Exodus 13:18

13:18 So God brought the people around by the way of the desert to the Red Sea, ¹  and the Israelites went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle. ² 

Exodus 14:26

14:26 The Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward the sea, so that the waters may flow ³  back on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen!”

Exodus 14:28

14:28 The water returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the army of Pharaoh that was coming after the Israelites into the sea ⁴  – not so much as one of them survived! ⁵ 

Exodus 14:30

14:30 So the Lord saved ⁶  Israel on that day from the power ⁷  of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead ⁸  on the shore of the sea.

Exodus 15:22

The Bitter Water

15:22 ⁹ Then Moses led Israel to journey ¹⁰  away from the Red Sea. They went out to the Desert of Shur, walked for three days ¹¹  into the desert, and found no water.

Exodus 26:27

26:27 and five bars for the frames on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames on the back of the tabernacle on the west.

Exodus 38:12

38:12 For the west side there were ¹²  hangings seventy-five feet long, with ¹³  their ten posts and their ten bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver.

[13:18]  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).

[13:18]  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.”

[14:26]  ³ tn The verb, “and they will return,” is here subordinated to the imperative preceding it, showing the purpose of that act.

[14:28]  ⁵ tn Heb “that was coming after them into the sea.” The referent of “them” (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:28]  ⁶ tn Heb “not was left among them as much as one.”

[14:30]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term וַיּוֹשַׁע (vayyosha’) is the key summation of the chapter, and this part of the book: “So Yahweh saved Israel.” This is the culmination of all the powerful works of God through these chapters.

[14:30]  ⁸ tn Heb “the hand,” with “hand” being a metonymy for power.

[14:30]  ⁹ tn The participle “dead” is singular, agreeing in form with “Egypt.”

[15:22]  ⁹ sn The first event of the Israelites’ desert experience is a failure, for they murmur against Yahweh and are given a stern warning – and the provision of sweet water. The event teaches that God is able to turn bitter water into sweet water for his people, and he promises to do such things if they obey. He can provide for them in the desert – he did not bring them into the desert to let them die. But there is a deeper level to this story – the healing of the water is incidental to the healing of the people, their lack of trust. The passage is arranged in a neat chiasm, starting with a journey (A), ending with the culmination of the journey (A'); developing to bitter water (B), resolving to sweet water (B'); complaints by the people (C), leading to to the instructions for the people (C'); and the central turning point is the wonder miracle (D).

[15:22]  ¹⁰ tn The verb form is unusual; the normal expression is with the Qal, which expresses that they journeyed. But here the Hiphil is used to underscore that Moses caused them to journey – and he is following God. So the point is that God was leading Israel to the bitter water.

[15:22]  ¹¹ sn The mention that they travelled for three days into the desert is deliberately intended to recall Moses’ demand that they go three days into the wilderness to worship. Here, three days in, they find bitter water and complain – not worship.

[38:12]  ¹¹ tn The phrase “there were” has been supplied.

[38:12]  ¹² tn The text simply has “their posts ten and their bases ten”; this may be added here as a circumstantial clause with the main sentence in order to make sense out of the construction.