Exodus 15:12-16

15:12 You stretched out your right hand,

the earth swallowed them. ¹ 

15:13 By your loyal love you will lead ²  the people whom ³  you have redeemed;

you will guide ⁴  them by your strength to your holy dwelling place.

15:14 The nations will hear ⁵  and tremble;

anguish ⁶  will seize ⁷  the inhabitants of Philistia.

15:15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified, ⁸ 

trembling will seize ⁹  the leaders of Moab,

and the inhabitants of Canaan will shake.

15:16 Fear and dread ¹⁰  will fall ¹¹  on them;

by the greatness ¹²  of your arm they will be as still as stone ¹³ 

until ¹⁴  your people pass by, O Lord,

until the people whom you have bought ¹⁵  pass by.

[15:12]  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.

[15:13]  ² tn The verbs in the next two verses are perfect tenses, but can be interpreted as a prophetic perfect, looking to the future.

[15:13]  ³ tn The particle זוּ (zu) is a relative pronoun, subordinating the next verb to the preceding.

[15:13]  ⁴ tn This verb seems to mean “to guide to a watering-place” (See Ps 23:2).

[15:14]  ⁵ tn This verb is a prophetic perfect, assuming that the text means what it said and this song was sung at the Sea. So all these countries were yet to hear of the victory.

[15:14]  ⁶ tn The word properly refers to “pangs” of childbirth. When the nations hear, they will be terrified.

[15:14]  ⁷ tn The verb is again a prophetic perfect.

[15:15]  ⁸ tn This is a prophetic perfect.

[15:15]  ⁹ tn This verb is imperfect tense.

[15:16]  ¹⁰ tn The two words can form a nominal hendiadys, “a dreadful fear,” though most English versions retain the two separate terms.

[15:16]  ¹¹ tn The form is an imperfect.

[15:16]  ¹² tn The adjective is in construct form and governs the noun “arm” (“arm” being the anthropomorphic expression for what God did). See GKC 428 §132.c.

[15:16]  ¹³ sn For a study of the words for fear, see N. Waldman, “A Comparative Note on Exodus 15:14-16,” JQR 66 (1976): 189-92.

[15:16]  ¹⁴ tn Clauses beginning with עַד (’ad) express a limit that is not absolute, but only relative, beyond which the action continues (GKC 446-47 §138.g).

[15:16]  ¹⁵ tn The verb קָנָה (qanah) here is the verb “acquire, purchase,” and probably not the homonym “to create, make” (see Gen 4:1; Deut 32:6; and Prov 8:22).