Bible HebrewThrough the Sea Exodus 14:13–14 · Exodus 14:21–22
Exodus 14: Moses speaks to a frightened people, and the waters part. Watch for commands, a Niphal, and a Hiphil that means “make go”.
Exodus 14:13
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעָם אַל־תִּירָאוּ הִתְיַצְבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת־יְשׁוּעַת יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה לָכֶם הַיּוֹם כִּי אֲשֶׁר רְאִיתֶם אֶת־מִצְרַיִם הַיּוֹם לֹא תֹסִיפוּ לִרְאֹתָם עוֹד עַד־עוֹלָם
Wayyōmer mōshe ʾel-hāʿām ʾal-tīrāʾū hithyaṣvū ūrəʾū ʾeth-yəshūʿath yəḥawwe ʾăsher-yaʿăśe lākhem hayyōm kī ʾăsher rəʾīthem ʾeth-miṣrayim hayyōm lō thōsīfū lirʾōthām ʿōdh ʿadh-ʿōlām
“And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm, and see the salvation yəḥawwe will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see again.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and (he) said |
| מֹשֶׁה | mōshe | Moses |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| הָעָם | hāʿām | the people |
| אַל | ʾal | do not |
| תִּירָאוּ | tīrāʾū | be afraid |
| הִתְיַצְבוּ | hithyaṣvū | stand firm |
| וּרְאוּ | ūrəʾū | and see |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| יְשׁוּעַת | yəshūʿath | the salvation of |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | which |
| יַעֲשֶׂה | yaʿăśe | he will do |
| לָכֶם | lākhem | for you |
| הַיּוֹם | hayyōm | today |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | whom |
| רְאִיתֶם | rəʾīthem | you have seen |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| מִצְרַיִם | miṣrayim | Egypt |
| הַיּוֹם | hayyōm | today |
| לֹא | lō | not |
| תֹסִיפוּ | thōsīfū | you will again |
| לִרְאֹתָם | lirʾōthām | see them |
| עוֹד | ʿōdh | still |
| עַד | ʿadh | until |
| עוֹלָם | ʿōlām | forever |
- אַל: אַל + a short form: “don't!” right now (see the Qal Imperfect lesson).
- הִתְיַצְבוּ: הִתְיַצְבוּ, “stand firm, take your stand”: a plural Hithpael command, the same stem as וַיִּתְיַצַּב in 1 Samuel 3:10.
- מִצְרַיִם: מִצְרַיִם is both the country, Egypt, and its people, the Egyptians.
- תֹסִיפוּ: תֹסִיפוּ + an infinitive, “you will add to see”, means “you will see again” (compare וַיֹּסֶף in 1 Samuel 3:6).
- עַד: עַד־עוֹלָם, “until forever”: here, “ever again”.
Exodus 14:14
יְהוָה יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן
Yəḥawwe yillāḥēm lākhem wəʾattem taḥărīshūn
“Yəḥawwe will fight for you, and you are to keep still.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| יִלָּחֵם | yillāḥēm | will fight |
| לָכֶם | lākhem | for you |
| וְאַתֶּם | wəʾattem | and you |
| תַּחֲרִישׁוּן | taḥărīshūn | will keep still |
- יִלָּחֵם: יִלָּחֵם, “he will fight”: a Niphal of לחם. The נ of the Niphal is hidden in the doubled ל.
- וְאַתֶּם: וְאַתֶּם, “and you”: the pronoun comes first for contrast. Yəḥawwe fights; you keep still.
Exodus 14:21
וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת־יָדוֹ עַל־הַיָּם וַיּוֹלֶךְ יְהוָה אֶת־הַיָּם בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַיָּם לֶחָרָבָה וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם
Wayyēṭ mōshe ʾeth-yādhō ʿal-hayyām wayyōlekh yəḥawwe ʾeth-hayyām bərūaḥ qādhīm ʿazzā kol-hallaylā wayyāśem ʾeth-hayyām leḥārāvā wayyibbāqəʿū hammāyim
“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and yəḥawwe drove the sea back with a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry ground, and the waters were divided.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּט | wayyēṭ | and (he) stretched out |
| מֹשֶׁה | mōshe | Moses |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| יָדוֹ | yādhō | his hand |
| עַל | ʿal | over |
| הַיָּם | hayyām | the sea |
| וַיּוֹלֶךְ | wayyōlekh | and (he) drove |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| הַיָּם | hayyām | the sea |
| בְּרוּחַ | bərūaḥ | by a wind |
| קָדִים | qādhīm | east |
| עַזָּה | ʿazzā | strong |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| הַלַּיְלָה | hallaylā | the night |
| וַיָּשֶׂם | wayyāśem | and (he) made |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| הַיָּם | hayyām | the sea |
| לֶחָרָבָה | leḥārāvā | into dry ground |
| וַיִּבָּקְעוּ | wayyibbāqəʿū | and were divided |
| הַמָּיִם | hammāyim | the waters |
- וַיֵּט: וַיֵּט, “and he stretched out”: the short story form of נָטָה. It is weak twice: the first נ and the final ה are both gone.
- וַיּוֹלֶךְ: וַיּוֹלֶךְ, “and he made (it) go”: a Hiphil of הָלַךְ, “cause to go”.
- בְּרוּחַ: בְּרוּחַ, “by a wind”: רוּחַ means wind, breath or spirit (compare Genesis 1:2).
- וַיִּבָּקְעוּ: וַיִּבָּקְעוּ, “and they were split”: a Niphal (passive) of בקע, the root of “split” in Genesis 22:3.
Exodus 14:22
וַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם בַּיַּבָּשָׁה וְהַמַּיִם לָהֶם חֹמָה מִימִינָם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָם
Wayyāvōʾū vənē-yiśrāʾēl bəthōkh hayyām bayyabbāshā wəhammayim lāhem ḥōmā mīmīnām ūmiśśəmōlām
“And the Israelites went into the middle of the sea on dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹאוּ | wayyāvōʾū | and (they) went |
| בְנֵי | vənē | the sons of |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל | yiśrāʾēl | Israel |
| בְּתוֹךְ | bəthōkh | into the middle of |
| הַיָּם | hayyām | the sea |
| בַּיַּבָּשָׁה | bayyabbāshā | on the dry ground |
| וְהַמַּיִם | wəhammayim | and the waters |
| לָהֶם | lāhem | (were) to them |
| חֹמָה | ḥōmā | a wall |
| מִימִינָם | mīmīnām | on their right |
| וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָם | ūmiśśəmōlām | and on their left |
- וַיָּבֹאוּ: וַיָּבֹאוּ, “and they went (in)”, from the hollow root בּוֹא, “come, go in”.
- וְהַמַּיִם: וְ + a noun first pauses the story to describe the scene: “and the waters (were) …”. There is no verb “were”.
- מִימִינָם: מִימִינָם = מִן “from, on” + יָמִין “right hand” + ־ָם “their”.
← Take Your SonWings Like Eagles →
Bible Hebrew teaches this with practice questions and reviews that come back right before you forget. The alphabet, the lessons, the vocabulary and the guided readings are recorded in the biblical pronunciation. Free, no ads, and it works offline.
Practice this lesson free