15:12 You stretched out your right hand,
the earth swallowed them. 1
15:2 The Lord 2 is my strength and my song, 3
and he has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise him, 4
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
14:26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;
my hand is ready to strike all the nations.” 7
14:27 Indeed, 8 the Lord who commands armies has a plan,
and who can possibly frustrate it?
His hand is ready to strike,
and who can possibly stop it? 9
1 tn The verb is the prefixed conjugation, the preterite without the vav consecutive. The subject, the “earth,” must be inclusive of the sea, or it may indicate the grave or Sheol; the sea drowned them. Some scholars wish to see this as a reference to Dathan and Abiram, and therefore evidence of a later addition or compilation. It fits this passage well, however.
2 tn Heb “Yah.” Moses’ poem here uses a short form of the name Yahweh, traditionally rendered in English by “the LORD.”
3 tn The word וְזִמְרָת (vÿzimrat) is problematic. It probably had a suffix yod (י) that was accidentally dropped because of the yod (י) on the divine name following. Most scholars posit another meaning for the word. A meaning of “power” fits the line fairly well, forming a hendiadys with strength – “strength and power” becoming “strong power.” Similar lines are in Isa 12:2 and Ps 118:14. Others suggest “protection” or “glory.” However, there is nothing substantially wrong with “my song” in the line – only that it would be a nicer match if it had something to do with strength.
4 tn The word נָוָה (navah) occurs only here. It may mean “beautify, adorn” with praises (see BDB 627 s.v.). See also M. Dahood, “Exodus 15:2: ‘anwehu and Ugaritic snwt,” Bib 59 (1979): 260-61; and M. Klein, “The Targumic Tosefta to Exodus 15:2,” JJS 26 (1975): 61-67; and S. B. Parker, “Exodus 15:2 Again,” VT 21 (1971): 373-79.
5 tn Heb “if he does not lie in wait” (NASB similar).
6 tn Heb “and God brought into his hand.” The death is unintended, its circumstances outside human control.
7 tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”
8 tn Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
9 tn Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”