Exodus 14:21 kjv
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exodus 14:21 nkjv
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exodus 14:21 niv
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,
Exodus 14:21 esv
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exodus 14:21 nlt
Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.
Exodus 14 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 14:16 | "Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it." | Moses commanded to act. |
| Ex 14:22 | "The people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground..." | Immediate result and clarification of pathway. |
| Ex 14:29 | "But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea..." | Reiteration of the crossing on dry ground. |
| Josh 3:16 | "The waters flowing down...stood in a heap." | Parallel miracle of Jordan River parting. |
| Neh 9:11 | "You divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst..." | Historical affirmation of God's act. |
| Ps 77:16 | "The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you; they trembled." | Nature's submission to God's presence. |
| Ps 77:19 | "Your path was through the sea, your highway through the mighty waters..." | God's sovereign and mysterious way. |
| Ps 78:13 | "He divided the sea and let them pass through; and he made the waters stand like a heap." | God's power and provision recalled. |
| Ps 106:8-9 | "He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry...led them through the deep." | God's divine command over creation. |
| Ps 114:3-5 | "The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back...What ails you, O sea..." | Poetic expression of God's mighty presence. |
| Ps 136:13 | "To him who divided the Red Sea into two, for his steadfast love endures forever." | God's everlasting love in deliverance. |
| Isa 43:16 | "Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea..." | God as the divine path-maker. |
| Isa 51:10 | "Was it not you who dried up the sea...made the deep a way for the redeemed to pass over?" | Reminder of God's redemptive power. |
| Job 26:12 | "By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab." | God's cosmic power over chaos. |
| Mk 4:39 | "He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!'..." | Jesus' divine authority over nature. |
| Heb 11:29 | "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land..." | Example of faith and divine provision. |
| 1 Cor 10:1-2 | "...all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." | Typology of spiritual baptism. |
| Gen 1:9-10 | "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered...and let the dry land appear." | Echo of God's original creation act. |
| Ex 15:8 | "By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap." | The Song of the Sea affirms water walls. |
| Ex 15:19 | "For when Pharaoh's horses and chariots...the LORD brought back the waters..." | Contrasts deliverance with judgment. |
| Ps 104:4 | "He makes his messengers winds..." | God's use of natural elements as agents. |
| Ps 89:9 | "You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them." | God's dominion over the chaotic waters. |
Exodus 14 verses
Exodus 14 21 Meaning
Exodus 14:21 describes the pivotal moment when, by divine command and through Moses' action, the Red Sea was parted by a powerful east wind, turning the seabed into dry land, allowing the Israelites to cross. This act demonstrates the LORD's supreme power, fulfilling His promise to deliver His people from Egyptian bondage and paving a path to salvation where none existed.
Exodus 14 21 Context
Exodus 14:21 stands at the climax of the narrative of Israel's escape from Egypt. Pharaoh and his army, regretting letting the Israelites go, pursued them to the edge of the Red Sea, trapping them. The Israelites, filled with fear and despair, cried out to Moses, who, in turn, sought the LORD. The verse immediately follows the LORD's command to Moses to stretch out his hand and part the sea, assuring him that God would fight for His people (Ex 14:13-16). This miraculous event establishes God's absolute sovereignty over creation, distinguishing Him from any earthly power or pagan deity.
Exodus 14 21 Word analysis
- Then Moses: Indicates a direct response and obedience to God's command. Moses acts as God's instrument.
- stretched out his hand: Hebrew: נָטָה יָדוֹ (natah yado). This gesture signifies authority, power, and an active conduit for divine power. It is not Moses' inherent strength but his obedience that precipitates the miracle. This phrase often accompanies God's intervention or judgment in Scripture.
- over the sea: The specific target of the divine action, the Yam Suph, or Red Sea, previously an impassable barrier.
- and the LORD: Hebrew: וַיּוֹלֶךְ יְהוָה (vayyolekh YHWH). This emphasizes YHWH as the sole active agent, the one initiating and sustaining the miraculous work. It underscores divine sovereignty.
- caused the sea to go back: Literally, "made the sea to go," indicating the forceful recession of the waters, not just a normal tidal event. This is an intentional divine act.
- by a strong east wind: Hebrew: בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה (beruach qadim azzah). The wind is God's instrument. A "strong east wind" is often associated with divine power, sometimes destructive, here applied for a saving purpose. Its power and specific direction indicate divine control, not mere natural occurrence. This detail shows God working through means He created, but supernaturally controlling them to achieve an extraordinary outcome.
- all that night: The duration indicates a sustained, controlled act of divine power, not an instantaneous magical burst. It provided enough time for the large Israelite population to begin crossing.
- and made the sea into dry land: Hebrew: לֶחָרָבָה (lecharabah) - "into dryness" or "dry ground." This signifies not muddy but solid, passable ground, perfect for crossing. This act echoes God's creative work of separating land from water in Genesis 1.
- and the waters were divided: Hebrew: וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם (vayibbaq'u hammayim) - "and the waters were split/cloven." This crucial detail describes the water standing up as "walls" (as further detailed in Ex 14:22), not merely receding or draining. It was a visible, distinct separation, a unique pathway through the seemingly impassable.
- "Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back": This sequence highlights human obedience (Moses' action) as the immediate trigger for divine intervention (the LORD's power), showing God working through His chosen servant. It's a testament to the partnership between God's command and human response.
- "by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land": This phrase details the means and the result of God's action. The use of a natural phenomenon (wind) demonstrates God's sovereignty over creation, bending it to His will in an extraordinary manner. The transformation of water into solid ground is a re-creation act for salvation.
- "and the waters were divided": This final clause explicitly states the miracle's defining characteristic – the vertical parting of the waters, forming a protected corridor through the sea, a visible sign of divine might and faithfulness.
Exodus 14 21 Bonus section
This act of separating the waters and making a path through the deep is a strong theological echo of God's original creative act in Genesis 1, where He separated the waters to bring forth dry land. Here, the "dry land" (yabbashah) symbolizes new creation and life emerging from chaos and death for the redeemed. This event became a template for understanding divine salvation throughout biblical history, influencing later prophets and poets in their description of God's power to deliver. It served as Israel's "national birth," fundamentally defining their relationship with YHWH as their Deliverer.
Exodus 14 21 Commentary
Exodus 14:21 presents a foundational truth of the biblical narrative: the LORD God is sovereign over all creation and actively intervenes for the salvation of His people. The human action of Moses stretching out his hand is a powerful symbol of obedience, initiating God's mighty work. However, the agency rests solely with "the LORD," emphasizing that this was not a natural event, but a supernatural intervention utilizing natural means (the east wind) in an unprecedented and sustained way ("all that night"). The result – a "dry land" path and "divided" waters forming protective walls – is a clear demonstration of God's ability to make a way where there is no way. This miracle serves as a profound theological polemic against Egyptian deities who were thought to control natural forces, proving YHWH's unparalleled power as the one true God who delivers His people from impossible situations. It also foreshadows future acts of divine deliverance and forms a crucial part of Israel's national identity, reminding them of God's faithful presence and overwhelming might.