Exodus 15

Exodus 15 follows the events of Exodus 14, in which Israel crossed the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army was drowned in the sea. The chapter opens with a song celebrating that deliverance, which is followed by the first scene of the wilderness journey.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Moses and the children of Israel sing praise to the LORD. They sing that the LORD has thrown the horse and his rider, along with Pharaoh's chariots and army, into the sea.
• Verses 6–10 The song recounts how, by the LORD's right hand, the blast of His nostrils, and His wind, the waters were piled up and then covered the enemy.
• Verses 11–13 The song asks, "Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?" and praises God, who leads the people He has redeemed to His holy habitation.
• Verses 14–18 The inhabitants of Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan tremble in fear. The song declares that God will plant His people in the mountain of His inheritance and that the LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
• Verses 19–21 The Red Sea event is briefly restated. The prophetess Miriam then takes a timbrel and answers in song as the women dance with her.
• Verses 22–26 In the Wilderness of Shur the people go three days without finding water and come to Marah, but they cannot drink the water because it is bitter. When the people murmur, Moses cries out to the LORD. He casts into the water a tree that the LORD shows him, and the water becomes sweet. There the LORD makes a statute and an ordinance and says, "I am the LORD that healeth thee."
• Verse 27 The people come to Elim, where there are twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamp there.

Key Verses

• Exodus 15:2 "The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation." This verse distills the confession of those who have been delivered; nearly identical words appear in Psalm 118:14 and Isaiah 12:2.
• Exodus 15:11 "Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?" This passage celebrates the uniqueness and holiness of the LORD.
• Exodus 15:26 "For I am the LORD that healeth thee." This verse, which reveals God as healer, is frequently quoted.

People and Places

• Moses: Leads the song and cries out to the LORD at Marah.
• Miriam: The sister of Aaron; the text calls her a "prophetess."
• Pharaoh: The king of Egypt, who lost his army while pursuing Israel.
• Red Sea: The sea Israel crossed.
• Wilderness of Shur: The first wilderness Israel entered after crossing the Red Sea.
• Marah: A place of bitter water, whose name means "bitter."
• Elim: A place of rest with wells of water and palm trees.
• Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan: Appear in the song as nations trembling in fear.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 1–18 are written as Hebrew poetry. Some scholars regard this song as one of the oldest poems in the Old Testament.
• Since the time of the early church fathers, some interpreters have read the tree cast into the water at Marah as a type of the cross. The text itself, however, does not specify the kind of tree or assign it any symbolism.
• Pentecostal and Full Gospel traditions emphasize 15:26 as a basis for divine healing. Other denominations tend also to stress that the verse is set in the context of covenantal obedience to God's statutes.
• A New Testament connection is found in Revelation 15, where the saints sing "the song of Moses ... and the song of the Lamb" (Revelation 15:3). In addition, 1 Corinthians 10:1–2 likens the crossing of the sea to baptism.

In the Korean Church

Exodus 15:26 is frequently read aloud at divine healing meetings and during prayers for the sick on pastoral visits. The movement from the bitter water of Marah to the wells of Elim is often used as the basis for sermons on the theme of restoration after suffering.