English Standard Version
Exodus 14:21
21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exodus 14:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.
Context of Exodus 14:21
19Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
Read all of Exodus 14Exodus 14:21 word by word
וַיֵּ֨ט מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶת־יָדוֹ֮ עַל־הַיָּם֒ וַיּ֣וֹלֶךְ יְהוָ֣ה׀ אֶת־הַ֠יָּם בְּר֨וּחַ קָדִ֤ים עַזָּה֙ כָּל־הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־הַיָּ֖ם לֶחָרָבָ֑ה וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ הַמָּֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- stretched outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- over the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- and the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- to goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- by a strongעַז‛az · strongH5794
- eastקָדִיםqâdîym qâdim · eastH6921
- windרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- all that nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- and madeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- dryחָֽרָבָהchârâbâh · dry groundH2724
- and the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- were dividedבָּקַעbâqa‛ · to break up/openH1234
Cross-references for Exodus 14:21
- Exodus 14:16Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
- Exodus 15:8At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
- Joshua 3:13And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap."
- Joshua 4:23For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,
- Nehemiah 9:11And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters.
- Job 26:12By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
- Psalms 66:6He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him,
- Psalms 74:13You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.
- Psalms 78:13He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap.
- Psalms 106:7Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
- Psalms 114:3The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.
- Psalms 136:13to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
- Isaiah 51:10Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?
- Isaiah 63:12who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name,
Commentaries on Exodus 14:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21The Lord caused the sea to go back - That part of the sea over which the Israelites passed was, according to Mr. Bruce and other travelers, about four leagues across, and therefore might easily be crossed in one night. In the dividing of the sea two agents appear to be employed, though the effect produced can be attributed to neither. By stretching out the rod the waters were divided; by the blowing of the vehement, ardent, east wind, the bed of the sea…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21A strong east wind - The agency by which the object effected was natural (compare Exodus 15:8 note): and the conditions of the narrative are satisfied by the hypothesis, that the passage took place near Suez. The waters were divided - i. e. there was a complete separation between the water of the gulf and the water to the north of Kolsum.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-31Verses 21-31 The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1, 2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Is 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power, by opening a passage through the waters, some miles over. God can…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-25The night before, the Hebrews were afraid and in a panic. Now the Egyptian army was confused and in disorder. Even though they were highly trained, they could not keep control. They realized that they faced a power greater than themselves. They could not understand it, and they could not control it.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Moses stretched out his hand, &c.--The waving of the rod was of great importance on this occasion to give public attestation in the presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses and the divine mission with which he was charged. the Lord caused ... a strong east wind all that night--Suppose a mere ebb tide caused by the wind, raising the water to a great height on one side, still as there was not only "dry land," but, according…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 14:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries