1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

3For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

4And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.

5And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

6And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:

7And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.

8And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

9But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

10And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

11And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

13And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

15And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

16But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry groundthrough the midst of the sea.

17And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

19And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

20And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

21And 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.

22And 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.

23And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

25And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26And 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.

27And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28And 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.

29But 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.

30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

31And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

2Speake vnto the children of Israel, that they turne and encampe before Pi-hahiroth, betweene Migdol and the sea, ouer against Baal-Zephon: before it shall ye encampe by the sea.

3For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are intangled in the land, the wildernesse hath shut them in.

4And I will harden Pharaohs heart, that he shall follow after them, and I will be honoured vpon Pharaoh, and vpon all his hoste, That the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so.

5 And it was told the King of Egypt, that the people fled: And the heart of Pharaoh and of his seruants was turned against the people, and they said, Why haue wee done this, that we haue let Israel goe from seruing vs?

6And hee made ready his charet, and tooke his people with him.

7And hee tooke sixe hundred chosen charets, and all the charets of Egypt, and captaines ouer euery one of them.

8And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

9But the Egyptians pursued after them (all the horses and charets of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army) and ouertooke them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth before Baal-Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lift vp their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them, and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel lift vp their eyes, and beholde, the Egyptians marched after them, and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out vnto the Lord.

11And they said vnto Moses, Because there were no graues in Egypt, hast thou taken vs away to die in the wildernesse? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with vs, to cary vs foorth out of Egypt?

12Is not this the word that wee did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let vs alone, that we may serue the Egyptians? For it had bene better for vs to serue the Egyptians, then that wee should die in the wildernesse.

13 And Moses saide vnto the people, Feare ye not, stand still, and see the saluation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye haue seene to day, ye shall see them againe no more for euer.

14The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

15 And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Wherefore criest thou vnto me? Speake vnto the children of Israel, that they goe forward.

16But lift thou vp thy rodde, and stretch out thine hand ouer the Sea, and diuide it: and the children of Israel shall goe on dry ground thorow the mids of the Sea.

17And I, beholde, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get mee honour vpon Pharaoh, and vpon all his hoste, vpon his charets, and vpon his horsemen.

18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I haue gotten me honour vpon Pharaoh, vpon his charets, and vpon his horsemen.

19 And the Angel of God which went before the campe of Israel, remoued and went behind them, and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behinde them.

20And it came betweene the campe of the Egyptians, and the campe of Israel, and it was a cloud and darkenesse to them, but it gaue light by night to these: so that the one came not neere the other all the night.

21And Moses stretched out his hand ouer the Sea, and the Lord caused the Sea to goe backe by a strong East winde all that night, and made the Sea dry land, and the waters were diuided.

22And the children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea vpon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall vnto them on their right hand, and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them, to the midst of the Sea, euen all Pharaohs horses, his charets and his horsemen.

24And it came to passe, that in the morning watch the Lord looked vnto the hoste of the Egyptians, through the pillar of fire, and of the cloude, and troubled the hoste of the Egyptians,

25And tooke off their charet wheeles, that they draue them heauily: So that the Egyptians said, Let vs flee from the face of Israel: for the Lord fighteth for them, against the Egyptians.

26 And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Stretch out thine hand ouer the Sea, that the waters may come againe vpon the Egyptians, vpon their charets, and vpon their horsemen.

27And Moses stretched foorth his hand ouer the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared: and the Egyptians fled against it: and the Lord ouerthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28And the waters returned, and couered the charets, and the horsemen, and all the hoste of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them: there remained not so much as one of them.

29But the children of Israel walked vpon drie land, in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall vnto them on their right hand, and on their left.

30Thus the Lord saued Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians: and Israel sawe the Egyptians dead vpon the sea shore.

31And Israel saw that great worke which the Lord did vpon the Egyptians: & the people feared the Lord, and beleeued the Lord, and his seruant Moses.

II == Ex 13:18 ; Num 33:7 ; Jer 44:1

 

 

 

 

III == Ps 71:11

 

 

IV == Ex 4:21 ; 7:3 , 5 ; 9:16 ; 14:17-18 ; Rom 9:17 , 22-23

 

 

 

V == Ps 105:25

 

 

 

 

VII == Ex 15:4

 

 

VIII == Ex 6:1 ; 13:9 ; 14:4 ; Num 33:3

 

 

IX == Ex 15:9 ; Josh 24:6

 

 

 

 

X == Josh 24:7 ; Neh 9:9 ; Ps 34:17 ; 107:6

 

 

 

XI == Ps 106:7-8

 

 

 

XII == Ex 5:21 ; 6:9

 

 

 

XIII == 2nd Chr 20:15 , 17 ; Isa 41:10 , 13-14

 

 

 

XIV == Ex 14:25 ; Deut 1:30 ; 3:22 ; 20:4 ; Josh 10:14 , 42 ; 23:3 ; 2nd Chr 20:29 ; Neh 4:20 ; Isa 30:15 ; 31:4

 

