15:4 The chariots of Pharaoh 3 and his army he has thrown into the sea,
and his chosen 4 officers were drowned 5 in the Red Sea.
2:20 I will remove the one from the north 6 far from you.
I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place.
Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, 7
and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. 8
His stench will rise up as a foul smell.” 9
Indeed, the Lord 10 has accomplished great things.
1 tn The Hebrew term יַם־סוּף (Yam Suf) cannot be a genitive (“wilderness of the Red Sea”) because it follows a noun that is not in construct; instead, it must be an adverbial accusative, unless it is simply joined by apposition to “the wilderness” – the way to the wilderness [and] to the Red Sea (B. S. Childs, Exodus [OTL], 217).
2 tn The term חֲמֻשִׁים (khamushim) is placed first for emphasis; it forms a circumstantial clause, explaining how they went up. Unfortunately, it is a rare word with uncertain meaning. Most translations have something to do with “in battle array” or “prepared to fight” if need be (cf. Josh 1:14; 4:12). The Targum took it as “armed with weapons.” The LXX had “in the fifth generation.” Some have opted for “in five divisions.”
3 tn Gesenius notes that the sign of the accusative, often omitted in poetry, is not found in this entire song (GKC 363 §117.b).
4 tn The word is a substantive, “choice, selection”; it is here used in the construct state to convey an attribute before a partitive genitive – “the choice of his officers” means his “choice officers” (see GKC 417 §128.r).
5 tn The form is a Qal passive rather than a Pual, for there is not Piel form or meaning.
6 sn The allusion to the one from the north is best understood as having locusts in view. It is not correct to say that this reference to the enemy who came form the north excludes the possibility of a reference to locusts and must be understood as human armies. Although locust plagues usually approached Palestine from the east or southeast, the severe plague of 1915, for example, came from the northeast.
7 tn Heb “his face to the eastern sea.” In this context the eastern sea is probably the Dead Sea.
8 tn Heb “and his rear to the western sea.” The western sea refers to the Mediterranean Sea.
9 sn Heb “and his foul smell will ascend.” The foul smell probably refers to the unpleasant odor of decayed masses of dead locusts. The Hebrew word for “foul smell” is found only here in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for “stench” appears only here and in Isa 34:3 and Amos 4:10. In the latter references it refers to the stench of dead corpses on a field of battle.
10 tn The Hebrew text does not have “the