Exodus 15

The Song of Moses and Miriam

¹Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said, “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.

²The LORD is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

³The LORD is a man of war. The LORD is his name.

⁴He has cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea. His chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.

⁵The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone.

⁶Your right hand, LORD, is glorious in power. Your right hand, LORD, dashes the enemy in pieces.

⁷In the greatness of your excellency, you overthrow those who rise up against you. You send out your wrath. It consumes them as stubble.

⁸With the blast of your nostrils, the waters were piled up. The floods stood upright as a heap. The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.

⁹The enemy said, ‘I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the plunder. My desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword. My hand will destroy them.’

¹⁰You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹Who is like you, LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

¹²You stretched out your right hand. The earth swallowed them.

¹³“You, in your loving kindness, have led the people that you have redeemed. You have guided them in your strength to your holy habitation.

¹⁴The peoples have heard. They tremble. Pangs have taken hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.

¹⁵Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed. Trembling takes hold of the mighty men of Moab. All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

¹⁶Terror and dread falls on them. By the greatness of your arm they are as still as a stone, until your people pass over, LORD, until the people you have purchased pass over.

¹⁷You will bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, the place, LORD, which you have made for yourself to dwell in: the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established.

¹⁸The LORD will reign forever and ever.”

¹⁹For 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 middle of the sea.

²⁰Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.

²¹Miriam answered them, “Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.”

Bitter Water at Marah

²²Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

²³When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.

²⁴The people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

²⁵Then he cried to the LORD. The LORD showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them.

²⁶He said, “If you will diligently listen to the LORD your God’s voice, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.”

²⁷They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They encamped there by the waters.

Previous Exodus 14

Next Exodus 16

Following their miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, Moses and the Israelites burst into triumphant song, celebrating God's victory over Pharaoh's army and His faithfulness as their divine warrior. The Song of Moses becomes one of Scripture's earliest and most powerful hymns, proclaiming God's unmatched power and His promise to bring His people to the Promised Land. However, the celebration quickly gives way to their first test in the wilderness when they encounter bitter water at Marah, where God demonstrates His provision and begins teaching them obedience.

Context

This chapter immediately follows the dramatic Red Sea crossing in chapter 14 and sets the stage for the wilderness wandering period that will dominate the remainder of Exodus.

Key Themes

Outline

1-3
Opening Praise and Declaration Moses and Israel begin their victory song, declaring God's triumph and identifying Him as their strength and salvation.
4-10
Recounting God's Victory The song vividly describes how God destroyed Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea through His mighty power.
11-12
God's Incomparable Nature The hymn proclaims God's uniqueness among all gods and His awesome holiness.
13-18
Future Promise and Reign The song looks forward to God leading His redeemed people to the Promised Land and His eternal reign.
19-21
Miriam's Response Miriam the prophetess leads the women in celebratory dance and song, echoing the victory theme.
22-27
Testing at Marah Three days into the wilderness journey, the people encounter bitter water, leading to their first complaint and God's provision of healing.

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15:1–15:21

poetry song celebratory

Moses and Miriam lead Israel in a triumphant song celebrating God's victory over Egypt at the Red Sea. The hymn praises God as a warrior who has redeemed His people and will lead them to the promised land.

person_contrast

Moses, typically portrayed as lawgiver and mediator, here transforms into worship leader and poet, demonstrating how divine victory can turn even the most reluctant speaker into an exuberant singer.

Bitter Water at Marah

15:22–15:27

narrative narration hopeful

When Israel finds only bitter water at Marah, God shows Moses how to make it sweet with a tree. God promises health to those who obey His commands and leads them to Elim with abundant water and shade.

person_contrast

Moses transforms bitter water through divine instruction, foreshadowing how God's commandments will sweeten Israel's wilderness experience and establish the pattern of obedience-blessing that defines covenant relationship.

Insight Character Study

Moses, typically portrayed as lawgiver and mediator, here transforms into worship leader and poet, demonstrating how divine victory can turn even the most reluctant speaker into an exuberant singer.

Insight Character Study

Cross-References

Connected passages across Scripture

Exodus 15:1 5 references

Lexicals 5

Numbers 21:17 Lexical

Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, well! Sing to it,

Exodus 15

The Song of Moses and Miriam

Bitter Water at Marah

The Song of Moses and Miriam

Bitter Water at Marah

Insights

Cross-References

Exodus 15:1 5 references

Exodus 15:2 3 references

Exodus 15:4 2 references

Exodus 15:5 2 references

Exodus 15:8 2 references

Exodus 15:9 4 references

Exodus 15:11 2 references

Exodus 15:15 1 reference

Exodus 15:19 5 references

Exodus 15:20 3 references

Exodus 15:21 3 references

Exodus 15:22 5 references

Exodus 15:26 1 reference

Exodus 15:27 1 reference

Interlinear

Historical Context

Timeline

Exodus