Exodus 14:4-14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:12

Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt ,.... The thing they suggested to him, and talked with him about while they were in the land of Egypt, before they came out of it, particularly after their service and bondage were made more severe and cruel upon Moses and Aaron's demanding their dismission, see Exodus 5:21 , saying, let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians ? peaceably and quietly, as we have been used to do, since there is no likelihood of being freed, and since... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:13

And Moses said unto the people ,.... Not in wrath and anger, but very coolly and sedately, agreeably to his character of the meekest man on earth; though what they had said to him was very insulting and provoking: fear ye not ; Pharaoh and his numerous host, do not be dismayed at them or possess yourselves with a dread of them, and of destruction by them: stand still ; do not stir from the place where you are, do not offer to run away, or to make your escape by flight (and which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:14

The Lord shall fight for you ,.... By commanding the wind of the heavens, and the waves of the sea, and employing them against their enemies, and on their behalf; they being unarmed, and so not in a condition to fight for themselves, as well as they had no heart or spirit for it: and ye shall hold your peace ; be still, and quiet, and easy in your minds, and forbear saying or doing anything; "be silent"; and neither express the fear and distress of their minds, by any mournful sounds,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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 probably what he did not expect, for he had only given them permission to go three days' journey into the wilderness, in order to sacrifice to Jehovah; but from the circumstances of their departure, and the property they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 14:7

Six hundred chosen chariots, etc. - 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 chiefly defended the charioteer; and the third alone was properly the combatant. It appears that in this case Pharaoh had collected all the cavalry of Egypt; (see Exodus 14:17 ;); and though these might not have been... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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 they had often cried for deliverance. Calmet thinks that the most pious and judicious cried unto God, while the unthinking and irreligious murmured against Moses. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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 do not render yourselves wretched by your fears and your confusion. See the salvation of the Lord - Behold the deliverance which God will work, independently of all human help and means. Ye shall see them... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 14:14

The Lord shall fight for you - Ye shall have no part in the honor 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 prevail against the Lord, and that the feeblest shall take the prey when the power of Jehovah is exerted. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 14:5

Verse 5 5.And it was told the king. Moses does not simply mean, that the king then first heard of the flight of the people, which had been anything but secret; but that the circumstances were reported to him, which stirred him up to make an attack upon them. When, then, he hears that the people fled in haste, he thinks that they may be retained by the slightest obstacle. Nor is he alone influenced by this foolish thought, but all his courtiers blame their own inertness for letting the people... read more

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