Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

7:9 The staff signifies for Moses and Aaron that God is the one working the signs through them on Israel's behalf (see 4:1-17), and it will continue to serve in this manner throughout the plagues to come. See chart.

7:11-12 This is the first of three times where the magicians of Egypt see the sign that Aaron performs and then do the same by their secret arts (also v. 22; 8:7). The Hebrew word translated "magician" is most likely derived from an Egyptian title that refers to a lector priest: someone who acted as a magician in service to the gods of Egypt and was also considered a teacher of wisdom. Egyptian texts are filled with descriptions of priests performing extraordinary feats, including turning inanimate objects into animals. Talc 2 of the Westcar Papyrus tells of a priest who made a wax crocodile that came to life when he threw it in a lake. The narrative of Exodus does not seek to provide any further explanation of the means by which the magicians performed these signs (whether by trickery, evil supernatural powers, a combination of these, etc.). In each case, the description focuses instead on events that indicate that, although the magicians were able to wield or utilize power to perform the sign, they did not have mastery or authority over it. Here, this is shown by the fact that Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

7:13 The recurring references to the hardness of Pharaoh's heart signify that the Lord is sovereign over and governs the events (see 4:21; 7:3; and chart), that Pharaoh is held responsible for his refusal to acknowledge what the signs reveal (see also 8:15, 32), and also that the readers or hearers of Exodus are being called to see these things and to keep from hardening their own hearts. Psalm 95 uses this phrase from the exodus narrative to warn Israel in its worship ("do not harden your hearts," Ps. 95:8) and subsequently, the book of Hebrews uses Psalm 95 to call the church to continue in Christ by faith (Heb. 3:7-4:13).

7:14 Then the Lord said to Moses. This phrase heads the narrative of each plague (see 8:1, 16, 20; 9:1, 8, 13; 10:1, 21; 11:1). It not only indicates the sequence of the plagues but also signifies that the events are governed by the word of the Lord spoken to Moses. Pharaoh's heart is hardened. Even before the first plague, the Lord said he would harden Pharaoh's heart (4:21; 7:3), and in response to the sign of Aaron's staff, Pharaoh signified the state of his heart by refusing to listen (7:13).

7:15 Since the Nile was the water in which Moses was most likely placed by his mother and drawn out of by Pharaoh's daughter (2:1-10), there may be intentional irony in the fact that through Moses the first plague will affect the waters of the Nile.

7:16 The Lord, the God of the Hebrews. The Lord identifies himself with the people of Israel even though they are slaves (see note on 3:18), referring to them also as "my people" (cf. 3:7). To the king of a powerful nation like Egypt, the Lord's identification with an enslaved people would seem to indicate that he had no power or authority to make such a request. However, the Lord will reveal through the plagues and exodus that he has power over all the earth (see 9:14, 29) and that his deliverance of Israel stems from his steadfast love for them and faithfulness to his covenant promises and not to Israel's size, wealth, or power as a nation (cf. Deut. 7:6-11).

7:17 By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Although this statement and the others like it (8:10, 22; 9:14, 29; 10:2) are most often spoken to Pharaoh and Egypt (7:5; 14:4, 8), it first appears in Exodus where the Lord is speaking to Moses about Israel (6:7).

7:19 even in vessels of wood and . . . stone. The extent of the first plague shows that it cannot be explained simply as the result of natural causes.

7:22-25 This is the second time that the magicians are described as having done the same by their secret arts (v. 22; see also vv. 11-12 and note; 8:7). The repeated vocabulary highlights the effects of this on Pharaoh, whose heart remained hardened (7:22; see v. 14) and who did not take the sign or what it signified to heart (v. 23). The description of the Egyptian people digging for water (v. 24) and the time frame of seven full days (v. 25) indicate what was being shown to Pharaoh: although the magicians repeated the sign, they did not have the power to reverse the effects of the plague or to cleanse the water of the Nile.

8:3-4 The account of the second plague emphasizes that the effects will extend beyond the water of the Nile: the frogs will come up into the house, bedroom, and bed, into the ovens and kneading bowls, and even on all of the inhabitants of Egypt.

8:7 This is the third time that the magicians observed the sign Aaron performed and then did the same by their secret arts (see 7:11-12 and note; 7:22). In each case, the narrator offers no further comment or qualification of the magicians' work but instead focuses on how the following events illustrate the supremacy of the Lord's power. Part of the narrative tension is that Pharaoh and his court begin to recognize some of what is being revealed, though Pharaoh will never fully relent even in light of all the plagues and even after the death of his own firstborn son.

8:8 Pharaoh's request that Moses and Aaron plead with the Lord to take away the frogs (v. 8) represents a tacit admission that the magicians of Egypt were powerless to do this (see v. 7). Pharaoh acted as if it was his prerogative to keep Israel or to let the people go, but his request to Moses is also an implicit admission that this power belonged to the Lord alone.

