Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Exodus
Chapter 14: The Red Sea
God leads His people into a trap on purpose. Israel is hemmed in, the sea before them, mountains around them, and Pharaoh's chariots thundering behind, so that when God delivers, no one can doubt whose hand did it. The people panic and blame Moses, but he answers with words that ring through the ages: "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD ... The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Then God says, "go forward," Moses lifts his rod, and the sea splits into walls of water with a path of dry ground between. Israel passes through; Egypt follows and is drowned to the last man. That day the LORD saved Israel, and the people feared and believed. Exodus 14 is a chapter about the dead end that becomes a doorway, the God who fights for His people, and the salvation that is His work alone.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Exodus chapter 14. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Chapter 14 is the crossing of the Red Sea, the climax of the exodus. It teaches that God sometimes leads His people into impossible places to display His glory, that salvation is His work and not ours, and that the passage through the water leaves the old bondage dead behind us. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Entangled by Design
God leads Israel into a corner, sea ahead and Pharaoh behind, so that the deliverance can be nothing but His own hand.
Stand Still and See
The people panic, but Moses answers, "stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD ... the LORD shall fight for you."
Faith That Marches
God says, "go forward"; there is a time to cry and a time to move, and faith steps toward the sea at His word.
A Wall on Either Hand
The sea divides for Israel and returns upon Egypt; the old master is drowned, and not one of them remains.
Entangled in the Land (Exodus 14:1-9)
God deliberately leads Israel into a corner where Pharaoh will think them trapped, so that the coming deliverance can only be credited to the LORD.
I Will Be Honoured Upon Pharaoh
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. 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 said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."
Explanation
God tells Israel to turn back and camp by the sea, in a place that looks like a trap: the water before them, the wilderness around them, no way of escape. He does this on purpose, knowing "Pharaoh will say ... They are entangled in the land." God means to draw Pharaoh out for one final reckoning, "that I shall be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host." Sure enough, when Pharaoh hears Israel has gone, his heart turns again; he regrets letting his slaves go and musters "six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt." The whole army pursues and overtakes Israel "encamping by the sea." From a human view, God had led His people straight into disaster. In truth He had led them to the exact spot where His glory would be revealed and Egypt's power broken forever.
Hebrew Study
Israel went out "with an high hand" (verse 8), Hebrew beyad ramah, meaning boldly, triumphantly, with a raised and confident hand. They did not creep out of Egypt like fugitives but marched out openly, in the sight of all, under the banner of their God. The same phrase elsewhere can describe defiance; here it is the holy boldness of a redeemed people walking out of bondage in the strength of the LORD.
Gospel Focus
God led Israel into the trap on purpose. This overturns a common assumption, that if we are in God's will, the road will be smooth. Here the pillar of cloud led them straight into a dead end. God sometimes brings His people to the place of no escape, not because He has lost the way, but because He means to be glorified where only He can act. The impossible corner is His chosen stage. When you find yourself hemmed in, the sea ahead and the enemy behind, it may be the very place God has appointed for a miracle. He was "honoured upon Pharaoh" precisely because there was no human explanation left. Our extremity is God's opportunity. The dead end that looks like the end of faith is often the doorway to the greatest display of God's power we will ever see, so long as we do not turn back to Egypt in the panic of the moment.
Stand Still and See the Salvation of the LORD (Exodus 14:10-14)
Trapped and terrified, the people turn on Moses, but he answers with a call to stop fearing, stand still, and watch God fight for them.
The LORD Shall Fight for You
"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
Explanation
When Israel sees the Egyptians bearing down, they are "sore afraid" and cry out, then turn bitterly on Moses: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?" Their fear curdles into sarcasm and a longing to go back to slavery. Moses does not answer their panic with panic. He gives four steadying commands: "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD," and "The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Stop being afraid; stop scrambling; watch what God will do; and be quiet. He promises that the very enemy terrifying them now they "shall see ... again no more for ever." The battle was not theirs to win. It was theirs to witness.
Hebrew Study
"Salvation" here is the Hebrew yeshuah, deliverance, rescue, victory that comes from God. From this very word comes the name Yeshua, Jesus, for the angel said, "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). When Moses cried, "see the salvation of the LORD," he was pointing, in the deepest sense, to the LORD who Himself is our salvation, the one God who would come in the flesh bearing the very name that means He saves.
Gospel Focus
"Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD." There are battles God does not ask us to fight but to witness. Salvation itself is one of them. No Israelite lifted a sword at the Red Sea; the LORD did it all, and they "held their peace." So it is with our redemption. We do not save ourselves; we "stand still" and receive what God alone accomplishes, for "salvation is of the LORD." The command "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) is the posture of faith before a work only He can do. Yet standing still is not the same as doing nothing forever; as the next verse shows, there is a time to move at God's word. First, though, the panic must cease and the eyes must turn from the enemy to the LORD. When you are hemmed in and afraid, hear Moses again: fear not, stand still, see, hold your peace. The LORD shall fight for you. Your salvation is His battle, and He has never lost one.
Speak That They Go Forward (Exodus 14:15-20)
God calls Israel to move forward at His word, and the pillar that led them shifts behind, becoming darkness to Egypt and light to His people through the night.
Wherefore Criest Thou Unto Me?
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night."
Hebrew Study
At the sea God says, "wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward" — there is a faith that must move before the water parts. Then the pillar and the angel of God shift from in front to behind, standing between the two camps: "it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these." The identical presence is thick darkness to Egypt and shining light to Israel — the same God, opposite to each, according to which side of redemption a soul stands.
