Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Exodus 14:19 - 14:31
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
The Israelites Delivered, the Egyptians Destroyed
v. 19. And the Angel of God, Jehovah, the Son of God, Exo_13:21, which went before the camp of Israel, who led their armies, removed and went behind them. And the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them;
v. 20. and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them (the Egyptians), but it gave light by night to these, the children of Israel; in its protecting capacity the cloud revealed a double character, an effectual barrier of impenetrable darkness to the enemies, a cheering and comforting light to the believers, so that the one came not near the other all the night.
v. 21. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. As the waters of the sea, by the miraculous power of God, were separated from each other, the strong east wind from the desert caused the moisture at the bottom to evaporate, thus making the ground dry under foot and enabling the children of Israel to march forward without difficulty.
v. 22. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. It is distinctly stated that the water stood on either side, not only on the south; neither did the waters merely recede in an unusually low ebb, for they stood like walls. Thus the angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear Him and delivers them.
v. 23. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen, their obstinacy making them blind toward all the dangers about them.
v. 24. And it came to pass that in the morning watch, between three o'clock in the morning and sunrise, the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, by some unusual manifestation the Lord struck terror to the hearts of the Egyptians, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
v. 25. and took off their chariot wheels, that they slipped from their axles, that they drave them heavily, with difficulty; so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. Now at last, when it was too late, they realized the true state of affairs.
v. 26. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen, upon the entire host which by this time was in the bed of the sea.
v. 27. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength, to its usual full level everywhere, when the morning appeared, before the face of the morning, as dawn gave way to light; and the Egyptians fled against it. They had turned back to flee to the west side of the sea and were met by the waters as they were flowing together from both sides. And the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea, He literally shook them out in utter disorder and confusion, driving them right into the face of their destruction.
v. 28. And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. Cf Psa_136:15.
v. 29. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. This statement is repeated in order to emphasize the greatness of the miracle which the Lord performed, and to set forth the climax of the punishment which had begun with the slaughtering of the first-born in Egypt.
v. 30. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. Thus the Lord delivered His people, not only from the slavery of Egypt, but also from their entire host, which intended to recapture them.
v. 31. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, they had concrete evidence before them of the manner in which God carried out His judgment upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. The weak faith of the Israelites was strengthened in a miraculous manner, Heb_11:29, and they now, in consequence of the miracle, again placed full trust and confidence in the words of Moses, as the representative of God, the final praise and glory thus being the Lord's. Whereas death, destruction, judgment, condemnation is the lot of hardened sinners, of the enemies of the Church, the believers will be kept safe unto life everlasting.