Exodus 14:6 kjv
And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
Exodus 14:6 nkjv
So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.
Exodus 14:6 niv
So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.
Exodus 14:6 esv
So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him,
Exodus 14:6 nlt
So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops.
Exodus 14 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 4:21 | "But I will harden his heart..." | God's foretold hardening of Pharaoh's heart. |
| Exod 9:16 | "But for this purpose I have raised you up..." | God raised Pharaoh to demonstrate His power. |
| Exod 14:4 | "I will harden Pharaoh’s heart...and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host..." | God's specific purpose for Pharaoh's pursuit. |
| Exod 14:8 | "The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel..." | Confirmation of divine hardening leading to pursuit. |
| Exod 14:17 | "And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host..." | God's ultimate aim through the confrontation. |
| Exod 14:28 | "The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen..." | The decisive destruction of Pharaoh's military. |
| Deut 4:34 | "Or has any god attempted to go and take a nation for himself..." | God's unparalleled power in delivering Israel. |
| Deut 11:4 | "and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots..." | Reminder of God's defeat of Egyptian military. |
| Psa 20:7 | "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." | Contrast between reliance on human strength and divine power. |
| Psa 33:16 | "The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength." | Military might is insufficient for salvation. |
| Psa 76:6 | "At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay fast asleep." | God's power to defeat enemy forces, including chariots. |
| Isa 31:1 | "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help...who rely on chariots because they are many..." | Condemnation of trusting in worldly power, like Egypt's. |
| Isa 43:16-17 | "who makes a way through the sea...who brings forth chariots and horse..." | God's active role in Red Sea deliverance and enemy's demise. |
| Jer 46:6 | "The swift cannot flee...Pharaoh has stumbled and fallen." | Prophetic judgment on Pharaoh, paralleling his fall. |
| Hos 1:7 | "I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God; I will not save them by bow or by sword, or by war or by horses, or by horsemen." | Emphasizing salvation solely by God's power. |
| Prov 21:1 | "The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will." | God's sovereignty over the will of rulers, like Pharaoh. |
| Prov 21:31 | "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD." | Human preparation is subject to divine sovereignty in warfare. |
| Neh 9:10 | "And performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh...for you knew that they dealt proudly against them." | God's justice against Pharaoh's arrogance. |
| Josh 24:6 | "your fathers went down to the sea...the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen..." | Historical recall of the pursuit and deliverance. |
| Judg 4:3 | "...Jabin had 900 chariots of iron..." | Another example of a mighty chariot army defeated by God. |
| 1 Sam 17:45 | "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts..." | Emphasizes reliance on God's name, not weaponry. |
| Rom 9:17 | "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you...'" | New Testament theological reflection on Pharaoh's role in God's plan. |
| Heb 11:29 | "By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do the same, they were drowned." | Faith and divine intervention in the Red Sea event. |
| Rev 19:19 | "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse..." | Ultimate defeat of human military power arrayed against God. |
| Zec 9:10 | "I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem..." | Prophecy of divine dismantling of military might. |
Exodus 14 verses
Exodus 14 6 Meaning
Exodus 14:6 conveys Pharaoh's decisive action to pursue the Israelites immediately after their exodus. Driven by a hardened heart, he personally prepared his primary military transport, the war-chariot, and mobilized his entire army to engage in combat, aiming to bring the Israelites back into slavery. This act demonstrates his stubborn pride and renewed determination against the will of God, unknowingly stepping into a divinely ordained confrontation.
Exodus 14 6 Context
Exodus 14:6 is situated immediately after Israel's initial departure from Egypt, empowered by God's plagues, culminating in the death of the firstborn. Following the Israelites' swift and divinely guided exodus, Pharaoh's grief and humiliation transmuted into a renewed, furious obstinacy. Despite having given permission for their departure, the news of Israel's apparent disorientation in the wilderness ignited Pharaoh's stubborn heart, which God had already hardened (Exod 14:4). This verse marks the pivotal moment of Pharaoh's commitment to reversal and retaliation, initiating the dramatic confrontation at the Red Sea. It sets the stage for the definitive demonstration of Yahweh's unparalleled power over the mighty Egyptian military and their presumed invincible war chariots, confirming God's earlier declaration to gain glory over Pharaoh.
