Exo 14:24 | NETfull | STEP | In the morning watch the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian army into a panic.

Exodus 14:24

24 In the morning watch ^{▼▼ The night was divided into three watches of about four hours each, making the morning watch about 2:00–6:00 a.m. The text has this as “the watch of the morning,” the genitive qualifying which of the night watches was meant.} the Lord looked down ^{▼▼ This particular verb, שָׁקַף (shaqaf) is a bold anthropomorphism: Yahweh looked down. But its usage is always with some demonstration of mercy or wrath. S. R. Driver (Exodus, 120) suggests that the look might be with fiery flashes to startle the Egyptians, throwing them into a panic. Ps 77:17–19 pictures torrents of rain with lightning and thunder.} on the Egyptian army ^{▼▼ Heb “camp.” The same Hebrew word is used in Exod 14:20. Unlike the English word “camp,” it can be used of a body of people at rest (encamped) or on the move.} through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian army ^{▼▼ Heb “camp.”} into a panic. ^{▼▼ The verb הָמַם (hamam) means “throw into confusion.” It is used in the Bible for the panic and disarray of an army before a superior force (Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15).}