CHAPTER XIV _The Israelites are commanded to encamp before_ Pi-hahiroth, 1, 2. _God predicts the pursuit of Pharaoh_, 3, 4. _Pharaoh is informed that the Israelites are fled, and regrets_ _that he suffered them to depart_, 5. _He musters his troops and pursues them_, 6-8. _Overtakes them in t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:2. _ENCAMP BEFORE PI-HAHIROTH_] פי ההירת _pi hachiroth_, the _mouth, strait_, or _bay of Chiroth_. _Between Migdol_, מגדל migdol, the _tower_, probably a fortress that served to defend the bay. _Over against Baal-zephon_, בעל צפן baal tsephon, the _lord_ or _master of the watch_, pro... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:3. _THEY_ ARE _ENTANGLED IN THE LAND_] God himself brought them into straits from which no human power or art could extricate them. Consider their situation when once brought out of the open country, where alone they had room either to fight or fly. Now they had the Red Sea before th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:4. _I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH'S HEART_] After relenting and giving them permission to depart, he now changes his mind and determines to prevent them; and without any farther restraining grace, God permits him to rush on to his final ruin, for the _cup_ of his iniquity was now _full_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:5. _AND IT WAS TOLD THE KING - THAT THE PEOPLE FLED_] Of their departure he could not be ignorant, because himself had given them liberty to depart: but the word _fled_ here may be understood as implying that they had utterly left Egypt without any intention to return, which is prob... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:7. _SIX HUNDRED CHOSEN CHARIOTS, C._] According to the most authentic accounts we have of _war-chariots_, they were frequently drawn by _two_ or by _four_ horses, and carried three persons: one was charioteer, whose business it was to guide the horses, but he seldom fought the second... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:10. _THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CRIED OUT UNTO THE LORD._] Had their prayer been accompanied with faith, we should not have found them in the next verses murmuring against Moses, or rather against the Lord, through whose goodness they were now brought from under that bondage from which t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:13. _MOSES SAID - FEAR YE NOT_] This exhortation was not given to excite them to resist, for of that there was no hope; they were unarmed, they had no courage, and their minds were deplorably degraded. _STAND STILL_] Ye shall not be even workers together with God; only be quiet, and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:14. _THE LORD SHALL FIGHT FOR YOU_] Ye shall have no part in the honour of the day; God alone shall bring you off, and defeat your foes. _YE SHALL HOLD YOUR PEACE._] Your unbelieving fears and clamours shall be confounded, and ye shall see that by _might_ none shall be able to preva... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:15. _WHEREFORE CRIEST THOU UNTO ME?_] We hear not one word of Moses' praying, and yet here the Lord asks him why he cries unto him? From which we may learn that the _heart_ of Moses was deeply engaged with God, though it is probable he did not _articulate_ one word; but the language... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:16. _LIFT THOU UP THY ROD_] Neither Moses nor his rod could be any effective instrument in a work which could be accomplished only by the omnipotence of God; but it was necessary that he should appear in it, in order that he might have credit in the sight of the Israelites, and that... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:18. _SHALL KNOW THAT I_ AM _THE LORD_] Pharaoh had just recovered from the consternation and confusion with which the late plagues had overwhelmed him, and now he is _emboldened_ to pursue after Israel; and God is determined to make his overthrow so signal by such an exertion of omni... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:19. _THE ANGEL OF GOD_] It has been thought by some that the _angel_, i.e., _messenger_, of the Lord, and the pillar of cloud, mean here the same thing. An angel might assume the appearance of a cloud; and even a material cloud thus particularly appointed might be called an _angel_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:20. _IT WAS A CLOUD AND DARKNESS_ TO THEM, _C._] That the Israelites might not be dismayed at the _appearance_ of their enemies, and that these might not be able to discern the object of their pursuit, the pillar of cloud moved from the front to the rear of the Israelitish camp, so... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:21. _THE LORD CAUSED THE SEA TO GO BACK_] That part of the sea over which the Israelites passed was, according to Mr. Bruce and other travellers, about _four leagues_ across, and therefore might easily be crossed in one night. In the dividing of the sea _two_ agents appear to be emp... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:22. _AND THE WATERS_ WERE _A WALL UNTO THEM ON THEIR RIGHT_ _AND ON THEIR LEFT._] This verse demonstrates that the passage was miraculous. Some have supposed that the Israelites had passed through, favoured by an extraordinary _ebb_, which _happened_ at that time to be produced by a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:24. _THE MORNING WATCH_] A _watch_ was the fourth part of the time from sun-setting to sun-rising; so called from soldiers keeping guard by night, who being changed four times during the night, the periods came to be called _watches_. - _Dodd_. As here and in 1 Samuel 11:11 is ment... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:28. _THERE REMAINED NOT SO MUCH AS ONE OF THEM._] Josephus says that the army of Pharaoh consisted of _fifty thousand_ horse, and _two hundred thousand_ foot, of whom not one remained to carry tidings of this most extraordinary catastrophe.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:30. _ISRAEL SAW THE EGYPTIANS DEAD UPON THE SEASHORE._] By the extraordinary agitation of the waters, no doubt multitudes of the dead Egyptians were cast on the shore, and by their spoils the Israelites were probably furnished with _considerable riches_, and especially _clothing_ and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 14:31. _THE PEOPLE FEARED THE LORD_] They were convinced by the interference of Jehovah that his power was unlimited, and that he could do whatsoever he pleased, both in the way of _judgment_ and in the way of _mercy_. _AND BELIEVED THE LORD, AND HIS SERVANT MOSES._] They now clearly d... [ Continue Reading ]