Exodus 14
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Summary
The Israelites are commanded to camp by the Red Sea. Pharaoh heart is hardened when he learns that the Israelites have escaped, and he takes an army to reclaim them. As the Egyptians approach, the Israelites fear for their lives and complain to Moses. Moses reassures them and reminds them to have faith, and tells them that the Lord will fight for them. The Lord commands Moses to part the Red Sea. He does so, and the Israelites cross through on dry ground. The Egyptians follow them into the sea and the Red Sea sweeps them away. The Israelites fear the Lord.
| KJV | JST |
|---|---|
| (4) And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord . And they did so. | (4) And Pharaoh will harden his heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord . And they did so. |
| (8) And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. | (8) And Pharaoh hardened his heart, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. |
| (17) And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. | (17) I say unto thee, the hearts of the Egyptians shall be hardened, and they shall follow them, and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. |
| (20) And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. | (20) And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, but it gave light by night to the Israelites so that the one came not near the other all the night. |
Commentary
Bible Central Commentary
These free resources were developed for use in the free ScripturePlus app. Many of the contributors are professors of religion and ancient scripture at Brigham Young University.
Wally Breitenstein, “Exodus 14–17,” in Exodus, Old Testament Minute Commentary Series, ed. Taylor Halverson (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2021).
Historical Commentaries
Many of the commentaries below are in the public domain and were authored over 100 years ago. In many cases, they do not reflect the findings of modern scholarship, but they may be helpful for understanding the history of biblical scholarship.
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Historical Settings
Time
*All Dates Are Approximate, according to the narrative of the Bible. These dates may reflect literary significance as opposed to the precise dates of history.
See Biblical Chronology- 1446 BC
Further Reading
Kent Brown, “The Exodus Pattern in the Book of Mormon,” BYU Studies 30, no. 3 (1990): 111–126.
Kent Brown, “Trust in the Lord: Exodus and Faith,” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company; Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2005), 154–63.
George A. Horton Jr. “Insights into Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy,” in The Joseph Smith Translation: The Restoration of Plain and Precious Things, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1985), 71–88..
Michael Morales, “The Tabernacle: Mountain of God in the Cultus of Israel,” in Ancient Temple Worship: Proceedings of The Expound Symposium 14 May 2011, ed. Matthew B. Brown, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Stephen D. Ricks, and John S. Thompson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2014), 27–70.
Kerry Muhlestein, “Darkness, Light, and the Lord: Elements of Israelite Theophanies,” in Ascending the Mountain of the Lord: Temple, Praise, and Worship in the Old Testament, ed. Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Matthew J. Grey, and David Rolph Seely (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company; Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2013), 232–254.
Noel B. Reynolds, “The Israelite Background of Moses Typology in the Book of Mormon,” BYU Studies 44, no. 2 (2005):4–23.
John S. Thompson, “The Context of Old Testament Temple Worship: Early Ancient Egyptian Rites,” in Ascending the Mountain of the Lord: Temple, Praise, and Worship in the Old Testament, ed. Jeffery R. Chadwick, Matthew J. Grey, and David Rolph Seely (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company; Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2013), 156–183.
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