Exodus 14 · WEB
Crossing the Sea
Listen — WEB narration 0:00 / 0:00 Narration: World English Bible (David Williams), public domain — AudioTreasure.
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Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2"Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea.
3Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.'
4I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh and over all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh." They did so.
5The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, "What have we done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"
6He prepared his chariot, and took his army with him;
7and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, with captains over all of them.
8Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel; for the children of Israel went out with a high hand.
9The Egyptians pursued after them: all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his army, overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
10When Pharaoh came near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were very afraid. The children of Israel cried out to Yahweh.
11They said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us out of Egypt?
12Isn't this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than to die in the wilderness."
13Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again.
14Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still."
15Yahweh said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward.
16Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go into the middle of the sea on dry ground.
17I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his army, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.
18The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have gotten honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen."
19The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them.
20It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night; and the one didn't come near the other all night.
21Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
23The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea, all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24In the morning watch, Yahweh looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.
25He removed their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, "Let's flee from the face of Israel, for Yahweh fights for them against the Egyptians!"
26Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen."
27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.
28The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen of all of Pharaoh's army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them.
29But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30Thus Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
31Israel saw the great work which Yahweh did to the Egyptians, and the people feared Yahweh; and they believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.
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Summary
God deliberately leads Israel to a seemingly trapped position — water before them, Egyptian army behind them — to stage the definitive miracle of the Exodus. Israel panics and accuses Moses of leading them to die. Moses calls them to stand still and watch God fight. God parts the sea through a strong east wind, Israel crosses on dry ground, and when Egypt's army follows, God confuses their chariots and the returning waters drown them all. Israel sees Egypt's bodies on the shore, fears Yahweh, and believes in him and in Moses.
Themes
- Divine rescue at the point of human impossibility
- Fear transformed into faith through witnessed miracle
- Yahweh as warrior — he fights for his people
- The sea crossing as a new creation / new birth event
Key verses
- Ex 14:13-14 — “Don't be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh… Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still.”
- Ex 14:21 — “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night.”
- Ex 14:31 — “Israel saw the great work which Yahweh did… and they believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.”
Context & background
The exact location of the sea crossing is debated. The Hebrew "yam suph" means "Sea of Reeds," and the most probable location is in the region of the modern Suez Canal (in northwestern Sinai/eastern Egypt) — possibly the Bitter Lakes or the northern Gulf of Suez. A minority view places it at the Gulf of Aqaba. The Egyptian army's pursuit with 600 chariots reflects the military strength of New Kingdom Egypt. Paul interprets this event as a baptism typology in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2: Israel passed through water and was "baptized into Moses," a type of Christian baptism into Christ. The destruction of Pharaoh's army fulfilled the Exodus 9:16 purpose: God's name declared throughout the earth.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 — Paul calls the sea crossing a type of baptism: "baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea."
- Hebrews 11:29 — "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land."
- Isaiah 43:16-17 — God recalls making "a way in the sea" as the paradigm of his saving power.
- Revelation 15:2-3 — The redeemed in heaven stand by "a sea of glass mixed with fire" singing "the song of Moses" — echoing Exodus 15.