Exodus 15:19 For when Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

◄ Exodus 15:19 ►

New International Version
When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

New Living Translation
When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers rushed into the sea, the LORD brought the water crashing down on them. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground!

English Standard Version
For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea.

Berean Standard Bible
For when Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

King James Bible
For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

New King James Version
For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

New American Standard Bible
For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.

NASB 1995
For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.

NASB 1977
For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.

Legacy Standard Bible
For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.

Amplified Bible
For the horses of Pharaoh went with his war-chariots and his charioteers into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea.

Christian Standard Bible
When Pharaoh’s horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the water of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Pharaoh’s horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

American Standard Version
For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Jehovah brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD covered the royal Egyptian cavalry and chariots with the sea, after the Israelites had walked safely through on dry ground.

English Revised Version
For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and cavalry went into the sea, the LORD made the water of the sea flow back over them. However, the Israelites had gone through the sea on dry ground.

Good News Translation
The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. But when the Egyptian chariots with their horses and drivers went into the sea, the LORD brought the water back, and it covered them.

International Standard Version
When the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD caused the waters of the sea to come back over them, but the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land.

Majority Standard Bible
For when Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

NET Bible
For the horses of Pharaoh came with his chariots and his footmen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the Israelites walked on dry land in the middle of the sea."

New Heart English Bible
For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.

Webster's Bible Translation
For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

World English Bible
For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
For the horse of Pharaoh has gone in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and YHWH turns back the waters of the sea on them, and the sons of Israel have gone on dry land in the midst of the sea.

Young's Literal Translation
For the horse of Pharaoh hath gone in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Jehovah turneth back on them the waters of the sea, and the sons of Israel have gone on dry land in the midst of the sea.

Smith's Literal Translation
For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen, into the sea, and Jehovah will turn back over them the water of the sea: and the sons of Israel went on the dry land in the midst of the sea.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
For Pharao went in on horseback with his chariots and horsemen into the sea: and the Lord brought back upon them the waters of the sea: but the children of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst thereof.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For the rider Pharaoh, with his chariots and horsemen, was brought into the sea. And the Lord brought back upon them the waters of the sea. But the sons of Israel walked across dry ground in its midst.”

New American Bible
When Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen entered the sea, the LORD made the waters of the sea flow back upon them, though the Israelites walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.

New Revised Standard Version
When the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his chariot drivers went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
For the horses of Pharaoh, with his chariots and his horsemen, went through the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on the dry land in the midst of the sea.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because the horses of Pharaoh and his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea and LORD JEHOVAH returned the waters of the sea upon them and the children of Israel walked on dry land within the sea.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the horse of Pharao went in with the chariots and horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought upon them the water of the sea, but the children of Israel walked through dry land in the midst of the sea.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Moses' Song of Deliverance
…18The LORD will reign forever and ever!” 19For when Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Joshua 24:6-7
When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. / So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

Nehemiah 9:9-11
You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea. / You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. / You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters.

Psalm 106:9-11
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert. / He saved them from the hand that hated them; He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. / The waters covered their foes; not one of them remained.

Psalm 136:13-15
He divided the Red Sea in two His loving devotion endures forever. / and led Israel through the midst, His loving devotion endures forever. / but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His loving devotion endures forever.

Isaiah 51:10
Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

Isaiah 63:11-13
Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, / who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, / who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble?

Hebrews 11:29
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Acts 7:36
He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.

Revelation 15:3
and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!

Exodus 14:21-31
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, / and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. / And the Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen—and followed them into the sea. ...

Deuteronomy 11:4
what He did to the Egyptian army and horses and chariots when He made the waters of the Red Sea engulf them as they pursued you, and how He destroyed them completely, even to this day;

Psalm 78:13
He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.

Psalm 77:16-20
The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and swirled; even the depths were shaken. / The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth. / Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. ...

