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Parsha[GN]
16: B’shallach
“After he had let go,” Exod. 13:17–17:16
7. The Red Sea (14:1-15:21) [ca. 1446 BCE]
a. Pharaoh Pursues the Isra'elites (14:1-14)
[Egypt • 16 Apr 1462 BCE]
1 ADONAI [GN] said to Moshe, 2 “Tell the Isra'elites to turn back and camp before Pi-HachirotPihahiroth, [MAP] between Migdol [MAP] and the sea; camp by the sea opposite Ba‘al-Tz’fonBaal Zephon.[2] [MAP] 3 For Pharaoh will say of the Isra'elites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion. The wilderness has boxed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am ADONAI.” So this is what they did.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them, and they said, “What have we done, releasing Isra'el from serving us?” 6 So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of his select chariots[7] and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 ADONAI hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Isra'elites, who were marching out with fists raised in defiance.
(ii) 9 The Egyptians — all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, his horsemen, and his army — pursued them and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi-HachirotPihahiroth, opposite Ba‘al-Tz’fonBaal Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Isra'elites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified, and cried out to ADONAI. 11 They said to Moshe, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have brought into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we tell you in Egypt to leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians?’ It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here in the wilderness.”
13 But Moshe answered the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see ADONAI’s salvation,[13] which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you have seen today you will never see again. 14 ADONAI will fight for you; you need only to be still.”[14]
b. The Crossing of the Red Sea (14:15-31)
(A: iii) 15 ADONAI said to Moshe, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Isra'elites to go forward. 16 You lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so the Isra'elites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 Hinneh,[GN] I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor through Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am ADONAI when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” 19 Then the Angel of Elohim,[GN] Who had gone before the camp of Isra'el, moved and went behind them; the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them,[19] 20 and came between the forces of Egypt and Isra'el. The the cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up night. So all night long one group didn’t come near the other.
[Egypt • 17 Apr 1462 BCE][21a]
21 Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night ADONAI caused the sea to be driven back by a strong east wind that turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, 22 and the Isra'elites went through middle of the sea on the dry ground with walls of water on their right and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued after them — all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen — into the middle of the sea. 24 Then during the morning watch, ADONAI looked down upon the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and threw their camp into confusion. 25 He caused their chariot wheels to wobble so they had difficulty driving. “Let’s flee from Isra'el,” the Egyptians said, “for ADONAI is fighting for them against Egypt!”
(A: iv, S: iii) 26 Then ADONAI said to Moshe, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians, their chariots, and their horsemen.” 27 So Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. While the Egyptians were retreating ADONAI swept them into the sea. 28 The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and the horsemen — the entire army of Pharaoh that chased Isra'el into the sea. Not so much as one of them survived. 29 But the Isra'elites had walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, with walls of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day ADONAI saved Isra'el from the hand of the Egyptians; and Isra'el saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. 31 When Isra'el saw the mighy power which ADONAI had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared ADONAI; and they believed in ADONAI and in his servant Moshe.
2. Note that the locations indicated on these maps are in question. More recent (ca 2016) archeological discoveries place the location of the crossing much further south at Wadi Watir [MAP] on the Gulf of Aqaba (discussed at 14:10 in the first video). Note the path through the mountains to the wide beach on THIS MAP, which could easily accomodate three million people or more. King Solomon had pillars erected on both sides of the gulf to mark the place of the crossing. [BACK]
7. This would be the equivalent of today’s best special forces units. [BACK]
13. The Hebrew word translated “salvation” is יְשׁוּעָה (yeshuah). [BACK]
14. As we near the onset of the Tribulation Period we need to remember this promise: ADONAI will fight for us; we need only to be still. [BACK]
19. Note that the pillar of cloud is identified with the Angel of ADONAI [GN]. [BACK]
21a. I do not believe the date of 17 April can possibly be correct. That date assumes they crossed the Reed Sea somewhere in the vicinity of the present Suez Canal. [MAP] The water there is only a few feet deep, and there would not have been nearly enough water to drown the entire Egyptian army. I agree with the two videos below that they actually crossed at Wadi Watir [MAP] on the Gulf of Aqaba. From Zgazig in the Nile Delta to Wadi Watir on present paved roads [MAP] is 482 km or 300 miles. (The videos below assume a slightly different route, [MAP] which may possibly have been a bit shorter.) Assuming at a forced march with women, children, flocks, and herds they might possibly have been able to travel 15 miles a day, and it would have taken them at least 20 days to reach Wadi Watir. Additionally, if they had not had a very significant head start before Pharaoh sent his troops after them, they would have been anihilated long before reacing Wadi Watir, regardless of which route they might have taken. [BACK]
THE EXODUS EXPLORED—Chariots and Coral
Other commentaries on Exodus 14
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Pulpit Commentary
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
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ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN,
SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!
