Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
1, God instructeth the Israelites in their journey. 5, Pharaoh pursueth after them. 10, The Israelites are sore afraid and murmur. 13, Moses comforteth them. 15, God instructeth Moses to leade the people forward, and with his hand and rod to divide the Sea, for Israel to goe thorow, 19, Gods Angell and cloud remove behinde the campe. 21, The Israelites passe thorow the red Sea. 23, The Egyptians follow them into the Sea. 24. The Lord out of the cloud troubleth the Egyptians. 26. Hee biddeth Moses stretch his hand over the Sea. 27. It returneth to his strength, and drowneth the Egyptians.
AND Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Speake unto the sonnes of Israel, that they turne, and encampe before Pi-hahiroth, betweene Migdol and the Sea, before Baal-zephon: over-against it shall yee encampe by the Sea. And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, They are intangled in the land, the Wildernesse hath shut them in. And I will make strong the heart of Pharaoh, and hee shall follow after them; and I will bee honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his Host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Iehovah: And they did so. And 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 sayd, Why have we done this, that wee have sent away Israel from serving us? And hee bound his Charet, and tooke his people with him. And he tooke sixe hundred chosen Charets, and all the Charets of Egypt, and Captaines over every one of them. And Iehovah made strong the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and hee followed after the sonnes of Israel: and the sonnes of Israel went out with a high hand. And the Egyptians followed after them, and overtoke them encamping by the Sea, all the horses, the Charets of Pharaoh, and his horse-men, and his Army, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon. And Pharaoh drew nigh; and the sonnes of Israel lift up their eyes, and behold the Egyptian marched after them; and they were-sore afraid: and the sonnes of Israel cryed out unto Iehovah. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves at all in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wildernesse? wherefore hast thou done this unto us, to bring us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word which wee spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had beene better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wildernesse. And Moses said unto the people, Feare yee not, stand still, and see the salvation of Iehovah, which he will doe for you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seene to day, yee shall not againe see them any more for ever. Iehovah will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. And Iehovah said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou out unto me? Speake unto the sonnes of Israel, that they goe forward. And thou, lift up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the Sea, and cleave it: and the sonnes of Israel shall goe in to the midst of the Sea, on dry ground. And I, behold, I will make strong the heart of the Egyptians, and they shall goe in after them: and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his army, upon his charets, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am Iehovah, when I am honoured upon Pharaoh, upon his charets, and upon his horse-men. And the Angell of God, which went before the campe of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them. And it came betweene the Campe of the Egyptians, and the Campe of Israel; & it was a cloud and darknesse, and it made light the night: and the one came not neere the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the Sea; and Iehovah caused the Sea to goe backe, by a strong East winde, all the night and made the sea dry land: and the waters were cloven. And the sonnes of Israel went in to the midst of the sea, upon the drie ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians followed, and went in after them, all Pharaohs horses, his charets, and his horse-men, into the midst of the … And it was in the morning watch that … looked unto the campe of the Egyptians, in the pillar of fire, and of the cloud, and troubled the campe of the Egyptian: And tooke off their charet wheeles, and led them heavily: and the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for Iehovah fighteth for them, against the Egyptians. And Iehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the sea, and the waters shall returne upon the Egyptian, upon his charets, and upon his horse-men. And Moses stretched out his hand over the Sea, and the sea returned to his strength, at the looking forth of the morning: and the Egyptians fled against it; and Iehovah shooke off the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the charets and the horse-men, with all the armie of Pharaoh that came after them, into the Sea: there remained not so much as one of them. But the sonnes of Israel walked on dry land, in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And Iehovah saved Israel in that day out of the hand of the Egyptians: and Israel saw the Egyptians dead vponupon the sea shore. And Israel saw the great hand which Iehovah did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared Iehovah, and they beleeved in Iehovah, and in Moses his servant.
Annotations.