XVI == Ex 7:19 ; 14:21 , 26

 

 

XVII == Ex 7:3 ; 14:4 , 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIX == Ex 13:21 ; 23:20 ; 32:34 ; Num 20:16 ; Isa 63:9

 

XX == Isa 8:14 ; 2nd Cor 4:3

 

 

 

 

XXI == Ex 14:16 ; 15:8 ; Josh 3:16 ; 4:23 ; Neh 9:11 ; Ps 66:6 ; Neh 9:11 ; Ps 66:6 ; 74:13 ; 106:9 ; 114:3 ; Isa 63:12

XXII == Ex 14:29 ; 15:19 ; Num 33:8 ; Ps 66:6 ; 78:13 ; Isa 63:13 ; Hab 3:10 ; 1st Cor 10:1 ; Heb 11:29

 

XXIV == Ps 77:17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXVII == Ex 15:1 , 7 ; Deut 11:4 ; Josh 4:18 ; Neh 9:11 ; Ps 78:53 ; Heb 11:29

 

 

 

 

 

XXIX == Ex 14:22 ; Ps 77:20 ; 78:52-53

 

 

XXX == Ps 58:10 ; 59:10 ; 106:8 , 10

 

XXXI == Ex 4:31 ; 19:9 ; Ps 106:12 ; John 2:11 ; 11:45

 

 

 

 

 

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 "Tell the Israelites to turn about and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, just opposite, by the sea.

3 Pharaoh will then say, 'The Israelites are wandering about aimlessly in the land. The desert has closed in on them.'

4 Thus will I make Pharaoh so obstinate that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." This the Israelites did.

5 When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them. "What have we done!" they exclaimed. "Why, we have released Israel from our service!"

6 So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers - 

7 six hundred first-class chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.

8 So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh that he pursued the Israelites even while they were marching away in triumph.

9 The Egyptians, then, pursued them; Pharaoh's whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers, caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10 Pharaoh was already near when the Israelites looked up and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them. In great fright they cried out to the LORD.

11 And they complained to Moses, "Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt?

12 Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, 'Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians'? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert."

13 But Moses answered the people, "Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today. These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.

14 The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still."

15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.

16 And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea, split the sea in two, that the Israelites may pass through it on dry land.

17 But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in after them. Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and charioteers.

18 The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I receive glory through Pharaoh and his chariots and charioteers."

19 The angel of God, who had been leading Israel's camp, now moved and went around behind them. The column of cloud also, leaving the front, took up its place behind them,

20 so that it came between the camp of the Egyptians and that of Israel. But the cloud now became dark, and thus the night passed without the rival camps coming any closer together all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land. When the water was thus divided,

22 the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.

23 The Egyptians followed in pursuit; all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and charioteers went after them right into the midst of the sea.

24 In the night watch just before dawn the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloud upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic;

25 and he so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly drive. With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel, because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.

26 Then the LORD told Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers."

27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth. The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea, when the LORD hurled them into its midst.

28 As the water flowed back, it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh's whole army which had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not a single one of them escaped.

29 But the Israelites had marched on dry land through the midst of the sea, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.

30 Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians. When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore

31 and beheld the great power that the LORD had shown against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

v 1-4. The Israelites gathered at Succoth, the place of tents where nations had gathered to buy grain centuries before. They picked up Joseph’s bones there before heading north of the western branch of the Red Sea into the desert. Contrary to tradition, they walked southeast across the Sinai Peninsula day and night until they came to the Gulf of Aqaba branch of the Red Sea. Philistines held the land north ot the sea, and south of that was the Egyptian military post at Migdol. These blocked their exit, so they went southeast down a ravine. It had steep walls, and there was no way of escape until God parted the Red Sea. The Lord knew Pharaoh would think them confused and helpless to have gotten into a trap. Actually the Lord was bringing Pharaoh into a trap which would prove God to be Lord.

 

We used to think these locations could not be positively established, but the thought of many was that they had followed west of the Red Sea in the area of a marsh of reeds. Red Sea literally means Reed Sea. Instead of taking the sandy route across the end to escape, they are told to turn along the edge of this impassable sea to the mountains and could go no farther. There they were trapped until the Lord opened the Sea. This has been proven false, and they crossed the East branch.

v 5. After the initial shock of death of the firstborn, Pharaoh realizes the cost of losing all his slave and was determines to get them back.

 

v 6-9. In 6-10 and 15:19 we see that Pharaoh led the charge himself. The 600 chosen chariots held two warriors and a driver. The other chariots held one warrior and a driver, and there were probably several times more of them. Pharaoh was so enraged he took his entire available military force in pursuit of the defenseless Israelites. (Josephus thinks 50,000 horsemen and 200,000 footmen.) He may have thought his force was big enough to overcome any more help the Lord gave. According to new understanding, this was a major road, but still difficult, tiring for the Israelite caravan. Once Pharaoh blocked the entrance to the canyon, he probably set up camp, thinking to go in for the slaughter and capture the next day

 

v 10-12. The horses hoofs and chariot wheels would make a terrible rumble as well as a hovering cloud of dust while they were still afar off. The people were in a panic and put the blame on Moses. It was not just the apparent overwhelming problem they faced, but even after all the miracles they had witnessed in Egypt, they lost faith in God’s ability to deliver them. This is a problem common to all of us.

