Exodus 14:15—15:1
Chapter 14
You will raise your staff and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it to let the Israelites go through the sea on dry ground.
I will so harden the minds of the Egyptians that they will follow you.
And I will have glory at the expense of Pharaoh, his army, chariots, and horsemen. The Egyptians will know I am the Lord when I gain glory for myself at the cost of Pharaoh and his army!”
The angel of God who had gone ahead of the Israelites now placed himself behind them. The pillar of cloud changed its position
from the front to the rear, between the camps of the Israelites and the Egyptians. For one army, the cloud provided light; for the other, darkness, so that throughout the night, the armies drew no closer to each other.
Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and the Lord made a strong east wind blow all night and dry up the sea. The waters divided
and the sons of Israel went on dry ground through the middle of the sea, with the waters forming a wall to their right and their left.
The Egyptians followed them, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and horsemen moved forward in the middle of the sea.
It happened that in the morning watch, the Lord looked towards the Egyptian camp in the pillar of cloud and fire and threw it into confusion.
He so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly move. Then the Egyptians said:
“Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”
Then the Lord said to Moses:
“Stretch your hand over the sea and let the waters come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and horsemen.”
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At daybreak, the sea returned to its place. The Lord swept them into the sea as the Egyptians tried to flee.
The waters flowed back and engulfed the chariots and horsemen of the whole army of Pharaoh that had followed Israel into the sea. Not one of them escaped.
As for the Israelites, they went forward on dry ground in the middle of the sea, the waters forming a wall on their right and left.
On that day, the Lord delivered Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore.
They understood what wonders the Lord had done for them against Egypt, and the people feared the Lord. They believed in the Lord and Moses, his servant.
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.
Commentaries
Crossing the Red Sea.
The Israelites have departed, guided by the Lord. However, Pharaoh relents (4-8) and decides to pursue them (5). The sight of the Egyptians frightens the people, who, “scared to death,” begin to sense impending doom and voice their complaints (10-12). Their trust in the Lord remains lacking. Moses’ response is emphatic: “Do not be afraid… the Lord will fight for you; you keep still” (13f).
Verses 15-18 are the response of the Lord, who announces that he will work through Moses. The Lord announces His plan to destroy Pharaoh; it will be a sign of His glory.
Verses 19-31, which describe the fulfillment of the Lord’s words in his previous speech, intertwine two theological-literary traditions, the Yahwist (J) and the priestly (P). Both seek to emphasize that the deliverance from Egypt is an event performed by the Lord. Note that, without fighting, the people arouse the fear of the Egyptians, who seriously think of withdrawing (25).
It is highly significant that this final battle against Egypt takes place precisely in the sea and concludes with the scene in which the sea waters engulf Pharaoh and his army. For the Israelites, the sea is a symbol of something mysterious. It is inhabited by monsters that attack those who enter it, monsters that no one has yet defeated. Here, however, the sea opens, not to swallow the people, but to allow them to pass through, and closes, eating the enemy. This “opening” and “closing” is thanks to the power of the Lord, so that the Lord alone can overcome the mysterious and powerful beings of the sea.
Another symbolic aspect of this scene is the fact that Pharaoh perished in the sea. Egypt and Pharaoh are personifications of the project of death, a project that must disappear from the face of the earth. The sea is thus the place, the abyss of the waters, where all the projects of death and injustice would have to go.
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.