Exodus 14 - Introduction

Yahweh Leads His People Out Of Egypt In Triumph (Exodus 13:17 to Exodus 14:31).

The acknowledgement of Yahweh's initial deliverance having been dealt with the narrative now moves on to the escape from Egypt. There is again a clear chiastic pattern:

a Yahweh leads His people out of Egypt (Exodus 13:17).

b The pillar of cloud and fire accompanies them (Exodus 13:20).

c Yahweh tells Moses that Pharaoh will think that they are at his mercy and declares that He will get Himself honour over Pharaoh (Exodus 14:1).

d The Egyptians say, ‘Why have we let Israel go from slaving for us?' (Exodus 14:5).

e Pharaoh makes ready his chariot forces and takes them forward (Exodus 14:6).

f Pharaoh pursues the children of Israel (Exodus 14:8).

f The Egyptians pursue the children of Israel and get them in their sights (Exodus 14:9).

e The children of Israel lift up their eyes and see the forces of Pharaoh (Exodus 14:10).

d Israel cry out with a willingness to slave for the Egyptians (Exodus 14:11).

c Pharaoh will be proved wrong, the salvation of Yahweh will be revealed, the Egyptians will be seen no more and Yahweh will get Himself honour over Pharaoh and his forces (Exodus 14:13).

b The pillar of cloud and fire stands between Israel and Pharaoh as a protection against the Egyptians while Moses opens the sea before them (Exodus 14:19).

a Yahweh leads Israel triumphantly out of Egypt and the forces of Pharaoh are destroyed (Exodus 14:23).

The parallels are clear and powerful. In ‘a' Yahweh leads His people out of Egypt and in the parallel we have the vivid description of how He finally did it. In ‘b' He accompanies them with the pillar of cloud and fire and in the parallel it protects them from the Egyptians. In ‘c' Yahweh says that He will get Himself honour over Pharaoh and in the parallel He does so. In ‘d' the Egyptians bemoan losing their slaves, and in the parallel the slaves in fear indicate their willingness to return, a deliberate contrast with the triumph of the whole passage, confirming that the deliverance was in no way due to faltering Israel. In ‘e' Pharaoh makes ready his chariot forces and takes them forward, and in the parallel Israel see them coming. In ‘f' the pursuit begins and in the parallel Pharaoh gets Israel in his sights.