Exodus 14:25 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And took off their chariot-wheels— Houbigant renders this, irretivit, seu ligavit rotas curruum: he entangled, or bound the wheels of the chariots; which making them to drive more heavily, the Egyptians said, &c. The Egyptian host, it is to be remembered, consisted only of chariots and cavalry, which might find great difficulty in passing through this channel, where the children of Israel, who were all on foot, found none; for, naturalists of the first authority unanimously testify, that this gulph has an extremely foul and clayey bottom, abounding with aquatic plants and shrubs, and, in many places, with extremely rugged rocks; all of which, easily passable by footmen, might very much incommode chariots and cavalry, embarrass and entangle them, and indeed render their passage impracticable: therefore, though it may be truly said that the Lord entangled their chariot-wheels, yet we may well suppose, that nature here fought with its Great Master against the unwise; and that second causes concurred with the immediate agency of GOD. See Genesis 11:7. The Egyptians seem to have considered this as the immediate operation of Jehovah: they said, let us flee,—for Jehovah (as it should constantly be rendered,) fighteth for them.