Exodus 14 . Yahweh Destroys the Forces of Egypt (Exodus 14:1-31).
In this chapter we discover how Pharaoh changed his mind and determined to bring the Israelites back. Once the first grieving over the deaths of the firstborns was over things did not seem quite so black and, angry at being thwarted, he began to wonder why he had given in. So he gave chase with a comparatively powerful force. But this was all within Yahweh's purpose and the destruction of his forces finally meant that the Israelites no longer had a fear of immediate pursuit.
The Pursuit By The Egyptians Will Result in Deliverance By Yahweh (Exodus 14:1-14).
There is a further example of a chiasmus within a chiasmus in this passage which again brings out how Yahweh fulfils His promises:
a Pharaoh will say they are entangled in the land and the wilderness has shut them in (Exodus 14:3).
b Yahweh will get Himself honour on Pharaoh and all his hosts and the Egyptians will know that He is Yahweh (Exodus 14:4).
c The Egyptians say, ‘Why have we let Israel go from slaving for us?' (Exodus 14:5).
d Pharaoh makes ready his chariot forces and takes them forward (Exodus 14:6-7).
e Pharaoh pursues the children of Israel (Exodus 14:8).
e The Egyptians pursue the children of Israel and get them in their sights (Exodus 14:9).
d The children of Israel lift up their eyes and see the forces of Pharaoh (Exodus 14:10).
c Israel cry out with a desire to slave for the Egyptians (Exodus 14:11-12).
b The salvation of Yahweh will be revealed. The Egyptians will be seen no more (Exodus 14:13).
a Yahweh will fight for them and they will hold their peace (Exodus 14:14).
Note how in ‘a' Pharaoh will say they are entangled in the land and the wilderness has shut them in, a devastating situation, in the parallel Yahweh fights for them and they will confidently hold their peace. In ‘b' Yahweh will get Himself honour on Pharaoh and all his hosts and the Egyptians will know that He is Yahweh, while in the parallel the salvation of Yahweh will be revealed, and the Egyptians will be seen no more (truly they now ‘know that He is Yahweh'). In ‘c' the Egyptians say, ‘Why have we let Israel go from slaving for us?', while in the parallel it is the Israelites who in craven fear cry out with a desire to slave for the Egyptians. In ‘d' Pharaoh makes ready his chariot forces and takes them forward, while in the parallel the children of Israel lift up their eyes and see their forces. In ‘e' Pharaoh pursues the children of Israel, while in the parallel the Egyptians pursue the children of Israel and get them in their sights.
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to the children of Israel that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea before Baal-zephon. You will encamp over against it by the sea. And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.' And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them. And I will get for myself honour on Pharaoh and on all his host. And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” And they did so.'
The withdrawal from Etham, where they had encamped, was probably caused because the children of Israel panicked when they saw the border fortresses. So Yahweh graciously incorporated the withdrawal in His plan. They were to turn back and encamp at Pi-hahiroth. This would be reported back to Pharaoh by the men at the frontier forts who would then gloat as he realised that they were afraid and were trapped in the wilderness by the sea.
There could be no doubt that Pharaoh was seething. He had been humiliated in a way to which he was unaccustomed. Yahweh will thus use this to make him determine to humiliate the children of Israel and their God in turn. Because of false reports (Exodus 14:5) he will follow them and seek to drag them back by force, possibly after taking great revenge on their leaders. We must remember that to some extent he himself had been sheltered from the effects of the plagues. But this too was in Yahweh's plan for He will defeat them, revealing once for all that He is Yahweh.
“Pi-hahiroth” --- ‘Migdol' --- ‘Baal-zephon'. This defines their next encampment. As with all the cities and places mentioned identification is uncertain. Pi-hahiroth could mean ‘house of the goddess Hrt', or ‘mouth of the canals' (P'-hr was a canal near Raamses), connecting it with the watery borders of Egypt. Baal-zephon (‘lord of the north') has been tentatively identified with Tahpahnes (Tell Dephne), but this is uncertain. This identification is based on a Phoenician letter of 6th century BC which refers to ‘Baal-zephon and all the gods of Tahpahnes'. Baal-zephon was a Canaanite god known to have been worshipped in lower Egypt. ‘Migdol' means a tower and this was presumably a prominent tower on the border, but there were many Migdols.
“I will get for myself honour.” It was the boast of many ancient would-be conquerors that they would go out with their armies and ‘get themselves honour' by the defeat of great foes. This thus refers to the defeat and humiliation of Pharaoh and his forces.
“And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” Yahweh's revelation of Himself as the One Who acts continues. The Egyptians already know of Yahweh but they will have the revelation of what He is made abundantly clearer in the defeat of their armies (compare on Exodus 6:3). It is not only Israel who come to a deeper knowledge of the name of Yahweh by the experiencing of His power.
“And they did so.” The people did what Yahweh commanded.
‘And the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled. And the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” '
It is clear that the reports or rumours coming back to Pharaoh probably suggested that the children of Israel were not only going into the wilderness to worship but were showing signs of a permanent departure. This made him and his high officials finally rethink their position and they determined to bring them back immediately. The recognition that they may have lost so many useful slaves was more than they could bear.
