Exodus
Chapter 15
Song of Moses
Then Moses and the people sang this song to the Lord:
I will sing to the Lord, the glorious one,
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song,
and he is my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him;
the God of my father: I will extol him.
The Lord is a warrior;
Lord is his name.
The chariots of Pharaoh and his army
he has hurled into the sea;
his chosen officers were drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep covers them;
they went down like a stone.
Your hand, O Lord, glorious and powerful,
your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
In the splendor of your majesty, you crush your foes;
you send forth your fury, which devours them like stubble.
At the blast of your nostrils, the waters piled up,
the surging waters stood firm in a heap;
the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, “I will give chase and overtake,
I will divide the spoil and make a feast of it.
I shall draw my sword, and my hand will destroy them.”
A breath of yours and the sea covered them;
they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Who among the gods is like you, Lord?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in power, doing wonders?
You stretched out your right hand;
the earth swallowed them.
In unfailing love, you guided the people you redeemed,
in strength, you led them to your holy house.
Hearing this, the nations tremble;
anguish grips the people of Philistia.
The chieftains of Edom are dismayed;
the leaders of Moab are seized with trembling;
the people of Canaan melted away.
Terror and dread fall upon them,
your powerful arm leaves them still as stone
until your people pass by, O Lord!
till the people you have purchased pass by.
You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance,
the place you chose to dwell in, O Lord,
the sanctuary prepared by your hands.
The Lord will reign forever!
When Pharaoh’s chariots, horses, and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters over them, while the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea.
Then Miriam, the prophetess, sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, dancing and playing tambourines.
Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord, the glorious one,
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Murmurings About the Lack of Water
Moses then led Israel from the Red Sea toward the wilderness of Shur. They walked in the desert for three days without finding water.
They reached Marah but could not drink the bitter water there, which is why the place is called Marah.
The people grumbled against Moses and said:
“What shall we drink?”
Moses then cried out to the Lord, who showed him a piece of wood, and when he threw it in the water, the water became sweet. There, the Lord gave the people statutes and laws. There he tested them
and said:
“If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord, your God, and if you do what is right in his eyes if you obey his commands and statutes, I will not inflict on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, the One who heals you.”
Then they came to Elim, where there are twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and there they pitched their camp beside the water.
Commentaries
Song of Moses.
It is logical that after such a victory over Egypt, joy and celebration would be experienced. For this reason, the most ancient traditions attribute to Moses this song that celebrates not only the miracle of liberation from Egypt (1-11) but also the Lord’s companionship through the desert, the gift of the land, and His enduring presence in it (12-18). Verses 20f correspond to another ancient tradition, according to which, after the deliverance, Miriam, Aaron’s sister, leads the women in a liturgy featuring tambourines and dances to celebrate the victory.
Murmurings About the Lack of Water.
Still celebrating their victory, the Israelites, led by Moses, enter the first stage in the desert, a suitable setting to see how ready the freed people are to accept the gift of freedom. The story highlights that they find water but cannot drink it, prompting a quick complaint. The details of the complaint are unclear; what matters is that Moses calls out to the Lord, who responds by showing him how to turn the salty water into fresh water. This event emphasizes the importance of divine assistance in the desert. There is a connection between water, a vital element necessary for life, and the laws and commands given by the Lord, whose obedience will always ensure the people’s life and health (25f), serving as a preview of the well-being that follows the observance of divine laws. This first stage ends in a paradise-like place with “twelve springs and seventy palm trees,” where they camped (27).