, let us be] so that we may serve [be slaves to, work for] the Egyptians’? For it would have been better [more pleasant, more desirable] for us to serve [be in bondage to] the Egyptians than to die [perish, come to an end] in the wilderness [the desert, a place of testing].” word study 13 But Moses told the people, “Do not [be fearful or anxious] be afraid. Stand [firmly, in faith] firm and you will see the LORD’s [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] salvation [deliverance, rescue, or victory], which He will accomplish [make or do] for you today; for the Egyptians [those from the land of Egypt] you see today, you will never [at no time, forever] see again [look upon or encounter]. word study 14 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will fight [wage war, battle against] for you; you [as individuals, personally] need only to be [remain, stay] still [quiet, holding your peace, keeping silent].” word study 15 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “Why [what, expressing surprise or inquiry] are you crying out [to cry, expressing distress or need] to Me? Tell the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] to go [to set out, start a journey] forward [ahead, onward]. word study 16 And as for you [the one chosen by God], lift up your staff [a rod] and stretch out your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] over the sea [large body of water, a sea in general] and divide it [to break up or open], so that the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] can go through the sea [on dry land, a miraculous event] on dry ground [dry land, contrasting with water or wet conditions]. word study 17 And I [behold, I myself] will harden [make stubborn, strengthen] the hearts [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect] of the Egyptians [the people of Egypt] so that they will go in [pursue, follow] after them. Then I will gain [get, obtain] honor [glory, recognition] by means of Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] and all [everything, every part] his army [host, forces] and chariots [vehicles, cavalry] and horsemen [cavalry soldiers, riders]. word study 18 The Egyptians [the people of Egypt, descendants of Mizraim] will know [be aware, recognize, perceive] that I [the Lord] am the LORD [the self-existent God, Yehovah] when I am honored [glorified, exalted, given reverence] through Pharaoh [the king of Egypt], his chariots [vehicles of war, instruments of battle], and his horsemen [cavalry, warriors on horseback].” word study 19 And the angel [messenger, representative] of God [Elohim, the supreme God], who had gone [to walk, to move] before the camp [army, group of people] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob], withdrew [to set out, to remove] and went [to walk, to move] behind them. The pillar [column] of cloud [cloudy, divine presence] also moved [to set out, to journey] from before them [from their face, from their presence] and stood [to stand, to remain] behind them [after them, in their rear], word study 20 so that it came [to be positioned, stood] between the camps [armies, groups of people] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] and Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants]. The cloud [a cloud or cloudy, used to describe God’s presence] was there in the darkness [physical and spiritual, misery or wickedness], but it lit up [gave light, enlightened] the night [the time of darkness, adversity or hardship]. So all night long [the entire period of darkness] neither camp [group, army] went near [came close, approached] the other [each other, one another]. word study 21 Then Moses [the Israelite leader, a servant of God] stretched out his hand [in faith and obedience] over the sea [a large body of water], and all that night [a period of darkness and testing] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] drove back the sea [with great power] with a strong [fierce, intense] east wind [a powerful and directing force] that turned it into dry land [a place of safety and refuge]. So the waters [a source of life and provision] were divided [split apart, separated], word study 22 and the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] went through the sea [large body of water] on dry ground [dry land, solid earth], with walls of water [a wall of protection, waters as a barrier] on their right [right hand] and on their left [left side, direction of the heart]. word study 23 And the Egyptians [pursued, went in after] chased after them—all Pharaoh’s [king of Egypt, ruler] horses [chariot horses, cavalry], chariots [vehicles, teams of horses], and horsemen—and followed them into [toward, into the midst of] the sea [large body of water]. word study 24 At morning [dawn, break of day] watch, however, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] looked down [gazed, peeped out] on the army [host, camp] of the Egyptians [from the country of Egypt] from the pillar [column] of fire [burning, flame] and cloud [a cloudy appearance], and He threw their camp [army, group of people] into confusion [trouble, panic, discomfiture]. word study 25 He caused their chariot wheels [to become stuck, to turn aside] to wobble [to be heavy, to drive with difficulty], so that they had difficulty [heaviness, hardship] driving [leading, guiding]. “Let us flee [to quickly leave, to escape] from the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people],” said the Egyptians, “for the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] is fighting [waging war, battling] for them against Egypt [the land and its people]!” word study 26 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses [the Israelite leader], “Stretch out [extend, spread out] your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] over the sea [a large body of water], so that the waters [a source of refreshment] may flow back [return, turn back] over the Egyptians [the people of Egypt] and their chariots [vehicles, cavalry] and horsemen [cavalry soldiers, those who ride horses].” word study 27 So Moses [the leader of Israel] stretched out his hand [in faith and obedience] over the sea [the large body of water], and at daybreak [the break of day, morning] the sea returned to its normal state [its strength, former place]. As the Egyptians [the people of Egypt] were retreating [fleeing, escaping], the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] swept them into the sea [overthrew them, sent destruction upon them]. word study 28 The waters [flowing back, returning] flowed back and covered [hid from view, overwhelmed] the chariots [vehicles, cavalry] and horsemen [cavalry soldiers, riders]—the entire [whole, complete] army of Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] that had chased [pursued, followed] the Israelites [God’s chosen people] into the sea [a large body of water]. Not one [none, no single one] of them survived [remained, were left]. word study 29 But the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] had walked [gone, traveled] through the sea [large body of water] on dry ground [dry land, solid earth], with walls of water [a wall of protection, waters as a barrier] on their right [right hand, direction of strength] and on their left [left side, north, direction of guidance]. word study 30 That day [the specific point in time, the very hour] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] saved [rescued, delivered from danger] Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] from the hand [power, control] of the Egyptians [the people of Egypt, a neighboring nation], and Israel saw [beheld, looked upon] the Egyptians [the Egyptian army, their enemies] dead [lifeless, deceased] on the shore [the edge of the sea, the coastline]. word study 31 When Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] saw the great [mighty, extraordinary] power [hand, strength] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had exercised [done, performed] over the Egyptians [the nation], the people [the nation, the community] feared [revered, stood in awe of] the LORD [the supreme God] and believed [trusted, had faith] in Him [the divine Person, God Himself] and in His servant [faithful messenger, appointed leader] Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet]. word study