Exodus 14:21 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Moses stretched out his hand, &c.— Nothing can be more plain from the context, than that the Almighty power of the Lord, by the instrumentality of a strong east wind, caused an absolute division in the body of the waters of the Red-sea; and therefore those commentators seem much to blame, who endeavour to lessen the greatness of this miracle, by suppositions plausible to human reason, but derogatory from the Omnipotence of God, and the true meaning of the sacred Scriptures. Whatever instruments the Almighty might think fit to use; it is unquestionable that the power was derived wholly from him; and that it was by an immediate act of his will, not by any regular process of natural causes, that the sea, divided into two parts, gave a free passage to the Israelites; the waters being a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left, Exodus 14:22 the pillar of cloud conducting them; and the same waters, which, obedient to the word of God, had opened to give a passage to his people, equally obedient to his command of death, overwhelming the enemies of Israel in the waves of destruction. What we render by a strong east wind, the Vulgate renders by a violent and burning wind; see note on ch. Exodus 10:13. This wind blew all night; so that the division of the sea was some time in perfecting: the strong east wind put the waters in motion, and gradually effected this wonderful separation. The word which we render to go back, does not signify, strictly, to go back; it denotes local motion, going or moving, in whatever manner; and so you may observe, that back, in our version, is printed in Italics. The Psalmist, in Psalms 136:13 says expressly that the Red-sea was divided into two parts; which some of the Jews, very absurdly, have imagined to signify twelve several parts for their twelve several tribes to pass through. The original says, that he divided the Red-sea into divisions; which most obviously and clearly expresses a division into two parts.