Exodus 14:13–14

Context

After the people of Israel left Egypt on the night of the Passover, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, changed his mind and pursued them with his chariots. Trapped between the sea ahead and the Egyptian army behind, the people murmured against Moses, asking, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?" (Exodus 14:10–12). This passage is Moses' reply to their complaint. Immediately afterward God says, "Wherefore criest thou unto me?" and commands the people to go forward (Exodus 14:15). The sea parts, the people cross over, and the pursuing Egyptian army is engulfed by the waters. In the book of Exodus, this event is the climax of the exodus narrative and leads into the song of chapter 15.

Interpretation

• Salvation as the work of God: Many commentaries and sermons read this passage as a call to "see" the salvation that God accomplishes, rather than one that Israel achieves by fighting or fleeing. The Reformed tradition frequently presents the scene as a demonstration that the initiative in salvation belongs to God.
• The "divine warrior" reading: Old Testament scholarship connects "The LORD shall fight for you" with the tradition that portrays God as a warrior who fights on behalf of his people. Exodus 15:3 ("The LORD is a man of war") is one example, and similar language appears in Deuteronomy 1:30 and 2 Chronicles 20:15–17.
• Readings attentive to the original language: The Hebrew verb rendered "stand still" in verse 13 is closer in meaning to "hold one's ground firmly." For this reason some interpret the command not as a state of doing nothing but as a posture of standing firm without wavering. The phrase "hold your peace" in verse 14 means "be silent," which leads some interpreters to read it as an instruction to the people, who had just been complaining, to stop their grumbling.
• Typological reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1–2 describes the crossing of the Red Sea by saying that the Israelites "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." On this basis, since the time of the early church the Red Sea event has been read as a type of baptism, that is, a shadow that prefigures what was to come.

Questions of Application

This passage is not one on which denominations differ sharply in interpretation. Nevertheless, questions have been raised about how it should be applied.

• "Standing still" and "going forward": In the very next verse God commands the people to go forward. Some therefore point out that isolating verses 13–14 to justify passivity or escapism in the life of faith does not fit the context. Sermons commonly read the two statements together, explaining that trust freed from fear issues in obedient action.
• Reading it as a personal promise: These words were addressed to the community of Israel in the specific event of the exodus. Some caution against applying them directly as a promise guaranteeing victory in personal matters such as lawsuits or illness. On the other hand, the application that believers today can face crises with the same trust, because God's character does not change, is widely accepted.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently cited in sermons comforting church members who are going through hardship, during pastoral visitation, and at early-morning prayer meetings. The story of the parting of the Red Sea is also a favorite text in Sunday school and vacation Bible school.

Related Passages

• Exodus 14:15
• Exodus 15:3
• 2 Chronicles 20:17
• Psalm 46:10
• Isaiah 30:15