INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 15 This chapter contains the song of Moses, and of the children of Israel, on the banks of the Red sea; in which they celebrate their passage through it, the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in it, and the glory of the divine perfections displayed therein, interspersed wit... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SANG MOSES AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THIS SONG UNTO THE LORD,.... Which is the first song recorded in Scripture, though no doubt before this time songs of praise were sung to the Lord; the people of God having occasion in all ages more or less to sing his praises. The Jews n speak of ten songs... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH AND SONG,..... The strength of Moses and the children of Israel against the fears of the Egyptians, and of entrance into the Red sea; who inspired them with courage, and strengthened their faith, neither to fear being destroyed by the one, or drowned in the other; and so in t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS A MAN OF WAR,.... A "man", which has respect to the future incarnation of Christ, for as yet he was not really man; though it was purposed, covenanted, agreed to, and prophesied of, that he should, as he after was; not a mere man, as appears by the following clause: "a man of war"; or a... [ Continue Reading ]
PHARAOH'S CHARIOTS AND HIS HOSTS HATH HE CAST INTO THE SEA,.... Which was done by the Angel of the Lord, who was Jehovah himself, our Immanuel, and man of war, as appears from Exodus 14:17, an emblem of the destruction of antichrist, and all the antichristian states, of which Pharaoh and his host we... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DEPTHS HAVE COVERED THEM,.... The depths of the sea covered Pharaoh and his host, so as to be seen no more; and in like manner will mystical Babylon, or antichrist, be destroyed, and be no more found and seen; as likewise the sins of God's people, being cast into the depths of the sea, and cover... [ Continue Reading ]
THY RIGHT HAND, O LORD, IS BECOME GLORIOUS IN POWER,.... In bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt, and through the Red sea, and in the destruction of Pharaoh and the Egyptians; and so the right hand of Christ, expressive of his power, he has in and of himself, and is the same with his Father'... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE GREATNESS OF THINE EXCELLENCY,.... Christ has an excellency in him, a greatness of excellency, a superlative one; he has a more excellent name and nature than the angels, being a divine Person; and a more excellent ministry, as man and Mediator, than any of the sons of men, as prophet, pr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITH THE BLAST OF THY NOSTRILS THE WATERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER,.... From the bottom of the sea, and divided and laid on heaps; and this by a strong east wind, called the blast of the nostrils of the Lord, because as easily brought by him as a man's breath or wind is drawn through his nostrils;... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ENEMY SAID,.... That is, Pharaoh, who repented that he had let Israel go; an emblem of Satan, who when the people of God are taken out of his hands is uneasy at it, and seeks to recover them again into his possession; or of antichrist breathing out threatening and slaughter to the saints, the re... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU DIDST BLOW WITH THY WIND,.... A strong east wind, Exodus 14:22 which is the Lord Christ's, who has it in his treasury, holds it in his fists, sends it out as he pleases, and it fulfils his word and will: THE SEA COVERED THEM; which stood up in an heap as a wall to let Israel pass through, and... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS LIKE UNTO THEE, O LORD, AMONG THE GODS?.... For the perfections of his nature, for the blessings of his goodness, and for the works of his hands; and especially for the greatness and excellency of his power, seen in the salvation of his people, and the ruin of their enemies: there is none lik... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU STRETCHEDST OUT THY RIGHT HAND,.... That is, exerted his power, and gave a display and proof of it; of which the right hand is an emblem: THE EARTH SWALLOWED THEM; meaning Pharaoh and his host; for though they were drowned in the sea, that being a part of the terraqueous globe, they may be sai... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU IN THY MERCY HAST LED FORTH THE PEOPLE WHICH THOU HAST REDEEMED,.... From their servitude and bondage in Egypt; and so they were the Lord's people, peculiar to him, and distinct from all others: those he led forth, as out of Egypt, so through the Red sea onward towards Canaan's land; which was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PEOPLE SHALL HEAR, AND BE AFRAID,.... What follows from hence to the end of the song is plainly prophetic, a prediction of future events; and this clause respects the case of all the nations of the earth, who should hear the report of the plagues, brought upon the Egyptians for the sake of I... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE DUKES OF EDOM SHALL BE AMAZED, c,] Of which there were many, see Genesis 36:15 the land being first governed by dukes, as perhaps it was at this time, though in some few years after it had a king, Numbers 20:14 now these, when they heard of the wonderful things that were done for Israel in... [ Continue Reading ]
FEAR AND DREAD SHALL FALL UPON THEM.... On the several nations and people before mentioned, especially the Canaanites, which the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem interpret of the fear of death, lest the Israelites should fall upon them and destroy them, or God should fight for them, against them, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT BRING THEM IN,.... Into the land of Canaan, which is often ascribed to the Lord, as well as his bringing them out of the land of Egypt, see Deuteronomy 8:8, AND PLANT THEM IN THE MOUNTAIN OF THINE INHERITANCE; in the country which he chose for the inheritance of his people and himself; o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER. Even that same Lord that is spoken of throughout this song, and to whom everything in it is ascribed, and who is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ; his reign began in eternity, when he was set up and anointed as King over God's holy hill of Zion, his church,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE HORSE OF PHARAOH WENT IN WITH HIS CHARIOTS AND WITH HIS HORSEMEN INTO THE SEA,.... Meaning not that particular and single horse on which Pharaoh was carried, but all the horses of his that drew in his chariots, and all on which his cavalry was mounted; these all went into the Red sea, follow... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MIRIAM THE PROPHETESS, THE SISTER OF AARON,.... The same, it is highly probable, that is called the sister of Moses, Exodus 2:3, her name Miriam is the same as Mary with us, and signifies bitterness; and, as the Hebrews x observe, had it from the bitterness of the times, and the afflictions the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MIRIAM ANSWERED THEM,.... The men, for the word is masculine; that is, repeated, and sung the same song word for word after them, as they had done, of which a specimen is given by reciting the first clause of the song: SING YE TO THE LORD; which is by way of exhortation to the women to sing wit... [ Continue Reading ]
SO MOSES BROUGHT ISRAEL FROM THE RED SEA,.... Or "caused them to journey" a, which some think was done with difficulty, they being so eager and intent upon the spoil and plunder of the Egyptians cast upon the sea shore, the harness of their horses being, as Jarchi observes, ornamented with gold and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY CAME TO MARAH,.... A place in the wilderness, afterwards so called from the quality of the waters found here; wherefore this name is by anticipation: THEY COULD NOT DRINK OF THE WATERS OF MARAH, FOR THEY WERE BITTER; and they must be very bitter for people in such circumstances, havin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PEOPLE MURMURED AGAINST MOSES,.... For bringing them into a wilderness where they could find no water fit to drink; saying: WHAT SHALL WE DRINK? what shall we do for drink? where can we drink? this water is not drinkable, and, unless we have something to drink, we, and our wives, and childr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CRIED UNTO THE LORD,.... Or prayed, as all the Targums, that God would appear for them, and relieve them in their distress, or, humanly speaking, they must all perish: happy it is to have a God to go to in time of trouble, whose hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy tha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID, IF THOU WILT DILIGENTLY HEARKEN TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD THY GOD,.... By this and the following words, they are prepared to expect a body of laws to be given unto them, as the rule of their future conduct; and though they were delivered from the rigorous laws, bondage, and oppression of th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CAME TO ELIM,.... On the twenty fifth of Nisan; for, according to Aben Ezra, they stayed but one day at Marah. Elim, as a late traveller r says, was upon the northern skirts of the desert of Sin, two leagues from Tor, and near thirty from Corondel; according to Bunting s it was eight miles... [ Continue Reading ]