Explanation
God's answer to Moses is startling: "Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." There was a moment to stand still, and now there is a moment to march. God tells Moses to lift his rod and stretch his hand over the sea, and Israel is to walk forward "on dry ground through the midst of the sea", before the sea has parted. Then the angel of God and the pillar of cloud, which had gone before Israel, move around to the rear, standing between the two camps. To the Egyptians it was "a cloud and darkness," but "it gave light by night" to Israel, so the armies could not reach each other all night. The same presence of God was darkness to His enemies and light to His people at the very same hour.
Gospel Focus
"Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." There is a time to pray and a time to obey, and faith knows the difference. God does not rebuke prayer, but there are moments when the answer to prayer is a command to move. Israel had to step toward the sea while it was still water, trusting the path would open as they went. Often God parts the waters only as we walk into them; the way forward opens under the feet of those who obey. And see the pillar: the same presence of God was darkness to Egypt and light to Israel. The gospel is like this still, "to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life." The presence that comforts God's people confounds His enemies. What is light and life to those who believe is darkness and dread to those who oppose Him. The cloud that shielded Israel shut out Egypt. God's nearness is not neutral; it saves the trusting and stands against the proud.
The Waters Were a Wall (Exodus 14:21-31)
The sea divides for Israel to pass on dry ground, then returns upon the Egyptians, and Israel is saved while the old master is drowned to the last man.
Dry Ground Through the Midst of the Sea
"And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses."
Hebrew Study
God divides the sea by "a strong east wind all that night" — a natural force wielded with supernatural timing — and the waters stand "a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left" (chomah). Then "the LORD looked" upon the Egyptians "through the pillar" and troubled them. The chapter ends where redemption aims: "the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses." Paul reads this passage as baptism — Israel "baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Corinthians 10:2), the old passage through water that pictures the new.
Explanation
Moses stretches out his hand, and God drives the sea back "by a strong east wind all that night," turning the seabed to "dry land." Israel walks through "upon the dry ground," the water standing "a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left." Egypt charges in after them, but in the morning watch the LORD "troubled the host of the Egyptians," clogged their chariot wheels, and they cried, "Let us flee ... for the LORD fighteth for them." Then at God's word Moses stretches his hand again, and "the sea returned to his strength," burying Pharaoh's entire army: "there remained not so much as one of them." Israel "walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea," but Egypt was overthrown. "Thus the LORD saved Israel that day," and seeing the Egyptians dead on the shore, "the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses."
Gospel Focus
The passage through the sea became for Israel a kind of baptism. Paul writes that our fathers "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Corinthians 10:2). They went down into the water and came up on the far side a free people, and the enemy that had enslaved them was buried in that same water, "there remained not so much as one." This is the picture of what God does for us in salvation. Coming to Christ, we pass through the water of baptism out of the old bondage, and the old master, sin, is left drowned behind us; "sin shall not have dominion over you" (Romans 6:14). The Egypt we feared, we "see ... again no more for ever." And mark how the chapter ends: not with Israel boasting, but fearing the LORD and believing. Great deliverance produces holy faith. When we truly see the salvation of the LORD, that He alone did it, we do not swagger; we bow. "Thus the LORD saved Israel that day," and thus He saves us still, wholly by His own hand, that all the glory might be His.
Chapter 14 in Review
Exodus 14 is the crossing of the Red Sea. God leads Israel into an apparent trap, the sea before them and Pharaoh behind, on purpose, "that I shall be honoured upon Pharaoh." The people panic and long for Egypt, but Moses answers, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD ... The LORD shall fight for you." Then God says, "go forward," Moses lifts his rod, and the sea divides into walls of water with dry ground between. Israel passes through; Egypt follows and the sea returns upon them, until "there remained not so much as one." That day the LORD saved Israel, and the people feared and believed.
For the Apostolic reader, this chapter shines with the gospel. God sometimes leads His people into impossible places, not because He is lost, but to be glorified where only He can act; our extremity is His opportunity. Salvation is the LORD's battle, not ours, we "stand still" and see what He alone accomplishes, for the very word for salvation here gives us the name of Jesus, who saves His people from their sins. Yet faith also moves; there is a time to go forward at God's word, trusting the waters to part as we walk. And the passage through the sea pictures our own deliverance: we come through the water out of bondage, the old master drowned behind us, to fear and believe the God who saved us wholly by Himself. Stand still, go forward, and see the salvation of the LORD.
- God may lead His people into an impossible corner to be glorified where only He can act (14:3-4).
- Salvation is the LORD's work to accomplish and ours to witness: "stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD" (14:13; Psalm 46:10).
- The salvation of the LORD points to Jesus, whose name means He saves His people from their sins (14:13; Matthew 1:21).
- There is a time to pray and a time to obey; faith goes forward at God's word, and the way opens as we walk (14:15).
- The passage through the sea pictures baptism: through the water out of bondage, the old master drowned behind us (14:22; 1 Corinthians 10:2; Romans 6:14).
Questions for Reflection
- God led Israel into a dead end on purpose. Can you trust that an impossible corner in your life may be God's appointed place for a miracle?
- Moses said, "stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD." Where are you striving to win a battle God means to fight for you?
- God then said, "go forward." Is there a step of obedience you must take before you will see the waters part?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). "With an high hand" (Hebrew beyad ramah) means boldly or triumphantly, and "salvation" (Hebrew yeshuah) is the root of the name Jesus, as any Bible reference or lexicon confirms. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Israel entangled and Pharaoh's pursuit: Exodus 14:1-9.
- Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD: Exodus 14:10-14; Psalm 46:10; Matthew 1:21.
- Go forward, and the pillar between the camps: Exodus 14:15-20.
- The sea divided and Egypt overthrown: Exodus 14:21-31; 1 Corinthians 10:2; Romans 6:14.