Exodus-Chap-15

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Colour coded details of our beloved TaNaKh:

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Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

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“Exodus Chapter 15”

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:

Exodus Chapter 15 marks a pivotal transition from physical liberation to spiritual journeying. It begins with the Shirah (the Song at the Sea), a spontaneous outburst of communal faith and gratitude after the miraculous salvation at the Red Sea. However, the chapter does not end on this high note; it concludes with the harsh realities of the wilderness. This movement from the “High Song” to the “Bitter Waters” of Marah reflects the reality of the human experience: the challenge of maintaining the clarity of a miracle during the daily trials of survival.

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Let us read Exodus Chapter 15:1-27: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah).

1. “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto יְהוָה - the LORD, and spoke, saying: I will sing unto יְהוָה - the LORD, for He is highly exalted; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. 2. יְהוָה - the LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation; this is my אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God), and I will glorify Him; my father’s אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, and I will exalt Him. 3. יְהוָה - the LORD is a man of war, יְהוָה - the LORD is His name. 4. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath He cast into the sea, and his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea. 5. The deeps cover them--they went down into the depths like a stone. 6. Thy right hand, O יְהוָה - LORD, glorious in power, Thy right hand, O יְהוָה - LORD, dasheth in pieces the enemy. 7. And in the greatness of Thine excellency Thou overthrowest them that rise up against Thee; Thou sendest forth Thy wrath, it consumeth them as stubble. 8. And with the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were piled up, the floods stood upright as a heap; the deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. 9. The enemy said: ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them’. 10. Thou didst blow with Thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 11. Who is like unto Thee, O יְהוָה - LORD, among the mighty? who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 12. Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand--the earth swallowed them. 13. Thou in Thy love hast led the people that Thou hast redeemed; Thou hast guided them in Thy strength to Thy holy habitation. 14. The peoples have heard, they tremble; pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. 15. Then were the chiefs of Edom affrighted; the mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away. 16. Terror and dread falleth upon them; by the greatness of Thine arm they are as still as a stone; till Thy people pass over, O יְהוָה - LORD, till the people pass over that Thou hast gotten. 17. Thou bringest them in, and plantest them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, the place, O יְהוָה - LORD, which Thou hast made for Thee to dwell in, the sanctuary, O יְהוָה - LORD, which Thy hands have established. 18. יְהוָה - the LORD shall reign for ever and ever. 19. For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and יְהוָה - the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.

20. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21. And Miriam sang unto them: Sing ye to יְהוָה - the LORD, for He is highly exalted: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. 22. And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24. And the people murmured against Moses, saying: ‘What shall we drink?’ 25. And he cried unto יְהוָה - the LORD; and יְהוָה - the LORD showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them; 26. and He said: ‘If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - The LORD thy Eloheicha, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am יְהוָה - the LORD that healeth thee’. 27. And they came to Elim, where were twelve springs of water, and three score and ten palm-trees; and they encamped there by the waters”.

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Commentary on Verses 1 to 27:

1. Verses 1-19: The Song of Deliverance.

Verses 1-3: Moses and Israel sing to the Eternal. The language is personal “My אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God)” and “my father’s אֱלֹהִים - Elohim” indicating that the national redemption was felt as an individual experience. The description of the Eternal as a “man of war” emphasizes His active role in shattering the power of oppression.

Verses 4-10: These verses describe the physical overthrow of Pharaoh’s chariots. The text highlights the irony of nature: the water, which stood as a wall for Israel, became a heavy “stone” or “lead” for the Egyptians. It is the “blast of Thy nostrils” (the wind) that controls the elements.

Verses 11-13: A central declaration. “Who is like unto Thee, O יְהוָה - LORD, among the mighty?” The focus shifts from the destruction of the enemy to the holiness of the Creator and His “lovingkindness” in leading the redeemed people toward His holy habitation.

Verses 14-16: The song looks outward. The dread that falls upon Philistia, Edom, and Moab suggests that the Exodus was not just a private Hebraic event, but a message to the world that justice prevails over tyranny.

Verses 17-19: The climax of the song is the anticipation of the future. The goal of the Exodus is "the sanctuary, O יְהוָה - LORD, which Thy hands have established." It ends with the eternal sovereignty of the Creator.

2. Verses 20-21: The Response of Miriam.

Verses 20-21: Miriam the prophetess leads the women with timbrels and dances. Her brief refrain reinforces the communal nature of the praise, ensuring that every soul man and woman participates in the recognition of the miracle.

3. Verses 22-27: The Trials of the Wilderness.

Verses 22-24: The euphoria of the Sea fades quickly. After three days without water, the people find the waters of Marah to be bitter. Their immediate “murmuring” against Moses reveals the fragility of faith when physical needs are unmet.

Verse 25: Moses cries out, and the Eternal shows him a tree to sweeten the waters. This is a “statute and an ordinance” a lesson that the same Power that splits seas can transform the bitter into the sweet.

Verse 26: A conditional promise: if Israel hearkens to the commandments, the diseases of Egypt will not fall upon them. The Eternal identifies as “thy healer”, suggesting that spiritual adherence is the foundation of national well-being.

Verse 27: The chapter ends at Elim, a place of twelve springs and seventy palm trees. This abundance mirrors the structure of Israel (12 tribes, 70 elders), providing a moment of rest before the journey continues.

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My Closing Message:

The journey from the Red Sea to Elim teaches us that inspiration is a gift, but endurance is a discipline. We cannot always live in the moment of the “Song”, but we can carry its melody into the “bitter” places of our lives. By hearkening to the statutes laid out at Marah, we find the strength to reach our own Elim, the places of rest and refreshment. May we always find the “tree” that sweetens our trials.

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שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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