Exodus 14:21-30

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 14:21-31

We have here the history of that work of wonder which is so often mentioned both in the Old and New Testament, the dividing of the Red Sea before th 3b1a e children of Israel. It was the terror of the Canaanites (Josh. 2:9, 10), the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Ps. 114:3; Ps. 106:9; 136:13, 14. It was a type of baptism, 1 Cor. 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls (Isa. 11:15), and the Egyptians? perdition in it was typical of the final ruin of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:21

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea ,.... With his rod in it, as he was directed to, Exodus 14:16 . What the poet says F26 "Tu flectis amnes, tu mare barbarum--" Horat. Carmin. l. 2. Ode 19. of Bacchus is more true of Moses, whose rod had been lift up upon the rivers Egypt, and now upon the Red sea: and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night ; and the direction of the Red sea being nearly, if not altogether, north and south, it was in a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:22

And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground ,.... Some Jewish writers say F3 Pirke Elizer, c. 42. , that the tribe of Judah went in first, and then the other tribes followed; but it is most likely, what Josephus says F4 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 2. , that Moses first entered in, and then the Israelites, encouraged by his example, went in after him; and a very adventurous action it was, and nothing but strong faith in the almighty power and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:23

And the Egyptians pursued ,.... The Israelites going forwards towards the sea as they were ordered, and going into it: and went in after them into the midst of the sea ; which if fearful of, they might conclude it was as safe for them to go in as for the Israelites; but perhaps through the darkness of the night, and the eagerness of their pursuit, they might not perceive where they were, nor the danger they were exposed unto: even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:24

And it came to pass, that in the morning watch ,.... The Romans divided the night into four watches, so the Hebrews; though some say into three only. The first began at six o'clock, and lasted till nine, the second was from thence to twelve, the third from thence to three in the morning, and the last from three to six, which is here called the morning watch; so that this was some time between three and six o'clock in the morning: the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians, through the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:25

And took off their chariot wheels ,.... The Targum of Jonathan renders it "cut" or "sawed them off"; perhaps they might be broken off by the hailstones. Milton F19 Paradise Lost, B. 12. ver. 210. seems to have a notion of Pharaoh's chariot wheels being broken, when he says, "and craze" (i.e. break) "their chariot wheels"; or, as Jarchi suggests, he burnt them, through the force of the fire or lightning: that they drave them heavily ; the wheels being off, the chariots must be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:26

And the Lord said unto Moses ,.... Out of the pillar of fire and of the cloud, when the Egyptians were in all the confusion before described, and about to make the best of their way back again: Stretch out thine hand over the sea ; with his rod in it, by which all the wonders were wrought, and particularly by which the sea had been divided, and now it must be used to a different purpose: that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:27

And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea ,.... Or towards it, as he was ordered, the rod being in his hand, as before observed: and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared ; being no longer detained by a superior power, contrary to the nature of it, to stand still as an heap, and firm as a wall, its waves came down and rolled with their usual force and strength, or it returned to its usual course: at the appearance of the morning in its strength ; when the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:28

And the waters returned ,.... To their place, and so in the above tradition related by Diodorus Siculus, it is said that the sea returning with a mighty force was restored to its place again; See Gill on Exodus 14:22 . and covered the chariots and the horsemen ; the wall they made being much higher than a man on horseback, when they fell down, covered even those who had the advantage of horses and chariots; and much more must the infantry be covered by them, who may be meant in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 14:29

But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea ,.... The bottom of it becoming so through the strong east wind, which blew all night until they came to the opposite shore, where they landed on "terra firma"; and so Noldius renders the phrase "through the sea"; that is, from shore to shore: and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left ; See Gill on Exodus 14:22 . read more

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