PI-hahiroth] or, the mouth of Hiroth, that is, the straight (or passage) betweene the mountaines of Hiroth: for in Numb. 33. 8. the word Pi, (that is, Mouth,) is left out of the name. Into these streights did God lead Israel, both to free them from war with the Philistians, Exod. 13. 17. 18. and to give the Egyptians occasion hereby to pursue them, (as the verses following here shew;) as also to try the faith of his people; which even here at first was turned to unbeleefe and rebellion, verse 11. 12. Deut. 8. 2. Psalme 106. 7. Migdol] in Greeke Magdol: the name of a citie of the Egyptians, Ier. 44. 1. by interpretation it signifieth a Tower. Baal-zephon] in Greeke Beelsepphon. The Ierusalemy Thargum expoundeth it, the idoll of Zephon: and so it seemeth to be an idolatrous place or monument of the Egyptians; as Baal-Pehor was the Idoll of the Moabites, Num. 25. 3. and Baalmehon, the name whereof the Israelites changed, when it came into their possession, Num. 32. 38. For as Israel passed from Egypt to Canaan. God did let them see the abominations and idols of the nations; whereof hee warned them to beware, Deut. 29. 16. 17. 18.
Vers. 3. intangled] or, perplexed, not knowing what to doe, as the Greeke translateth, they wander (or stray) and the word is used in Ioel 1. 18. of cattell perplexed for want of pasture. So Pharaoh seeing the Israelites to take this indirect way, thought they were afraid of the wildernesse, and in perplexity of mind: whereupon he hardned himselfe to follow after, and bring them againe into his bondage.
Vers. 4. make strong] that is, as the Greeke saith, harden: so after, verse 8 17. See Exodus 4. 21. honoured] or, as the Greeke translateth, gloried: will get me honour, by their destruction, vers. 17. 18. For God hath glory by wrath upon the wicked, as by mercy upon the elect, Roman. 9. 22. 23. So Ezekiel 28. 22.
Vers. 6. bound] in Greeke, joyned, to wit, the horses to his chariot: made ready. So Gen. 46. 29.
Vers 7. captaines] or Princes, the third sort of governours in the kingdome: having the name of three, or third: the Chaldee calleth them Mighties.
Vers. 8. a high hand] that is, powerfully, openly, and boldly, like armed men, as in Exod. 13. 18. and in the sight of the Egyptians, Num. 33. 3. not like f…gitives. So to sinne with a high hand, Num. 15. 30. is to doe it boldly and openly. The Chaldee changeth the phrase, saving, they went out with uncovered (or open) head: which meaneth, openly, boldly, cheerfully: as, the covering of the head, signifieth sorrow and shame, 2 Sam. 15. 30. Ier. 14. 4.
Vers. 9. army] Hebr. power: used for an army or host, as the Greeke here translateth it; so in verse 17. 28. And here againe is to be understood, they followed and overtooke them.
Vers. 10. were fore afraid] or, feared vehemently. This was for want of faith and love towards God, Matth. 8. 26. 1 Iohn 4. 18. But was occasioned by the straits they now were in: the congregation of Israel was shut in, from the foure parts of the world: before them was the sea, behind them followed the enemy: and on each side of them were wildernesses full of fiery Serpents, which did bite and kill men with their venome: saith the Chaldee paraphrase upon Song. 2. 14.
Vers. 11. at all] or, none: a double deniall shewing the earnest passion and distemperature of their unfaithfull and unthankfull minds. Of this David said, they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies, but rebelled at the sea, at thered sea: yet he saved them for his names sake, Psal. 106. 7 8.
Vers. 12. Let us alone] or, Cease from us. They returne to their former rebellious cariage in Egypt, mentioned in Exod. 6. 9.
Vers. 13. feare not] the Greeke saith, be bold, (or, of good comfort.) whom ye have seene] or, as the Greeke translateth, so as ye sec: meaning, they should see them no more alive, but dead, as verse 30. not againe see] Hebr. not adde to see. By these promises, God would stay their murmurings, strengthen their faith, and shew his grace to an undeserving people: for which hee is after celebrated, in Neh. 9. 9. thou heardest their cry by the red sea.
Vers. 14. shall hold your peace] or, shall bee silent, shall cease from speaking or doing any thing in this battell. The originall word is often used for ceasing to heare or speake, as they that are deafe; but applied also to actions, signifieth silence or ceasing from deeds, as they that neglect and sit still, 2 Sam. 19. 11. Psal. 83. 2. and 50. 3. Esay 42. 14. 15. It may also be meant, hold ye your peace, that is, cease from murmuring against God and me.
