Exodus 14:3

Exodus 14:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
• New International Version (NIV)Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, 'They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’

Context of Exodus 14:3

1Then the Lord said to Moses, 2“Tell the Israelites to go back and set up their camp facing Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Set up your camp facing north—by the sea. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are ⌞just⌟ wandering around. The desert is blocking their escape.’ 4I will make Pharaoh so stubborn that he will pursue them. Then, because of what I do to Pharaoh and his entire army, I will receive honor, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So that is what the Israelites did. 5When Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) was told that the people had fled, he and his officials changed their minds about them. They said, “What have we done? We’ve lost our slaves because we’ve let Israel go.”

Exodus 14:3 word by word

וְאָמַ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נְבֻכִ֥ים הֵ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ סָגַ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• will sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• entangledבּוּךְbûk · to perplexH943
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• hath shut them inסָגַרsâgar · to shutH5462

Cross-references for Exodus 14:3

• Exodus 7:3But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. Even though I will do many miraculous signs and amazing things in Egypt,
• Deuteronomy 31:21When many terrible disasters happen to them, this song will testify against them, because it will never be forgotten by their descendants. I know what their hearts are set on doing, even now before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.”
• Psalms 139:2You alone know when I sit down and when I get up. You read my thoughts from far away.
• Ezekiel 38:10“ ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: At that time ideas will enter your head, and you will make wicked plans.
• Acts 4:28Through your will and power, they did everything that you had already decided should be done.
• Judges 16:2The people of Gaza were told, “Samson’s here!” So they surrounded the place and waited all night at the city gate to ambush him. They were quiet all night. They thought, “We’ll kill him at dawn.”
• 1 Samuel 23:7When Saul was told that David went to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hands. He has trapped himself by going into a city which has ⌞a gate with⌟ a double door ⌞held shut by⌟ a bar.”
• Psalms 3:2Many are saying about me, “Even with God ⌞on his side⌟, he won’t be victorious.” Selah
• Psalms 71:11They say, “God has abandoned him. Pursue him and grab him because there is no one to rescue him.”
• Jeremiah 20:10I have heard many ⌞people⌟ whispering, “Terror is everywhere! Report him! Let’s report him!” All my closest friends are waiting to see me stumble. They say, “Maybe he will be tricked. Then we can overpower him and take revenge on him.”

Commentaries on Exodus 14:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3They are entangled in the land - God himself brought them into straits from which no human power or art could extricate them. Consider their situation when once brought out of the open country, where alone they had room either to fight or fly. Now they had the Red Sea before them, Pharaoh and his host behind them, and on their right and left hand fortresses of the Egyptians to prevent their escape; nor had they one boat or transport prepared for their…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3They are entangled … - The original intention of Moses was to go toward Palestine by the wilderness: when that purpose was changed by God‘s direction and they moved southwards, Pharaoh, on receiving information, was of course aware that they were completely shut in, since the waters of the Red Sea then extended to the Bitter Lakes. It is known that the Red Sea at some remote period extended considerably further toward the north than it does at present. In…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4The Lord’s redemptive power was demonstrated as he brought Israel into a place where they were completely helpless and had to either rely on him for rescue or die. At the time, it might have seemed foolish. But Israel would thank God throughout its history for guiding them to that situation (see Psalm 106:7–12; compare Isaiah 12:2–6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. the wilderness hath shut them in--Pharaoh, who would eagerly watch their movements, was now satisfied that they were meditating flight, and he naturally thought from the error into which they appeared to have fallen by entering that defile, he could intercept them. He believed them now entirely in his power, the mountain chain being on one side, the sea on the other, so that, if he pursued them in the rear, escape seemed impossible.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 14:3

• God Continued...

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Pharaoh
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Children of Israel
• Better
• Cover
• Heavily
• Lack

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