8:12 Moses cried to the Lord on Egypt's behalf, in accord with the stipulations he had allowed Pharaoh to set (vv. 9-11). Moses' intercession for Egypt (v. 29; 9:33; 10:18) prepares for and prefigures the way that he will intercede on Israel's behalf once they have gone out of Egypt (see 15:25; 17:4; 32:11-14; 33:12-16).

8:13 The fact that the Lord did according to the word of Moses stands in distinct contrast to the inefficacy of the magicians of Egypt.

8:14-15 Although Pharaoh hardened his heart in light of the relief from the frogs (v. 15), it is the people of Egypt who must clean up the mess (just as they had to dig for water after the first plague). The land stank (v. 14) would have been a potent reason to question whether their king had made the right choice. The disastrous effects of Pharaoh's refusal to heed the warnings of the plagues become gradually more evident to those who are suffering because of his disobedience (see v. 19; 10:7).

8:15 The narrative of each plague opens with the phrase "and the Lord said to Moses" (see 7:14); the fulfillment of the plague or the hardening of Pharaoh's heart is often followed by the phrase "as the Lord had said" (see 7:13, 22; 8:19; also 9:12, 35), further underscoring that the events are governed by the word of the Lord.

8:18-19 Up to this point the magicians of Egypt had been able to use their secret arts to replicate the signs done by Aaron (see 7:11-12 and note; 7:22; 8:7). In each case they had been unable to overpower the sign (the serpents) or reverse its effects (water to blood; frogs on the land). But now that they are unable to produce gnats from dust they say to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God" (v. 19). The narrative of the plagues highlights the way that some of Pharaoh's servants (see also 10:7) begin to recognize what he fails to see: the God who sent Moses and Aaron has shown that he has power over Egypt and that Pharaoh's persistent defiance is harming his own people.

8:20-21 In the Lord's message to Pharaoh he refers to Israel as my people (v. 20; see 3:7) and to Egypt as your people (8:21) and prefigures the distinction he will make (in the fourth plague) between Israel and Egypt (vv. 22-24).

8:22 The land of Goshen (perhaps the area of the eastern delta in Egypt) was originally given to Jacob and his family by the pharaoh who had known and honored Joseph (Gen. 47:4-6; cf. Gen. 45:10; 46:28). He had given the Israelites this territory in part because they and their means of livelihood were abhorrent to the Egyptians (see Gen. 43:32; 46:34). The distinction that the Lord will make between Goshen and Egypt would have seemed entirely contrary to what the Egyptians considered to be the worth of each nation. that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. The Lord states repeatedly that the plagues have the purpose that Pharaoh (and the Egyptians) would know who he is (see note on Ex. 7:5). Both translation options for this phrase (see ESV footnote on 8:22) focus on the identity (see 3:14-15) and presence (see 6:2-8) of Yahweh, who is at work on behalf of his people.

8:25-27 When Pharaoh offers the qualified response that Israel may go and serve God within the land (v. 25), Moses responds first with the logistical problems that should have been obvious to Pharaoh (v. 26) before he gives the reason that really governs his inability to accept the lesser offer: Israel must go out to serve the Lord as he tells us (v. 27).

8:28 Despite the ruin that the flies had brought on Egypt (v. 24) and what it represented about the Lord's power, Pharaoh still seeks to govern the extent to which he would let Israel go (only you must not go very far away) before he asks for Moses to intercede for him.

8:32 After Moses' intercession brought relief from the flies, Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, just as he had after the relief from the frogs (see v. 15).

9:1 The Lord instructs Moses once again to refer to him before Pharaoh as the God of the Hebrews (see 3:18; 7:16). In light of the distinction between Israel and Egypt in the fourth plague and also here in the fifth, the reference should have begun to hammer home to Pharaoh that Yahweh's identification with Israel indicated his favor on them--but also that this did not mean that God's power and authority were limited to the Hebrew people.

9:3 The reference to the hand of the Lord is another thematic statement in the account of the exodus (see note on 3:19) that makes explicit what the events are meant to show to both Egypt and to Israel: it is the Lord who is at work to bring Israel out of Egypt.

9:5 Tomorrow. When Pharaoh was asked to set the time of relief for the second plague, he requested that it be done "tomorrow" (see 8:10). Moses then used the same time frame in his plea for relief from the fourth plague (8:29). Now, the Lord again uses it for the timing of the plague on Egypt's livestock.

9:7 The fact that Pharaoh sends someone to check on whether Israel had been spared from this fifth plague, and then responds as he does, both illustrates and contributes further to the hardness of his heart.

9:8 After Aaron performs the initial sign (7:10) and the first three plagues (7:19; 8:3, 16), and the Lord's agency alone is described in the fourth and fifth (8:24; 9:6), here the Lord commands Moses to be the one to bring about the sign. As the events continue to unfold, the narrative shows Moses maturing in the role that the Lord had called him to at the burning bush (3:1-4:17).

9:9 The boils of the sixth plague are the first effect to impact the inhabitants of Egypt directly. The progression of the plagues continues to grow both in what they show of the Lord's power and in the proximity of their effects on the lives of Pharaoh and his people.

9:11 Pharaoh originally summons his magicians to contest the significance of the signs performed by Moses and Aaron (7:11). While they are able to reproduce some of the first signs (7:11, 22; 8:7), they could not overpower them (7:12) or reverse their effects (7:24; 8:8). When the magicians are unable to produce gnats, they confess to Pharaoh what has been signified throughout, "This is the finger of God" (see 8:19). In the sixth plague, the effects of the Lord's power are embodied in the magicians themselves who could not stand before Moses because of the boils.

9:14-16 The repeated reference to the earth in these verses underscores the Lord's message: although Pharaoh considered himself to be a representative of divine power, the plagues have revealed that there is no one like the Lord in all the earth (v. 14; see v. 29); that it was only by the Lord's mercy that Egypt had not yet been destroyed from the earth (v. 15); and that Pharaoh was ultimately raised up by the Lord's power and for the proclamation of his name in all the earth (v. 16, also cited by the apostle Paul on the purposes behind God's absolute sovereignty, Rom. 9:17).

9:14 this time. The Lord indicates the increasing intensity and proximity of the effects of this plague, but when Pharaoh uses the same phrase to qualify his repentance (v. 27) it is clear that he has still not taken any of the plagues to heart. The Hebrew phrase translated "on you yourself" is literally "on your heart" (see ESV footnote) and is likely an intended wordplay with the continued reference to the state of Pharaoh's heart (vv. 34-35) and the hearts of his servants (v. 34; see vv. 20-21).

9:18-21 hail . . . such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now (v. 18; also v. 24). Several of the plagues involved elements that would have occurred naturally to some degree in the land of Egypt (e.g., frogs, flies, hail, locusts), but in each case the details (related to the timing, concentration, location, severity, or even the means of relief) were meant to signify that the Lord had supernaturally brought them on Egypt. The provision of a way to find safe shelter from the hail (v. 19) was a test to indicate who had taken the plagues to heart and thus feared the word of the Lord (v. 20). The reference to those who did not pay attention to the word of the Lord draws into focus the wordplay on the state of the heart of Pharaoh and his servants (see v. 14) as the Hebrew phrase is literally, "whoever did not set his heart to the word of the Lord."

9:27 This time I have sinned. Pharaoh's qualified admission echoes the opening words from the Lord's explanation of the plague ("this time," v. 14), but indicates that he has drawn the wrong conclusion (see also 10:17). Pharaoh has sinned in response to each plague, refusing to listen to the word of the Lord, and Egypt stands under judgment as a result.

9:31-32 The explanation about crops in Egypt indicates that Pharaoh took comfort from what remained in his land rather than acknowledging the destruction that had already come.

9:34 he . . . hardened his heart, he and his servants. The repetition highlights Pharaoh's responsibility. His defiance leads the way for the defiance of his servants and brings about the destruction of his land. As the plagues progress, some of Pharaoh's servants begin to recognize that he is exercising his rule at their expense rather than in their best interest (see 8:19; 10:7; 11:8).

9:35 The two references to the heart of Pharaoh represent both his responsibility for his actions (v. 34) and the sovereign governance over the events by the Lord (v. 35; see also 10:1).

10:1 I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants. This is only the second plague narrative (cf. 7:14) that begins with a statement about the condition of Pharaoh's heart. The point is clear: Yahweh governs the events (see 9:34-35). Hereafter in the plague and exodus narrative it is usually the Lord who is referred to as hardening the heart of Pharaoh (see note on 4:21; also chart).

10:2 The Lord has Moses tell Pharaoh several times that the purpose of the plagues is that you may know that I am the Lord (see note on 7:5). Here in the preface to the eighth plague, the Lord addresses these words to Moses and reminds him that this is also his purpose for Israel (see 6:7)--and that what is signified in the plagues will become a part of the regular celebration in Israel of who the Lord is and what he has done for his people (that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson).

10:5 The description of the locusts as covering the face of the land, so that no one can see the land (also v. 15) prefigures the darkness that is to come in the ninth plague (vv. 21-23). Although each of the plagues has signified judgment through the threat of disease and/or death in some measure, the seventh through the ninth plagues intensify the warning and prefigure the judgment of death that is to come with the final plague.

10:6 from the day they came on earth to this day. Like the hail of the seventh plague, the Lord makes it clear that, although swarms of locusts were not unknown in the history of Egypt, the warning, timing, and extent of this plague indicate that it should not be interpreted as simply a regular and expected part of their normal experience.

10:7 Like the magicians in 8:19, some of Pharaoh's servants recognize what the plagues signify and make the bold move to suggest strongly to Pharaoh that he is not acting on behalf of his people as a ruler should.

10:8-11 Pharaoh listens to his servants (v. 7) and for the first time calls Moses and Aaron back into his presence before the plague has begun (v. 8). However, as in his post-plague pleading with Moses, Pharaoh responds to Moses' answer (v. 9) with an offer of only qualified obedience to the Lord's command (v. 10) and then sends them out in the anger of offended pride (v. 11). Contrary to what all of the plagues have indicated, Pharaoh continues to act as if he has unqualified authority over Israel.

