Tyndale Open Study NotesExodus 15

Scholars believe this song of rescue to be one of the oldest preserved examples of the Hebrew language, attesting to its importance in Israel’s thought and faith. It is divided into three stanzas:

1. The first stanza celebrates the Lord's rescue of Moses and his people (using many first-person pronouns, 15:1–5).

2. The second stanza celebrates the great difference between the Lord and the Egyptians (verses 6–12).

3. The third stanza considers what these events would mean for the future (verses 13–18).

God’s salvation (deliverance) and rescue had meaning for personal faith.

• Moses and the Israelites: In this joyful moment, there was no division between them. They sang together as one people.

• I will sing: The first two verses use very personal words. They show that God relates to people in a personal way. He is not an impersonal force. He relates to us as one person relates to another.

  In the Bible, songs of thanks and praise usually state the reason for praise near the beginning (see Psalm 95:1–3; 96:1–4). Here, the reason is clear: the Lord has triumphed gloriously.

  During the dark night, the people trusted God. Now their trust was shown to be right. God had given them victory.

This statement is quoted in two other places, Psalm 118:14 and Isaiah 12:2. This shows its importance. The “God of your father”(Exodus 3:6) had become my God. The Israelites now knew God personally, not only as a historical memory.

The LORD is a warrior: He will strongly defend his people. He is not an oppressor and does not fight for violence's sake. When his people are helpless against enemies, whether from outside or within the people, they can trust that Yahweh, "the One Who Is," is their defender (Isaiah 59:15–19; 63:1–6; Revelation 11:17–18). For more on the name Yahweh, see study note on Exodus 3:15.

The song speaks to the Lord in a personal way. It calls him You. This makes a strong contrast between the Lord and them, the enemies (15:7). The enemies had their own plans and desires, but their plans failed (15:9,10).

Your right hand: This was usually the arm a warrior used to hold a sword.

• nostrils: In other contexts, this word may be translated as anger. The hot breath from God's nose is an image of God's anger.

• the blast: The Hebrew word translated as breath (ruakh) is also translated as wind in 14:21 and as Spirit in Genesis 1:2. Nature is not God, but God works everywhere in nature.

Compared to the Creator’s plans, all the plans of even the most powerful humans are nothing (see Psalm 2:2–5). They are like dust that can be blown away with one puff of his breath (see Isaiah 40:15–17).

The gods of the pagan nations are not in the same category as the Lord. They do not deserve to be called holy (see study note on 3:5).

The people God has redeemed have confidence for the future. Because of what the Lord had done in rescuing Israel from his enemies, there was no doubt that he would be able to carry through on his promise to take them safely into the promised land.

• Because of God's constant love and power, we can trust that he will keep his promises. Loving devotion is a translation of the Hebrew word khesed, which refers to the undeserved kindness and loyalty from a superior to an inferior. This is the most common way to describe God's character in the Old Testament (see Psalm 136).

  If God had this character but lacked the power to fulfill his good intentions for his people, his character would not benefit us. The good news is that he has both a loving character and all power.

• holy dwelling: God has chosen his people and gathered them to live among them (see also Exodus 15:17).

Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan are the four peoples that would be most affected by God's judgment when he gave their land to the people of Israel. News of what God did to Egypt was probably well-known in that region (see Rahab’s report in Joshua 2:9–11, where it uses the same imagery as in Exodus 15:15, "will melt away").

on the mountain of Your inheritance: In the ancient world, people believed that their gods lived on mountains.

In this way of speaking, the land of Canaan is pictured as the place where God lives and rules.

In many ancient societies, men and women took part in ceremonies separately. Women often had special roles in songs of praise and in songs of mourning.

On the journey from the sea to Mount Sinai, God continued to care for the people's needs. During the events where he rescued them, he showed his power. Here, he showed that he cares about their basic needs.

• First at Marah and then at Elim, God gave water to the people.

• The exact location of the Desert of Shur is unknown (15:22).

The water likely had a high level of natural minerals, which made it taste bitter. This is common in the Sinai Desert.

Instead of thinking about recent lessons in faith, the people lost hope and started to complain, as is often the case in difficult times. If complaining becomes a habit, it can lead to failure in the ultimate test, as it did for the Israelites (see Numbers 14; Psalm 95:7–11; Hebrews 3:7–11).

See 2 Kings 2:19–22 for a similar event.

The link between obeying God’s commands and health is not random. God made the human body and cares about how his people live. In this covenant promise, God told Israel that obedience would bring protection from the diseases that affected Egypt

This statement was made when the people needed water. It may suggest that the Egyptians had been drinking polluted water, which could make people sick.