New American Standard Bible 1995
Exodus 14:3
3For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’
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
1Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4Thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. 5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
Read all of Exodus 14Exodus 14:3 word by word
וְאָמַ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נְבֻכִ֥ים הֵ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ סָגַ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃Read the interlinear
- For Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- will sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- They are wanderingבּוּךְbûk · to perplexH943
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- has shutסָגַרsâgar · to shutH5462
Cross-references for Exodus 14:3
- Exodus 7:3But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 31:21Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.”
- Psalms 139:2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.
- Ezekiel 38:10‘Thus says the Lord God, “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan,
- Acts 4:28to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.
- Judges 16:2When it was told to the Gazites, saying, “Samson has come here,” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. And they kept silent all night, saying, “Let us wait until the morning light, then we will kill him.”
- 1 Samuel 23:7When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.”
- Psalms 3:2Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah.
- Psalms 71:11Saying, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver.”
- Jeremiah 20:10For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!” All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him And take our 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
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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