Verse 15. wherefore] Hebr. what, that is, For what criest thou? God encourageth Moses to goe on with the worke in hand, which the peoples murmuring began to hinder. So after (in Exod. 17. 4) hee cried unto the Lord, upon the like occasion. Though here no words of prayer bee mentioned, yet Moses might cry unto God by the Spirit, which maketh intercession for the Saints, with groanings which cannot be uttered, Rom. 8. 26. The Chaldee paraphrast turneth it, I have accepted thy prayer: speake to the sonnes of Israel; &c. as if he had cried our for feare of wrath to come upon them for their sinne, as they deserved. So elsewhere another Chaldee paraphrast (on Song 1. 9.) more plainly saith, When Pharaoh and his host were drowned, Israel also had likewise perished, if Moses the Prophet had not stretched out his hands in prayer before the Lord, and turned away the Lords wrath from them. A like preservation of them by Moses prayer, is after recorded in Deut. 9. 13. 14.—19. 20.
Verse 16 thy rod] where with miracles were done in Egypt, Exod. 4. 2. and 7. 9. &c. the rod of God, Exod. 17. 9 it signified the Word of God, which is the rod of his mouth, wherewith hee smiteth the earth, Esay 11. 4. but feedeth his people, Mic. 7. 14 cleave it] that is, forcibly divide, and (as the Greeke translateth) rent it. It is a commandement implying a promise.
Vers. 17. honoured upon] or, as the Greeke turneth it, glorified in Pharaoh: get me glory and honour upon him. The Lord knew that they dealt proudly against his people, so hee made himselfe a name, as it is this day, Nehem. 9. 10.
Vers. 19. the Angell,] that is, Christ, called Iehovah, Exod. 13 21. So the Hebrew Doctors have acknowledged this Angell to be Michael the great Prince, who was made a wall of fire, betweene the Israelites and the Egyptians; Pirkei R. Eliezer, chap. 42. And others of them say this Angell was (Shechinah) the presence (or Majestie) of God, and called an Angell and Prince of the world, because the government of the world to by his hand: R. Menachem upon this place. This 19. verse, and 20. and the 21. following; have every of them in the Hebrew, 72. letters; from which the Hebrew Rabbines have their curious speculations, of so many Angels, concurring in this glorious worke of dividing the sea, and leading Israel through it.
Vers. 20. a cloud and darknesse,] that is, the cloud was thicke and darke to the Egyptians, and made light (or illumined) the night to the Israelites. And so the Chaldee paraphrase, and Thargum Ierusalemy explaineth it, the cloud was halfe light, and halfe darknesse, the light, gave light unto Israel; and the darknesse, gave darknesse unto the Egyptians. The Greeke translateth, and there was darknesse & thicke darknesse, and the night came. A like manifestation of Gods glorie, the Psalmist celebrateth; He set darknesse, his secret place; round about him his pavillion: darknesse of waters, (that is, of watrie clouds) thicke clouds of the skies, Psal. 18. 12.
Vers. 21. to goe backe,] O s…a what ailed thee, that thou fleddest? Psalme …14. 5. The waters saw thee ô God, the waters saw thee, they trembled: the depths also were troubled, Psal. 77. 17. This worke of God figured the afflictions of this world, made easie for Christs people to passe thorow by the power of God, Ps. 66. 12. Esay 43. 2. east winde] which being violent, is used to denote Gods anger, Ier. 18. 17. Ezek. 19. 12. Psal. 48. 8. And of this worke, the Prophet saith, was thy wrath (Lord) against the sea? Habakkuk. 3. 8. and David saith, he rebuked the sea, and it was dried up, Psal. 106. 9. It figured also the power of Gods Spirit, for the salvation of his Church by Christ, Esay 11. 15. who for the help of his people, flyeth swiftly on the wings of the wind, Ps. 18. 11. dry land] Come & see the works of God he is fearfull in his doing, toward the sons of men; he turned the sea into dry-land, Psal. 66. 5. 6. cloven] or, forcibly divided, into parts, as Psal. 136. 13. from which the Iew Doctors teach, that there were 12. according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel: Pirkei R. Eliezer, c. 42. and Thargum Ierusalemy, on Deut. 1. 1.
Vers. 22. went in] following the Lord by faith: for he led them by the right hand of Moses, with his glorious arme dividing the water before them, to make himselfe an everlasting name, Esay 63. 12. and, by faith they passed through the red sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians assaying to doe were drowned, Heb. 11. 29. And in this sea they were baptized, 1 Cor. 10. 2. a wall] standing up stedfast, as an heape, Psal. 78. 13. so they went safely: God led them through the deepe, as an horse in the wildernesse, that they should not stumble: as a beast goeth downe into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord quietly led the people, to make himselfe a glorious name, Esay 63. 13. 14.
Vers. 24. watch,] or ward, custodie; so called because men kept watch and ward there certaine houres in the night. As here, and in 1 Sam. 11. 11. is mentioned the morning watch; so in Lam. 2. 19. the beginning of the watches; and in Iudg. 7. 19. the middle watch is spoken of: in Luk. 12. 38. the second and third watch; and in Matt. 14. 25. the fourth watch of the night; which in Mar 13. 35 are named, evening, midnight, cock-crowing and day-dawning. See also after in v. 27. looked,] and manifested his presence with Israel, and wrath against Egypt; for the clouds streamed downe waters, the skies gave out a sound; Gods arrowes also (or hailestones) went abroad, the voice of his thunder was in the aire, lightnings lightned the world; the earth trembled & quaked, Psal. 77. 18. 19. pillar of fire,] wherein God did as it were ride upon his horses, his chariots of salvation, for his people, Habak. 3. 8. 9. troubled the campe] or made a tumult in their host; and terribly strooke them downe. The Ierusalemy Thargum here saith, God threw downe upon them pitch, and fire, and haile-stones, and astonished the host of the Egyptians. This word is after used, when God promiseth to destroy the Canaanites from before his people, Deut. 7. 23. And David in like sort, celebrateth his victories, saying; he sent out his arrowes, and scattered them: and he hurled forth lightnings, and troubled them, Psalme 18. 15.
Vers. 25. heavily,] Hebrew, with heavinesse: Greeke by force. For the raine and tempest so softned the ground, that they could drive but slowly, and with much adoe. Egyptians] Hebrew, the Egyptian said, let meflee: spoken as of one man, to note their joynt consent. So in v. 26.
Vers. 26. shall returne] the Greeke translateth, let the water returne and cover the Egyptians. The word cover, is borrowed from v. 28. This was done with a wind, as before, v. 21. Exod. 15. 10.
Vers. 27. the looking forth, or, turning towards of the morning, at the day dawning: which time the Scripture noteth, both for judgement upon the wicked, as in this place; and for mercy to the city of God, as in Psal. 46. 6. It was also the time of Christs resurrection, Matt. 28. 1. 2. The like phrase, is, of the evening, in Gen. 24. 63. shooke off,] that is, cast away, destroyed: so this word is elsewhere used, Iob 38. 13. Nehem. 5. 13. Herein God recompenced them, according to their workes: for they had drowned the children of Israel in the river, Exod. 1. 22. and now they themselves were drowned in the sea. This overthrow of the Egyptians, was also a figure of Christs victory over our spirituall enemies, by subduing our iniquities, and casting al our sinnes into the depths of the sea, Micah. 7. 15. 19.
Vers. 29. walked] or went on dry land, as before, so whiles the waters retired and drowned the Egyptians. Of this miracle Asaph sung, O God, thy way was in the sea, and thy pathes in the many waters; and thy foot-steps were not knowne: thou didst lead thy people like a flocke, by the hand of Moses and Aaron, Psal. 77. 20. 21. Alike marvellous worke, was at the river Iordan, when Israel entred in Canaan, Ios. 3. 16.
Vers. 30. shore] Heb. lip of the sea.
Vers. 31. hand,] that is, handy worke; so in Psalme 109. 27. the Chaldee translateth it, the power of the great hand. in Iehovah] the Greeke translateth, beleeved God: so in Gen. 15. 6. where is shewed, that the Apostles approve the version. in Moses,] that is, in the word which Moses taught them from God: as the Chaldee explaineth it, they beleeved in the word of the Lord, and in the prophesie of Moses his servant. So in 2 Chro. 20. 20. it is said, beleeve in Iehovah, &c. beleeve in his Prophets; and in Exod. 19. 9. that they may beleeve in thee. It meaneth trust or confidence in the faithfulnesse of any; as in 2 Cor. 2. 3. Gal. 5. 10. A like speech is of Sion, in Esay 14. 32. the poore of his people shall trust in it. So, in 1 Sam. 12. 18. the people feared Iehovah and Samuel. See further in the notes on Exod. 19. 9.