Exodus 14:14-18 New English Translation
14 The Lord[a] will fight for you, and you can be still.”[b]
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.[c] 16 And as for you,[d] lift up your staff and extend your hand toward the sea and divide it, so that[e] the Israelites may go through the middle of the sea on dry ground. 17 And as for me, I am going to harden[f] the hearts of the Egyptians so that[g] they will come after them, that I may be honored[h] because[i] of Pharaoh and his army and his chariots and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians will know[j] that I am the Lord when I have gained my honor[k] because of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
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- Exodus 14:14 tn The word order places emphasis on “the Lord” (Heb “Yahweh”).
- Exodus 14:14 tn The imperfect tense needs to be interpreted in contrast to all that Yahweh will be doing. It may be given a potential imperfect nuance (as here), or it may be obligatory to follow the command to stand firm: “you must be still.”
- Exodus 14:15 tn The text literally says, “speak to the Israelites that they may journey.” The intent of the line, using the imperative with the subordinate jussive or imperfect expressing purpose is that the speaking is the command to move.
- Exodus 14:16 tn The conjunction plus pronoun (“and you”) is emphatic—“and as for you”—before the imperative “lift up.” In contrast, v. 17 begins with “and as for me, I….”
- Exodus 14:16 tn The imperfect (or jussive) with the vav (ו) is sequential, coming after the series of imperatives instructing Moses to divide the sea; the form then gives the purpose (or result) of the activity—“that they may go.”
- Exodus 14:17 tn הִנְנִי (hineni) before the participle gives it the force of a futur instans participle, meaning “I am about to harden” or “I am going to harden” their heart.
- Exodus 14:17 tn The form again is the imperfect tense with vav (ו) to express the purpose or the result of the hardening. The repetition of the verb translated “come” is interesting: Moses is to divide the sea in order that the people may cross, but God will harden the Egyptians’ hearts in order that they may follow.
- Exodus 14:17 tn For the comments on this verb see the discussion in v. 4. God would get glory by defeating Egypt.
- Exodus 14:17 tn Or “I will get glory over.”
- Exodus 14:18 tn The construction is unusual in that it says, “And Egypt will know.” The verb is plural, and so “Egypt” must mean “the Egyptians.” The verb is the perfect tense with the vav consecutive, showing that this recognition or acknowledgment by Egypt will be the result or purpose of the defeat of them by God.
- Exodus 14:18 tn The form is בְּהִכָּבְדִי (behikkavedi), the Niphal infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffix. For the suffix on a Niphal, see GKC 162-63 §61.c. The word forms a temporal clause in the line.
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