 

v 13,14. These were three very difficult calls to faith: Fear not, stand still, and see. Moses probably had no idea they would go through the sea, but he recognized the presence of God in the pillar of cloud and had faith that God would bring final and total vengeance to bear on Pharaoh’s continued rebellion against God.

 

v 15. Apparently the people waited while Moses called upon God, but God had not stopped leading and ordered them to move forward in faith. 

 

v 16-18. Now Moses is given the plan of action, and as he had told the people in faith in v 14, the battle is the Lord’s. The Israelites will cross on dry ground and the Egyptians will have their hearts hardened to pursue. The Egyptian host will be annihilated, and too late, they will know that God is the Lord. The Egyptians at home will also know that this was the Lord’s doing.

 

v 19,20. When the pillar switched to behind the Israelites, the Egyptians may have had darkness as great as during the plague, but the Israelites had a super floodlight to show them the opening across the sea.

 

v 21,22. The word “east” comes from a root meaning before, or previous. No man could stand in the face of a wind strong enough to separate the water (compare the tornado that sucked all the water out of a path of over 100 feet across the Holston River in Tenn. in my great grandfather’s time), so some think it was a previous wind. This does not fit with the action taking place all night in response to Moses’ rod. God divided by His miraculous power, and the hot wind dried the ground. The water stood as a wall on both sides of the people by that same miraculous power. The wall kept them in the path and kept Pharaoh from a flank attack. The logistics of a minimum of 2,000,000 people plus cattle is mind boggling. That number of people walking 100 abreast would make 20,000 ranks, and 3 feet between ranks, they could have extended eleven and one half miles, but no doubt were concentrated at the Sea. According to Rood, recent developments have shown a land bridge under the water there with a 6% slope down to it. I don’t know how wide it is, but their vast number plus livestock must have swarmed across. There were also thousands of Egyptian’s chariots, horses and armies. The water drops to 5000 feet on both sides, so the walls of water held them safe. This is part of the 2000 mile Rift Valley that extends from the Jordan Valley down into Africa.
Solomon knew of this and put up a tall pillar at each side of the crossing. The one on the Egyptian side was fallen and Israel set it back up during the time they occupied the Sinai. I have the impression that Saudi Arabia has removed the one on their side, and there is only a steel stake marking the spot at Ezion-geber.
Ron Wyatt, who some question found the crossing, ll but turned the exploration over to a well funded and well recognized archaeologist. He used under water robot cameras to take pictures. Coral encrusted chariot wheels and parts are strewn for a mile and a half. Most of the wheels are broken off the axles, but at least one set is intact. Archaeologists recognize them as six spoke Egyptian chariot wheels of that period.
An identical one was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, but is now concealed in an Egyptian museum, Some think he was the son of Pharaoh, and died the night the death angel went through the land. He is buried in the unfinished tomb planned for Pharaoh. Israel may have left Egypt about 1441 BC.
A gold wheel from Pharaoh’s chariot is found in the water. Egyptian records only state that in a war with the gods he was drowned in a whirlpool and his body was never recovered.
v 23,25. The crossing of the Red Sea is detailed more in Isa. 51:15, Ps. 77: 16-19 and Ps. 78;13. The dry sand held up the Israelites, and the Egyptians were in such a rage against them, they assumed it would be safe for them. it may have at first, but, the greater terror to them began when the Lord looked through the pillar (v 24) and began His action. Ps 77:16-19 tells us there was a torrential downpour of rain which would have immediately caused the chariot wheels to mire down. This was accompanied by wind and fierce lightning and thunder which no doubt frightened the horses. As they reared and plunged, the mired chariot wheels would twist off in the mire. The sharp lightning flashing on the walls of water showed them what peril they were in. As if that was not enough, this was accompanied by an earthquake. All military discipline would have by now disappeared, and many no doubt cut the horses free and tried to escape on the horses or on foot, as they saw the Lord was obviously aiding Israel.
v 26. Again Moses is told to use the rod so people could see the Lord was working through him, and he is told what the result will be.
v 27-29. God empowered Moses to allow the waters to come rushing in from both sides like tidal waves, and when the two hit, waves must have shot high in the air. Isa. 51:15 describes it as a great roar. Everything in there would have been in a churning mass, and the entire Egyptian army was lost, not one man remaining. The miracle is emphasized, dry ground for Israel and water standing in walls.
v 30,31. As the waves subsided, the dead Egyptians washed ashore to assure Israel they would not be bothered by them again. No doubt many of the weapons were on the shore too, so the Israelites now had arms when they entered combat. The deliverance was complete and is an illustration of the redemption provided by Christ. It gave the Israelite a whole new fear of the Lord, and for a time, they believed both Moses and the Lord. When adversity came, they soon turned against both.