Exodus 14:8 Kommentar

The departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt (which was indeed the birth of the Jewish church) is made yet more memorable by further works of wonder, which were wrought immediately upon it. Witness the records of this chapter, the contents whereof, together with a key to it, we have, Heb 11:29. "They passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned;" and this they did by faith, which intimates that there was something typical and spiritual in it. Here is, I. The extreme distress and danger that Israel was in at the Red Sea. 1. Notice was given of it to Moses before (Exo 14:1-4). 2. The cause of it was Pharaoh's violent pursuit of them (Exo 14:5-9). 3. Israel was in a great consternation upon it (Exo 14:10-12). 4. Moses endeavours to encourage them (Exo 14:13, Exo 14:14). II. The wonderful deliverance that God wrought for them out of this distress. 1. Moses is instructed concerning it (Exo 14:15-18). 2. Lines that could not be forced are set between the camp of Israel and Pharaoh's camp (Exo 14:19, Exo 14:20). 3. By the divine power the Red Sea is divided (Exo 14:31), and is made, (1.) A lane to the Israelites, who marched safely through it (Exo 14:22, Exo 14:29). But, (2.) To the Egyptians it was made, [1.] An ambush into which they were drawn (Exo 14:23-25). And, [2.] A grave in which they were all buried (Exo 14:26-28). III. The impressions this made upon the Israelites (Exo 14:30, Exo 14:31).

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 14 This chapter begins with directions of God to Moses, to be given to the children of Israel about the course they were to steer in their journey, with the reason thereof, Exo 14:1, which they observing, a report was brought to Pharaoh that they were fled, and this determined him and his servants to get ready and pursue after them, as they did with a great army, Exo 14:5, which when the Israelites saw, it put them in great fear, and set them to murmuring and complaining against Moses for bringing them out of Egypt, Exo 14:10, who desired them to be still and quiet, and they should see the salvation of the Lord, Exo 14:13, and he is bid to order the people to go on in their journey, and to take his rod and stretch it over the sea and divide it, that Israel might pass through it on dry ground, and the Egyptians follow them, whereby God would be honoured and glorified, Exo 14:15, upon which the Angel of the Lord in a pillar of cloud removed from before there, and went behind them for their protection, Exo 14:19, and Moses stretching out his hand over the sea, and a strong east wind blowing upon it, the waters divided and the Israelites went into it, and the Egyptians followed them, but their host being troubled by the Lord, and their chariot wheels taken off, they found themselves in great danger, and were thrown into a panic, Exo 14:20 and upon Moses's stretching out his hand again over the sea, the waters returned, and Pharaoh and his host were drowned, but the Israelites passed through safely, as on dry land, Exo 14:26, which great work of the Lord being observed by them, influenced their fear of him, their faith in him and his servant Moses, Exo 14:30.

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt,.... As he said he would, Exo 14:4, and he pursued after the children of Israel; took their rout in pursuit of them: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand: not once dreaming they should be pursued by Pharaoh as an enemy, when they went out with his full consent, and with such pressing solicitations to be gone, and with so much favour shown them by the Egyptians; wherefore they set out, and went on with great boldness, courage, and intrepidity; "with an uncovered head", as the Targum of Onkelos, without any fear, and with great alacrity and cheerfulness; they carried both their heads and their hands high, were fearless and thoughtless of any danger when this mighty preparation was making against them.

But the same Christ the Lord who did all these things now goes through baptism before the Christian people in the pillar of his body—he who at that time went through the sea before the children of Israel in the pillar of fire. This, I say, is the column which at that time offered light to the eyes of those who followed and now ministers light to the hearts of those who believe, which then made firm a watery path in the waves and now strengthens the traces of faith in the washing. Through this faith—as was the case with the children of Israel—the one who walks calmly will not fear Egypt in pursuit.

The Israelites are commanded to encamp before Pi-hahiroth, Exo 14:1, Exo 14:2. God predicts the pursuit of Pharaoh, Exo 14:3, Exo 14:4. Pharaoh is informed that the Israelites are fled, and regrets that he suffered them to depart, Exo 14:5. He musters his troops and pursues them, Exo 14:6-8. Overtakes them in their encampment by the Red Sea, Exo 14:9. The Israelites are terrified at his approach, Exo 14:10. They murmur against Moses for leading them out, Exo 14:11, Exo 14:12. Moses encourages them, and assures them of deliverance, Exo 14:13, Exo 14:14. God commands the Israelites to advance, and Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea that it might be divided, Exo 14:15, Exo 14:16; and promises utterly to discomfit the Egyptians, Exo 14:17, Exo 14:18. The angel of God places himself between the Israelites and the Egyptians, Exo 14:19. The pillar of the cloud becomes darkness to the Egyptians, while it gives light to the Israelites, Exo 14:20. Moses stretches out his rod, and a strong east wind blows, and the waters are divided, Exo 14:21. The Israelites enter and walk on dry ground, Exo 14:22. The Egyptians enter also in pursuit of the Israelites, Exo 14:23. The Lord looks out of the pillar of cloud on the Egyptians, terrifies them, and disjoints their chariots, Exo 14:24, Exo 14:25. Moses is commanded to stretch forth his rod over the waters, that they may return to their former bed, Exo 14:26. He does so, and the whole Egyptian army is overwhelmed, Exo 14:27, Exo 14:28, while every Israelite escapes, Exo 14:29. Being thus saved from the hand of their adversaries, they acknowledge the power of God, and credit the mission of Moses, Exo 14:30, Exo 14:31.