10:17 When Pharaoh pleads with Moses and Aaron that his sin be forgiven only this once, the Hebrew is similar to his earlier qualified admission, "This time I have sinned" (9:27; see also 9:14) and indicates again that he recognizes neither the nature of his actions nor the gravity of what the plagues represent. remove this death from me. Pharaoh's description of the effect of the locusts as "death" is apt because of what has happened to Egypt's crops and also for the way it foreshadows the death to come in the final plague.

10:19 Red Sea. See note on 13:18.

10:23 After the locusts of the eighth plague are described as covering "the face" (vv. 5, 15) of the land so that no one could "see the land" (v. 5) because it was "darkened" (v. 15), the plague of darkness now has the effect that the people of Egypt did not see one another. The extended night that Egypt endures for three days prefigures the death to come, both in the way that darkness was often associated with the realm of death and for how the final plague will come at midnight (11:4; 12:29).

10:24 Pharaoh once again offers a qualification to what the Lord has asked in order to have some way of still tethering Israel to Egypt as his labor force. He has told them to go and sacrifice: "within the land" (8:25), without "your little ones" (10:9-11), and then here without your flocks and your herds. The Lord's words to Pharaoh have always framed Israel's going out as having the purpose "that they may serve me" (see 7:16; 8:1; etc. and also 3:12, 18), indicating also that this service would be primarily worship (see 5:1; 10:9, 25-26). Pharaoh stands in continual defiance of what the Lord is calling Israel to do in terms of the location, people, and provisions for serving him.

10:27-29 The narrative of each plague ends with either a description like this on the state of Pharaoh's heart (8:32; 9:7; 10:20) or a declaration that events had transpired according to the word of the Lord (8:15, 19; 9:12, 35), and once with a reference to the time elapsed (7:25). The interchange between Pharaoh and Moses in 10:28 may indicate that the warning of the tenth plague (11:4-8) comes while Moses is still in Pharaoh's presence. The threefold reference to Pharaoh's face plays on the description of the darkening of the land by the locusts (see 10:5, 15) and on the effects of the thick darkness on the people of Egypt (vv. 21-23) and, as Moses' final statement makes clear, forewarns of the finality of the plague to come: I will not see your face again.

11:1-10 The Lord both prepares Israel for going out of Egypt (vv. 1-3) and once again warns Pharaoh of the plague that is to come (vv. 4-8). The section ends with a final statement that Moses and Aaron had done all that the Lord asked them and that Pharaoh would not listen because the Lord had hardened his heart (vv. 9-10).

11:1 Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Although the Lord told Moses at the outset that Pharaoh would not listen because of his hardened heart (see 3:19-20; 4:21), the Lord only now reveals when the plagues would end. The plague narratives show Moses continually maturing in his role as Israel's leader, as one who is called to act in light of the Lord's promises even though he does not know exactly how and when the Lord will bring Israel out of Egypt.

11:2-3 The Lord instructs Israel to ask the Egyptians for silver and gold, a fulfillment of what he told Moses at the burning bush (3:21-22). In addition, the fact that Moses was considered very great by both Pharaoh's servants and the people in Egypt is a fulfillment of the Lord's promise at the burning bush: "I will be with you" (3:12, 15).

11:4 The descriptions of the third, sixth, and ninth plagues each begin with the Lord simply instructing Moses to perform the sign (8:16; 9:8; 10:21; see chart). The descriptions of the other plagues always include the words to Pharaoh "thus says the Lord" and the instruction to "let my people go" (see 7:16, 17; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3). The warning here indicates the finality of the tenth plague when Moses says, "Thus says the Lord," and then describes the forthcoming effects of the plague without any further request to let Israel go.

11:5 When the Lord spoke to Moses as he was preparing to go back to Egypt, he referred to Israel as "my firstborn son" (4:22) and indicated that Pharaoh's refusal would result in the death of his firstborn (4:23). Since Pharaoh leads as his people's representative, the plagues have extended not simply to him but also to his people, a fact which becomes even more poignant in the final plague when every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die.

11:7 The Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel from the very beginning by referring to Israel as "my people" (see 3:7; 5:1) and identifying himself with them as "the God of the Hebrews" (3:18; 5:3). This distinction is further revealed to Pharaoh through the plagues (see 8:22-23; 9:4, 26; 10:23) and is grounded not in anything inherent in either nation but in the Lord's sovereign governance over all nations and particularly in his steadfast love for and covenant promises to Abraham (see Deut. 7:6-11).

11:8 The narrative does not tell the reader explicitly why Moses went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. As the one who has interacted with Pharaoh throughout and even pleaded with the Lord on his behalf, it may be that Moses found Pharaoh's persistent pride infuriating because of the devastating effect it would have on the people of Egypt (cf. note on 9:34).

