Exodus 15
Summary for Exod 15:1-18: 15:1-18 a 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: 15:1-5 b, 6-12 c, 13-18 d. The first stanza rejoices in the Lord’s personal rescue of Moses and his people (note the recurrence of the first-person pronouns). The second exults in the great contrast between the Lord and the Egyptians. The third stanza reflects on what these events would mean for the future.Summary for Exod 15:1-5: 15:1-5 e God’s salvation and rescue had implications for personal faith. 15:1 f Moses and the people: In this triumphant moment there was no division between them; they sang as one.
• I will sing: The highly personal declarations of the first two verses emphasize the personal nature of God’s relation to humans. He is not an impersonal force, but relates to us as one person relates to another. The songs of thanks and hymns of praise in the Bible characteristically give the reason for the thanks or praise early in the piece (see Ps 95:1-3 g; 96:1-4 h). The reason for the song is that the Lord ... has triumphed gloriously. The community’s faith in God through the dark night had been dramatically vindicated.
15:2 i This statement is quoted in two other places, Ps 118:14 j and Isa 12:2 k, which shows its importance. The “God of your father” (Exod 3:6 l) had become my God. The Israelites now knew God for themselves and not just as a historical memory.
15:3 m The Lord is a warrior: He will aggressively defend his own. He is not an oppressor, nor does he fight for the love of violence. But when his people are helpless before the enemy, whether external or internal, they can know that Yahweh, “He Who Is,” is their defender (Isa 59:15-19 n; 63:1-6 o; Rev 11:17-18 p). Regarding the name Yahweh, see study note on Exod 3:15.
Summary for Exod 15:6-12: 15:6-12 q The personal tone continues as the Lord is referred to as you and is contrasted dramatically with them (15:7 r). All that the enemy intended (15:9 s) was brought to nothing (15:10 t) before the mighty power of God. 15:6 u Your right hand: This was typically a warrior’s sword arm.
15:8 v blast (literally nostrils): In other contexts, the same word may be translated “anger.” The hot breath from God’s nose is an image of God’s anger.
• your breath: The Hebrew word translated as “breath” (ruakh) is the same one translated as “wind” in 14:21 w and as “Spirit” in Gen 1:2 x. Nature is not God, but God is everywhere at work in nature.
Summary for Exod 15:9-10: 15:9-10 y Compared to the Creator’s plans, all the plans of even the most powerful humans are nothing (see Ps 2:2-5 z). They are like dust that can be blown away with one puff of his breath (see Isa 40:15-17 aa).
15:11 ab 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).
Summary for Exod 15:13-18: 15:13-18 ac The people God has redeemed have confidence for the future. In light of what the Lord had done in rescuing Israel from his enemies, there was no question that he would be able to carry through on his promise to take them safely into the Promised Land. 15:13 ad In light of God’s unfailing love and his might, there is no reason to doubt that he will be able to keep his promises. “Unfailing love” is a translation of the Hebrew word khesed, which speaks of the undeserved kindness and loyalty of a superior to an inferior. It is the most frequent descriptor of God’s character in the Old Testament (see Ps 136 ae). If God had such a character but did not have the might to carry out his good intentions toward his people, his character would be of little value to us. The good news is that he has both a loving character and all power.
• sacred home: God has chosen his people and gathered them to himself in order to dwell in their midst (see also Exod 15:17 af).
Summary for Exod 15:14-15: 15:14-15 ag Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan are the four peoples that would most feel the hand of God’s judgment as he dispossessed them to give the land to the people of Israel. What God had done to Egypt would have been common news throughout that part of the world (see Rahab’s report in Josh 2:9-11 ah, where the same imagery as in Exod 15:15 ai, to melt away, is used).
15:17 aj your own mountain: Deities were believed to have their residence on mountains. Thus Canaan is figuratively portrayed as God’s residence.
Summary for Exod 15:19-21: 15:19-21 ak Miriam led the women in praise. In many ancient societies, men and women performed ceremonies separately. Women had special roles in ritual praise and lamentation.
Summary for Exod 15:22-17:7: 15:22–18:27 al On the journey from the sea to Sinai, God continued his providential care for the people’s needs. In the events of rescue, he primarily revealed his power. Here he revealed that he cares about his people’s basic needs.
Summary for Exod 15:22-27: 15:22-27 am First at Marah and then at Elim, God provided water for the people.
• The precise location of the desert of Shur (15:22 an) is unknown.
15:23 ao The water was probably heavily alkaline, as is typical in the Sinai Desert.
15:24 ap Instead of reflecting on the lessons of faith so recently experienced, the people lost heart and began to complain, as we often do under adverse circumstances. If this complaining becomes a pattern, disaster can befall us in the ultimate test, as it did the Israelites (see Num 14 aq; Ps 95:7-11 ar; Heb 3:7-11 as).
15:25 at See 2 Kgs 2:19-22 au for a similar incident.
15:26 av The connection between obedience to God’s commands and health is not arbitrary. God made the body, and our bodies will last longer if we follow the Creator’s guidelines. Since this statement was made in the context of a need for water, it might indicate that the Egyptians had been drinking polluted water.
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