Exodus 14 6 Word analysis
So he made his chariot ready:
- So he made (וַיַּאֲסֹר - vayya'asor): Hebrew verb אָסַר ('asar) means "to bind, harness, prepare." The use of the Hiphil form here suggests causative action and readiness. This emphasizes Pharaoh's personal and immediate directive in preparing for battle, showing his urgency and determination. It also hints at a direct, forceful preparation, binding the horses to the chariot with speed.
- his chariot (מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ - merkavto): Refers to a war-chariot, a key component and symbol of Egyptian military might. These were high-tech, fast, and devastating in ancient warfare, often leading the charge. The possessive suffix ("his") indicates this was Pharaoh's personal command chariot or the primary vehicle he used in military operations, underscoring his personal leadership in this vengeful pursuit. This directly challenges Egypt's military pride.
- ready: Implied within the verb vayya'asor, signifying full preparation for immediate departure and combat.
and took his people with him:
- and took (וְאֶת-עַמּוֹ לָקַח - ve'et-ammo lakaḥ): Hebrew verb לָקַח (lakaḥ) means "to take, gather." It highlights the deliberate act of assembling and deploying his fighting force.
- his people (עַמּוֹ - ammo): While literally "his people," in this military context, it refers to his army, his fighting men, who would accompany him in battle. This would include his elite chariotry and horsemen, representing the full force of Egypt's power.
- with him: Emphasizes Pharaoh's direct leadership of the pursuit, rather than merely dispatching a subordinate. This shows his resolve to personally oversee the attempt to re-enslave the Israelites.
Words-group analysis:
- "So he made his chariot ready": This phrase denotes an act of determined and rapid military mobilization by the ultimate authority figure in Egypt. It portrays Pharaoh as personally activating the instrument of his power to reverse a divinely accomplished act, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown. It is a powerful image of worldly might preparing for war against a seemingly helpless populace.
- "and took his people with him": This demonstrates that the entire Egyptian military apparatus was mobilized under Pharaoh's direct command. It signifies the full, overwhelming force of a powerful empire setting out to recapture what it saw as its lost property, underscoring the formidable opposition Israel faced, making God's subsequent intervention even more astounding.
Exodus 14 6 Bonus section
- Pharaoh's leading from a chariot signifies his absolute military authority and traditional role as a warrior-king. This was an act of pride and a challenge to the power of Yahweh.
- This specific act by Pharaoh fulfills a direct prophetic word from God to Moses earlier in Exodus (e.g., Exod 4:21, 14:4), confirming divine control over human will, even that of the most powerful ruler.
- The emphasis on "his chariot" and "his people" contrasts Pharaoh's personal military power with the Lord who fights for Israel (Exod 14:14). It sets up the confrontation between humanity's peak military strength and divine omnipotence.
- The narrative carefully lays out Pharaoh's preparations to highlight the seemingly overwhelming odds against the Israelites, thereby magnifying God's miraculous deliverance.
Exodus 14 6 Commentary
Exodus 14:6 vividly illustrates Pharaoh's re-commitment to confrontation. Despite experiencing ten devastating plagues and releasing the Israelites, his hardened heart, ordained by God, propelled him to prepare for pursuit. "He made his chariot ready" signifies his personal engagement and the marshaling of Egypt's premier military asset – the chariot corps – a symbol of their formidable power and confidence in worldly might. The act of "taking his people with him" reveals the mobilization of the entire army under his direct leadership. Pharaoh's actions, while seemingly of his own stubborn will, were perfectly orchestrated by God to set up the ultimate, glorious demonstration of His sovereignty, power, and glory, not only for Israel but for all nations, through the dramatic victory at the Red Sea.