12:1-28 Where the Lord had made a distinction in earlier plagues by protecting Israel's land, livestock, and people from the effects he brought upon Egypt, the people of Israel are now called to act faithfully in order to appropriate the means by which the Lord will "pass over" them during the tenth plague. The Lord's instructions to Moses and Aaron look beyond simply the events of the tenth plague and describe how the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread will be celebrated by Israel in the Promised Land.

12:2 The events of the plagues and exodus are so significant for Israel's identity as an emerging nation that the month they come out of Egypt will become for them the first month of the year. (Cf. The Hebrew Calendar.)

12:3-4 Just as the plague will result in the death of a firstborn in every house in Egypt (see v. 30), Israel is given instructions for a lamb to be sacrificed on behalf of every household.

12:7 they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts. The practice would indicate that the members of the household had followed the Lord's instructions and were consecrated to him; but the Israelites, in light of the developed sacrificial system, would find the blood of the slain lamb to be a vivid reminder that a life had to be sacrificed in place of those in the home.

12:8 The Passover lamb is to be eaten with unleavened bread. This reflects the coming events in which Israel is sent out of Egypt so quickly that they have to pack up their dough before it was leavened (vv. 34, 39).

12:9-10 Israel is to prepare their Passover lambs by roasting them "on the fire" (v. 8), and they are to burn anything that remains of the meal in the morning (v. 10). Although the reasons for these instructions are not stated explicitly, the reference to the meal as "the Lord's" (v. 11; see also v. 27) indicates that it is to be treated as holy.

12:11 Similar to the instruction about unleavened bread (v. 8), Israel is to eat the Passover dressed in a manner that symbolizes their being sent out of Egypt in the middle of the night (vv. 31-34).

12:12 The seventh plague had been a forewarning that the Lord has authority over both man and beast (9:25), but where the hail had affected only those who remained in the field, the tenth plague would strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. The Lord has stated repeatedly that the central purpose of the plagues is that both Egypt and Israel would know who he is: "I am the Lord" (see 3:13-15; 6:2-8; 7:5, 17). What is being displayed in judgment on Egypt's land, animals, people, king, and gods is also revealing to Israel that Yahweh is the only true God of heaven and earth and he is acting on their behalf. The events of the Passover are the ultimate demonstration of God's holy judgment of Egypt in its stubborn rejection of Yahweh, of God's great love for his people Israel, and of his power that is infinitely greater than all the power of Pharaoh and his kingdom (cf. Rom. 9:17, 22-24).

12:13 Since the Lord had shown clearly in previous plagues that he could distinguish between the people of Egypt and Israel (e.g., 8:22; 9:4), the blood placed on the doorway of the houses of Israel was to function both as the sign that they were a part of the Lord's people and also as the seal or means to appropriate the Lord's protection from the plague (see also 12:21-23).

12:14-20 The instructions in this section relate particularly to the way that Israel will celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the Promised Land.

12:15 The consequence of eating something leavened during the seven days is that a person shall be cut off from Israel (also v. 19). This suggests that eating leavened bread during the Passover was a serious sin. Although being "cut off" is stated as the consequence for a number of violations of the law (e.g., not being circumcised, Gen. 17:14; eating part of the sacrifice while unclean, Lev. 7:20-21; committing incest, Lev. 20:17), the majority of the contexts where it is mentioned do not state explicitly whether this refers to an action that Israel is to carry out or whether it is something known and acted upon by the Lord (see note on Ex. 31:14-15). In the context of the instructions for the Passover, it is possible that the addition of being cut off from the congregation of Israel (12:19) indicates that Israel was to remove a person from the celebration of the Passover if and when they knew the restriction had been broken. However, even where such an action may be intended, it would have been grounded primarily in what being cut off represented about the person's state before the Lord and thus would have been a merciful warning against disregarding the covenant lest the person continue in such a state and be cut off forever. Sometimes it appears that God's judgment brings about the offender's premature death. (See also note on Lev. 7:11-36; cf. notes on Gen. 17:14; Lev. 22:1-3; Num. 9:6-14; Ps. 37:9.)

12:19 a sojourner or a native of the land. See vv. 43-49. The sojourners were non-Israelites, living among Israel; often they were converts to the Lord. These rules are not just for the first Passover in Egypt; they prescribe how the festival is to be celebrated when Israel arrives in Canaan and has foreigners living among them.

12:21 After Pharaoh offers qualified obedience to the Lord's request, including attempts to restrict the place (8:25), participants (10:8-11), and provision (10:24-26) for serving him, there is tragic irony in the fact that Israel's first sacrifice (kill the Passover lamb) is in the land of Egypt and signifies the judgment that will come upon it.

12:22 hyssop. A bushy shrub used as a brush in a variety of cleansing ceremonies (see Lev. 14:4-7; Num. 19:6, 18; Ps. 51:7; cf. John 19:29).

12:23 when he sees the blood. See notes on vv. 7, 13.

12:26-27 when your children say to you . . . you shall say. Israel's identity as the people whom the Lord had brought out of Egypt was to be formed not only through faithful participation in the celebration of the Passover but also by proper narration of what it signifies.