GOD INSTRUCTS THE ISRAELITES AS TO THEIR JOURNEY. (Exo. 14:1-31) Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp--The Israelites had now completed their three days' journey, and at Etham the decisive step would have to be taken whether they would celebrate their intended feast and return, or march onwards by the head of the Red Sea into the desert, with a view to a final departure. They were already on the borders of the desert, and a short march would have placed them beyond the reach of pursuit, as the chariots of Egypt could have made little progress over dry and yielding sand. But at Etham, instead of pursuing their journey eastward with the sea on their right, they were suddenly commanded to diverge to the south, keeping the gulf on their left; a route which not only detained them lingering on the confines of Egypt, but, in adopting it, they actually turned their backs on the land of which they had set out to obtain the possession. A movement so unexpected, and of which the ultimate design was carefully concealed, could not but excite the astonishment of all, even of Moses himself, although, from his implicit faith in the wisdom and power of his heavenly Guide, he obeyed. The object was to entice Pharaoh to pursue, in order that the moral effect, which the judgments on Egypt had produced in releasing God's people from bondage, might be still further extended over the nations by the awful events transacted at the Red Sea. Pi-hahiroth--the mouth of the defile, or pass--a description well suited to that of Bedea, which extended from the Nile and opens on the shore of the Red Sea. Migdol--a fortress or citadel. Baal-zephon--some marked site on the opposite or eastern coast.

Passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea; Destruction of Pharaoh and His Army. - Exo 14:1, Exo 14:2. At Etham God commanded the Israelites to turn (שׁוּב) and encamp by the sea, before Pihachiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baalzephon, opposite to it. In Num 33:7, the march is described thus: on leaving Etham they turned up to (על) Pihachiroth, which is before (על־פּני( e in the front of) Baalzephon, and encamped before Migdol. The only one of these places that can be determined with any certainty is Pihachiroth, or Hachiroth (Num 33:8, pi being simply the Egyptian article), which name has undoubtedly been preserved in the Ajrud mentioned by Edrisi in the middle of the twelfth century. At present this is simply a fort, which a well 250 feet deep, the water of which is so bitter, however, that camels can hardly drink it. It stands on the pilgrim road from Kahira to Mecca, four hours' journey to the north-west of Suez (vid., Robinson, Pal. i. p. 65). A plain, nearly ten miles long and about as many broad, stretches from Ajrud to the sea to the west of Suez, and from the foot of Atkah to the arm of the sea on the north of Suez (Robinson, Pal. i. 65). This plain most probably served the Israelites as a place of encampment, so that they encamped before, i.e., to the east of, Ajrud towards the sea. The other places just also be sought in the neighbourhood of Hachiroth (Ajrud), though no traces of them have been discovered yet. Migdol cannot be the Migdol twelve Roman miles to the south of Pelusium, which formed the north-eastern boundary of Egypt (Eze 29:10), for according to Num 33:7, Israel encamped before Migdol; nor is it to be sought for in the hill and mountain-pass called Montala by Burckhardt, el Muntala by Robinson (pp. 63, 64), two hours' journey to the northwest of Ajrud, as Knobel supposes, for this hill lies too far to the west, and when looked at from the sea is almost behind Ajrud; so that the expression "encamping before Migdol" does not suit this situation, not to mention the fact that a tower (מגדּל) does not indicate a watch-tower (מצפּה). Migdol was probably to the south of Ajrud, on one of the heights of the Atkah, and near it, though more to the south-east, Baalzephon (locus Typhonis), which Michaelis and Forster suppose to be Heroopolis, whilst Knobel places it on the eastern shore, and others to the south of Hachiroth. If Israel therefore did not go straight into the desert from Etham, on the border of the desert, but went southwards into the plain of Suez, to the west of the head of the Red Sea, they were obliged to bend round, i.e., "to turn" from the road they had taken first. The distance from Etham to the place of encampment at Hachiroth must be at least a six hours' journey (a tolerable day's journey, therefore, for a whole nation), as the road from Suez to Ajrud takes four hours (Robinson, i. p. 66).