“Was told that the people had fled.” That is, permanently. This was the suggestion made by suspicious minds. It was how they saw it. We must not accuse Moses of duplicity. It is probable that Moses intention was to follow out Yahweh's orders whatever they were. Thus he had not made up his mind one way or the other. Whatever Yahweh said he would do it.
“Israel”. Pharaoh mostly speaks of ‘the children of Israel' as ‘Israel' (Exodus 5:2 but see Exodus 12:31).
‘And he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them. And Yahweh made Pharaoh's heart strong, and he pursued after the children of Israel, for the children of Israel went out with a high hand, and the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth before Baal-zephon.'
Pharaoh's preparations reveal that he was still in awe of Yahweh. He gathered a large force of Egyptians and pursued them, and eventually his scouts told him that they had been spotted in the distance and that they had ‘overtaken' them, that is, had come within contactable range of them.
“He made ready his chariot.” Pharaoh was determined that he would personally go with his army. He had his chariot made ready.
“He took six hundred chosen chariots.” These were no doubt his elite force. The number six hundred indicates full completeness three doubled for intensity times ‘a hundred'). It is probably the writer's intention that we see this as one to each of the groups of Israel (13:37). Each chariot would carry a driver and a fighting man. It may be that a ‘hundred' represents a fighting group (compare 2 Samuel 18:1 and the ‘century' under the centurion in the later Roman legions). Thus there would be six elite fighting groups.
“And all the chariots of Egypt.” Speed was necessary. But the elite chariot group was reinforced by summoning all other available chariots. Pharaoh was taking no chances. What a terrifying sight this would be to the children of Israel. What chance would they, untrained and badly armed slaves, have against this supreme force?
“Captains over all of them.” The word for captains can mean ‘a third'. However in its use it can clearly mean someone of some considerable importance militarily. In 2 Samuel 23:8 it is used of the mighty men of David. In 1 Kings 9:22 they come after ‘the princes' and are superior to ‘the rulers of his chariots'. In 2 Kings 7:2 it refers to the man on whose arm the king leans. Thus Pharaoh is taking his elite commanders.
“And his horsemen.” Possibly although not necessarily those who drove the chariots rather than cavalry.
Possibly accompanying the chariots were part of the main Egyptian army. The latter, however, would have to follow behind the speedy chariots with a view to catching up later (see Exodus 14:23). They would be necessary in order to escort back what remained of the defeated and dispirited Israelites.
“Yahweh made Pharaoh” s heart strong.' Paradoxically this explains why he was able to overcome his dread of Yahweh. Yahweh's act of hardening hearts is mentioned three times (Exodus 14:4; Exodus 14:8; Exodus 14:17) indicating the completeness of His activity.
“For the children of Israel went out with a high hand.” This was Pharaoh's view of the position. They had become high handed and were taking the opportunity of deserting. Alternatively RSV translates ‘triumphantly'. Thus it may be a contrast to explain why Pharaoh took such a large force. He had to deal with a newly confident people. But the next verses suggest otherwise. Or it may signify that they went out by the hand of Yahweh.
‘And when Pharaoh drew near the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians came after them, and they were terrified, and the children of Israel cried out to Yahweh. And they said to Moses, “Did you take us out to die in the wilderness because there were no graves in Egypt? Why have you dealt with us like this, to bring us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians.' For it would be better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
When the children of Israel saw the approaching Egyptian chariot forces they were terrified and cried out to Yahweh. But this was in fear, not in hope. They clearly expected no help for they then turned on Moses and criticised him bitterly. They forgot what Yahweh had already done through Moses. This serves to demonstrate how subservient they had become. They were cowed. They had no pride, only fear. It would take much to change their outlook on life. When we tend to criticise them we must remember how low they had come.
Their slave mentality then comes out. Rather than die proudly they were willing to cringe before their masters. They now regretted that they had not remained as slaves. How quickly their previous jubilation has turned to sourness and grief, for they believe that the wilderness in which they find themselves will now be their grave. Instead of jubilation they now remembered how they had constantly told Moses to leave them alone in their misery. They were a people without heart and in no condition to fight the Egyptians
Yet there was some justification for their fear. In front of them was an impassable stretch of water. Border fortresses and mountains were on both sides. Behind them were the powerful Egyptian chariotry. They had nowhere to go but into the sea.
‘And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still and watch God's deliverance, which he will accomplish for you today. For you will never ever see again the Egyptians whom you have seen this day. Yahweh will fight for you and you will hold your peace” '
The contrast between the cringing people and the confident Moses is outstanding. He recognises their dilemma but He has no doubts that Yahweh will act and tells them that they will not need to fight. They have only to stand and watch, for Yahweh will fight for them. He is certain that the Egyptians will be dealt with in such a way that they will never again try to interfere with the journeying children of Israel. But he does not think of trying to cross the water for, while some might manage to get through, the majority will be stranded with their cattle and flocks and possessions.
Then having expressed his confidence he comes to Yahweh to ask Him to act on their behalf. He ‘cries to Yahweh' as Exodus 14:15 indicates.