12:30 The elders of Israel had been called to act on behalf of their households (v. 21) so that every "house" would appropriate the means for protection (v. 22); Pharaoh's refusal to obey the Lord results in there being not a house where someone was not dead. In each case, the leaders acted as representatives through whom the consequences of either their faithfulness or unfaithfulness were extended to their respective "houses."

12:35-36 Israel's obedience in asking for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing (v. 35) fulfills not only what the Lord had promised to Moses at the burning bush (3:22) but also what he had originally promised to Abraham, that his descendants would come out (of Egypt) "with great possessions" (Gen. 15:14).

12:37 While the sons of Jacob and their families arrived in Egypt with 70 persons (see 1:5), the people of Israel who were going out of the land now numbered more than six hundred thousand. On the large numbers in the Pentateuch, see Introduction to Numbers: The Large Numbers in the Pentateuch.

12:39 The celebration of Israel's exodus from Egypt (see vv. 14-20; 13:3-10) will involve the seemingly unimportant but historically particular event of having to bake unleavened cakes of the dough (see 12:34). Israel's inability to prepare any provisions for themselves is merciful because Yahweh will continually demonstrate his provision for them in this context. As the narrative will make clear, Israel is still in need of fully believing and appropriating this truth during the journey to Sinai (see 15:24; 16:2; 17:2-3).

12:41 The reference to Israel as the hosts of the Lord (also vv. 17, 51; 7:4) evokes a military image (see 15:4). The pharaoh "who did not know Joseph" (1:8) had originally enslaved Israel because he feared they would form a military alliance with one of Egypt's enemies (1:10). Although Israel probably had enough people to stage a military coup (12:37), the plagues and the exodus signified that it was the Lord who would fight on behalf of his people (cf. 14:14). When Israel is equipped for battle, it is not to fight Egypt but to be ready to go into the land the Lord has promised them (13:18).

12:43-49 The statutes related to the Passover were necessary in light of the "mixed multitude" that went out of Egypt with Israel (v. 38). Participation in the feasts that would be formative for Israel's life in the land required that a person be identified as a part of the Lord's people by letting all his males be circumcised (v. 48). In the NT church, there is a parallel in that baptism (the sign of membership in God's people) would ordinarily precede participating in the Lord's Supper. Similarly here, circumcision is required prior to eating the Passover.

12:46 you shall not break any of its bones. This is probably the text John 19:36 has in mind as fulfilled in the death of Jesus on Passover (John may have combined this text with Ps. 34:20; see notes on Ps. 34:15-22 and John 19:36).

13:1-16 As the Passover in 12:1-27 looks forward to Israel's life in the land, these verses call the people of Israel to faithfulness in celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread (13:3-10) and consecrating all their firstborn (vv. 2, 11-16).

13:2 In addition to the yearly sacrifice of the Passover (see 12:1-13), Israel is also called to consecrate to the Lord all the firstborn in Israel, whether animal or human. The instructions for how and why this is to be carried out are given in 13:11-16. This reminds Israel that, when the Egyptian firstborn died in the tenth plague, the Israelites were spared (v. 15). "Consecrate" means "make holy by giving to God." Thus the firstborn of sacrificial animals, such as sheep and cattle, had to be sacrificed. However, firstborn donkeys and humans had to be redeemed: a lamb was offered in sacrifice instead of them (vv. 12-13).

13:3 The repeated statement that the Lord brought his people out by a strong hand (also vv. 9, 14, 16) frames the instruction of this section and acts as the grounds upon which Israel is called to be faithful in keeping both the Feast of Unleavened Bread (vv. 3, 9) and the consecration of all the firstborn (vv. 14, 16). As a reminder of the Lord's power, it also seems intended to encourage Israel to fear the Lord and not the nations who inhabit the land of Canaan (see vv. 5, 11).

13:5 The instruction of vv. 2-16 focuses on the time when the Lord will bring Israel into the land of the Canaanites (also v. 11). With the repeated statement that the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt "by a strong hand" (see v. 3), Moses encourages Israel to see that faithfulness to these two statutes is a part of being formed to fear the Lord and not the nations who inhabit the land.

13:6-7 These instructions relate to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is initiated by the celebration of Passover and is observed for seven days (see 12:14-20).

13:8 Israel is called once again (see 12:26) not only to faithfully participate in the statutes of the Lord but also to tell their children what they mean: You shall tell your son on that day (also 13:14).

13:9 The Lord's statutes were to be so normative and governing for life in Israel that they would be like marks on your hand and between your eyes (also v. 16). In a wordplay related to the part of the body responsible for both eating and speaking (the mouth), faithfulness is described as having the result that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; that is, you will always be saying it to yourself or teaching your children (Deut. 6:7; Ps. 1:2).