Psalm 114:3-5
The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back; / the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. / Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,

Treasury of Scripture

For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea on them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the middle of the sea.

horse

Exodus 14:23
And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Proverbs 21:31
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

brought

Exodus 14:28,29
And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them…

Hebrews 11:29
By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

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Chariots Children Dry Ground Horse Horsemen Horses Israel Israelites Midst Pharaoh Pharaoh's Sea Walked Waters

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Exodus 15

1. The song of Moses, Miriam, and Israel on their deliverance
22. The people want water in the desert
23. The waters at Marah are bitter,
24. they murmur,
25. Moses prays, and sweetens the waters by God's direction
27. They encamp at Elim, where are twelve wells, and seventy palm trees

Berean Study Bible

For when Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea
This phrase sets the stage for the miraculous event that underscores God's deliverance and judgment. The mention of "Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen" highlights the might and power of the Egyptian army, which was one of the most formidable military forces of the ancient world. The Hebrew word for "chariots" (רֶכֶב, rekeb) signifies not just a vehicle but a symbol of military strength and technological advancement. Historically, chariots were a game-changer in warfare, representing speed and power. The phrase emphasizes the totality of Egypt's military might being brought against the Israelites, only to be thwarted by divine intervention.

the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them
This part of the verse illustrates the sovereignty and power of the LORD (יהוה, Yahweh) over creation. The act of bringing "the waters of the sea back over them" is a direct intervention by God, demonstrating His control over nature. The Hebrew word for "brought" (יָשׁוּב, yashub) implies a return or reversal, indicating that what was once a path of deliverance for the Israelites became a means of judgment for the Egyptians. This reversal is a powerful reminder of God's ability to protect His people and execute justice. Theologically, it underscores the theme of divine retribution and the protection of God's covenant people.

but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground
In stark contrast to the fate of the Egyptians, "the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground" highlights the miraculous nature of their deliverance. The Hebrew word for "walked" (יָלַךְ, yalak) suggests a journey or passage, emphasizing the faith and obedience of the Israelites as they followed God's leading. The phrase "on dry ground" (בְּיַבָּשָׁה, beyabashah) is significant, as it underscores the completeness of the miracle. The seabed, which should have been muddy and impassable, was made dry by God's power, allowing safe passage. This miraculous provision is a testament to God's faithfulness and His ability to make a way where there seems to be no way. It serves as an inspirational reminder of God's provision and protection for those who trust in Him.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) This verse is parenthetic. It forms no part of the "Song of Moses." Originally, perhaps, when that song was a separate document, it was appended as an historical comment, showing the occasion on which the poem was composed. When the records of Moses were collected--either by himself, towards the close of his life, or by Joshua--the addition was kept, although it had become unnecessary for the original purpose. As it stands, it emphasises the great fact of Israel's final deliverance--the nucleus around which Exodus gathers itself.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 19-21. - Sequel to the Song. The "sequel" treats of two quite separate masters.

1. It asserts, in verse 19, the historic groundwork of the song, reiterating in a condensed form the three principal facts of the presage - already recorded in ch. 14. -

(a) Israel's safe transit across the sea-bed;

(b) the pursuit attempted by the Egyptian chariot-force; end . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For when
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Pharaoh’s
פַּרְעֹ֜ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

horses,
ס֨וּס (sūs)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5483: A swallow, swift (type of bird)

chariots,
בְּרִכְבּ֤וֹ (bə·riḵ·bōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7393: A vehicle, a team, cavalry, a rider, the upper millstone

and horsemen
וּבְפָרָשָׁיו֙ (ū·ḇə·p̄ā·rā·šāw)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6571: A steed, a driver, cavalry

went
בָא֩ (ḇā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

into the sea,
בַּיָּ֔ם (bay·yām)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

the LORD
יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

brought the waters
מֵ֣י (mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

of the sea
הַיָּ֑ם (hay·yām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

back
וַיָּ֧שֶׁב (way·yā·šeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

over them.
עֲלֵהֶ֖ם (‘ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

But the Israelites
וּבְנֵ֧י (ū·ḇə·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

walked
הָלְכ֥וּ (hā·lə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

through
בְּת֥וֹךְ (bə·ṯō·wḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

the sea
הַיָּֽם׃ (hay·yām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

on dry ground.
בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה (ḇay·yab·bā·šāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3004: Dry land, dry ground

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OT Law: Exodus 15:19 For the horses of Pharaoh went (Exo. Ex)