13:11-16 set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb (v. 12). This was another way in which Israel's pattern of everyday life was to reflect the fact that they were the people that the Lord had brought out of Egypt (see also 34:19-20). Every firstborn was regarded as belonging to the Lord. Firstborn animals were to be sacrificed, redeemed by the sacrifice of another animal, or killed (13:12-15). Firstborn children were to be redeemed (v. 13) by the sacrifice of a lamb. Like the Passover (see 12:26) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (13:8-9), parents were to be faithful in both the doing and the telling of consecration: And when in time to come your son asks you, "What does this mean?" you shall say . . . (vv. 14-15).

13:17 Although the Lord has clearly shown through the plagues that he can bring his people victoriously through the land of the Philistines, he mercifully chooses to take them on another route that will not lead to immediate armed conflict. However, this route will result in Israel being hemmed in between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army of chariots (see 14:5-9) and will call them to a different sort of challenge. Before the Lord calls Israel to trust that he will fight through them (as he will do with the Amalekites in 17:8-16), he will show them once again how he will fight for them (see 14:13-14).

13:18 toward the Red Sea. In the accounts of the crossing of the sea (15:4; Deut. 11:4; Ps. 106:7, 9, 22) the water is often referred to as Yam Sup, which is also the Hebrew phrase in this verse. Some modern scholars interpret Yam Sup as "Sea of Reeds/Papyrus" because the term sup refers to the reeds growing along the Nile River (Ex. 2:3). Because papyrus does not grow along the Red Sea/Gulf of Suez, some scholars have concluded that the Yam Sup is one of the marshy lakes in the eastern delta region north of the Red Sea. Support for this is claimed from the Egyptian document Papyrus Anastasis III, which describes a "papyrus lake" not far from the city of Rameses that could be identified with the Yam Sup of the Exodus account. Many scholars have concluded from this that the Israelites crossed a marshy area of a lake rather than a large body of water such as the Red Sea. Other scholars disagree, proposing that sup is not related to the Egyptian word "papyrus" but rather to a word that means "end" (Hb. sop). And, thus, the yam sup would literally mean "the sea of the end," that is, the sea at the end of the land of Egypt (i.e., the Red Sea). The Septuagint translates yam sup into Greek as tēn erythran thalassan (lit., "the red sea") here and elsewhere. In addition, every certain reference to yam sup in the Bible refers to the Red Sea or its northern extensions in the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez (e.g., 1 Kings 9:26; Jer. 49:21). This suggests that the name Yam Sup is best understood to denote the Red Sea/Gulf of Suez and, therefore, the Israelites crossed this major body of water when they fled Egypt.

13:19 Taking the bones of Joseph carried out his last wishes (Gen. 50:24-25); it reaffirmed for Israel that God had kept the promises he had made so long before. Hebrews 11:22 sees Joseph's desire to be buried in the Promised Land as evidence of his "faith" in God's future blessings, including "a better country, that is, a heavenly one" (Heb. 11:16; cf. Heb. 11:1, 10, 13-16, 39-40).

13:21-22 Throughout the events of Exodus, cloud and fire accompany and signify the presence of the Lord: at the burning bush (3:2), in giving the people manna (16:10), on Mount Sinai (19:18), and in the tabernacle (40:38).

14:1-31 With statements that echo his words to Moses before the plagues (see vv. 4, 8, 17, 18; 4:21; 7:3-5), the Lord indicates that the coming events are governed by his power and purposes. Although the Lord tells Moses that he will "get glory over Pharaoh" (14:4), he does not tell him just how Israel will be delivered. Between the time of the plagues in Egypt (7:14-12:32) and the journey to Sinai (15:22-18:27), the events at the Red Sea show Moses as a maturing leader who trusts the word of the Lord (see 14:13-14), as they also illustrate Israel's need to do the same (see vv. 10-12).

14:2 The body of water that Israel is about to cross is called "the Red Sea" in 13:18 and 15:4 and is referred to simply as "the sea" in this section. The exact route of the exodus is uncertain, but it is likely that they crossed the Red Sea at its northern end (see map).

14:4 The content of this verse is repeated nearly verbatim in the narrative (vv. 17-18) and echoes the Lord's words to Moses both before and during the plagues: I will harden Pharaoh's heart (cf. 4:21; 7:3, etc.), I will get glory over Pharaoh (cf. 7:16), and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord (cf. 7:5).

14:5 When the Egyptians refer to letting Israel go by saying, "What is this we have done . . . ?" they exhibit the hardness of heart that the Lord said he would bring about (see vv. 4, 8, 17). The question also resembles the way Israel will wrongly attribute their circumstances to Moses in the face of Egypt's pursuit (see v. 11).

14:7 The possession of chariots represented a significant advantage in ancient Near Eastern warfare; Egypt was proficient in the use of chariots, as indicated by the distinction of six hundred chosen chariots in addition to all the others. Pharaoh was coming out against what appeared to be a wandering and trapped nation with his most prestigious and imposing force.

14:10 The reference to Israel seeing Egypt's army and fearing greatly is thematic for this section. Through the plagues (and continuing on their journey to Sinai), Yahweh calls Israel to fear him over any other nation or battle force (see vv. 13, 31).

14:11 What have you done to us . . . ? Note the similar mistake that the Egyptians make with reference to their own actions (v. 5). This incident between the people and Moses was prefaced by earlier events (2:14; 5:21) and also prefigures those to come (15:24; 16:2; 17:3).

14:12 When the people of Israel say, "it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness," they are viewing their circumstances without reference to the fact that the Lord himself brought them to this place. As revealed throughout Israel's history, the Lord is merciful in never leaving his people simply to themselves or to their circumstances. As both Daniel and his three friends will later assert (see Dan. 3:16-18; 6:10), whatever the Lord calls his people to face as a result of fearing him is in fact better than simply remaining alive.

14:13 Fear not. Israel is being called once again not to fear any other nation or circumstance (see v. 10) but to fear the Lord (see v. 31).

14:17-18 References to the Lord getting glory over Pharaoh (see also v. 4) come on either side of the statement that the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. Although the plagues have continually revealed that the Lord--and not Pharaoh--is due honor, the victory over Pharaoh's chariots in the Red Sea will be known powerfully in Egypt and throughout the surrounding nations (see 9:16; 15:14-16).

14:19 the angel of God. See note on 3:2.

14:22 The image of the waters as a wall is a vivid indication of the protection given by the water on each side (cf. 1 Sam. 25:16; Jer. 15:20). The text presents the event as a demonstration of the Lord's "great power" (Ex. 14:31) including how the waters "returned and covered the chariots and horsemen" of Egypt (v. 28). Thus the text is clear that this is not a purely natural event. Similar events will take place when Joshua leads Israel across the Jordan into the land of Canaan (Josh. 3:14-17), when Elijah and Elisha cross the Jordan together on the way to Elijah being taken (2 Kings 2:8), and when Elisha returns across the Jordan alone (2 Kings 2:14).

14:31 they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Since the Lord has chosen Moses as the one through whom he will reveal his word, it is necessary for Israel to learn to follow Moses as a consequence of learning to fear the Lord (see vv. 10, 13).

15:1-21 This section includes a celebration of the Lord's deliverance in song (vv. 1-18), followed by the women playing tambourines and dancing and Miriam singing the first lines of the song (vv. 19-21).

15:1-18 The song of praise is a celebration of the triumph over Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea as representative of the Lord's power and rule. It is similar to other songs or psalms in both the OT and NT that celebrate particular events that reveal God's character: e.g., Deborah and Barak's song in response to victory over Sisera and Jabin of Canaan (Judg. 5:1-31); Hannah's song at the birth of Samuel (1 Sam. 2:1-10); Mary's response to the angel's news and Elizabeth's greeting (Luke 1:46-55); and Zechariah's prophecy after the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:68-79).

15:1 the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The drowning of Pharaoh's army by the hand of the Lord is the central event celebrated by the song, and it is referred to with various images: "cast into the sea" and "sunk in the Red Sea" (v. 4); "floods covered them," and "they went down . . . like a stone" (v. 5); "the sea covered them; they sank like lead" (v. 10); "the earth swallowed them" (v. 12).

15:2 The singular reference to my father's God echoes the Lord's words to Moses at the burning bush, which indicate that this phrase refers to "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (3:6) and equips Israel also to say of him, "this is my God."

15:4 Red Sea. See note on 13:18.

15:6 The reference to the Lord's right hand (v. 12; cf. v. 16) takes up God's words to Moses describing the means by which Israel would come out of Egypt (see 6:1; 7:4-5).

15:9 While the words of the enemy refer first of all to the actions of the Egyptians (pursue, overtake; see 14:9) who intended to bring Israel back to serve as slaves (see 14:5), they also extend beyond the particular events of the Red Sea and are representative of the pride and desire of any adversary of the Lord and his people (i.e., divide the spoil, destroy).

15:11 In light of the events that have taken place, the rhetorical questions of this verse imply that there is no one among the gods of the nations like the Lord (see also 12:12; 20:3). In a similar song, Hannah proclaims the complementary answers to the questions of this verse: "There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God" (1 Sam. 2:2).

15:13-18 These verses, like the song as a whole (see v. 9), describe Israel's journey out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan. They anticipate the fear that will befall the surrounding peoples, the Philistines, Edomites, and Moabites, as well as the Canaanites. your own mountain, the place . . . you have made for your abode (v. 17). In one sense the whole hilly country of Canaan is to be God's dwelling. But his "abode" may be a more specific reference to the hill of Jerusalem, where God's temple will stand.

15:13 redeemed. This term refers to God's dealings for the sake of his people, rescuing them from danger and fostering the conditions in which their faithfulness may flourish; cf. 6:6; Ps. 74:2; 77:15; 106:10; Isa. 52:9; 62:12. See note on Isa. 41:14.

15:16 purchased. An image for the way that God "acquired" his people through great deeds; cf. Ps. 74:2.

15:21 Miriam leads the women in singing a verse that repeats the first verse of the song (see v. 1).