Moses' Miraculous Crossing of the Red Sea
The miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, detailed in Exodus 14:22-31, stands as a pivotal event in the history of ancient Israel, marking the climactic moment of their rescue from Egyptian bondage [1, 9, 11]. This event is frequently referenced throughout the Old and New Testaments, celebrated in psalms, and noted by later prophets and New Testament writers [8, 9].
The biblical account describes Moses leading the Israelites to the sea, where he stretched out his hand, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night [12]. The waters divided, forming a wall on their right and left, allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground [6, 8]. This division of the sea was a clear demonstration of divine power, as noted by Adam Clarke, who argued that an ordinary ebb tide, even if strong, could not have created walls of water [6]. The Psalmist recounts this event, speaking of God making a way through the Red Sea and overthrowing Pharaoh and his army there [2, 3].
The precise location of the crossing has been a subject of debate, though it is generally understood to have occurred at a branch of the Red Sea, likely the Gulf of Suez, which may have extended further north in ancient times [1]. The Red Sea itself was known to the Israelites as "the sea" or "the sea of Suph," a term possibly referring to sea-weed resembling wool, which is abundant on its shores [5].
The miraculous nature of the event is emphasized in various interpretations. Flavius Josephus describes Moses making supplication to God and calling upon Him for assistance before the sea divided [4]. Augustine of Hippo highlights the deliverance of the people from Egyptian bondage through Moses, the "holy servant of God," who performed great miracles [7]. Matthew Henry views the crossing as a type of baptism and a symbol of the conversion of souls, while the destruction of the Egyptians in the sea is seen as typical of the final ruin of impenitent sinners [8]. Augustine further connects the Red Sea to baptism, citing the apostle Paul's words that "all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea... and all were baptized by Moses in the cloud and in the sea" [10]. This interpretation suggests that the figurative act of passing through the sea prefigured the efficacy of Christian baptism [10].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Red Sea, Passage of — The account of the march of the Israelites through the Red Sea is given in Ex. 14:22-31. There has been great diversity of opinion as to the precise place where this occurred. The difficulty of arriving at any definite conclusion on the matter is much increased by the consideration that the head of the Gulf of Suez, which was the branch of the sea that was crossed, must have extended at the time of the Exodus probably 50 miles farther north than it does at present. Some have argued that the crossing took place opposite the Wady Tawarik, where th”
- Psalms “Psalms 136:13 (BBE) — To him who made a way through the Red Sea: for his mercy is unchanging for ever:”
- Psalms “But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea; for his loving kindness endures forever: -- Psalms 136:15”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 16, section 1: . How The Sea Was Divided Asunder For The Hebrews, When They Were Pursued By The Egyptians, And So Gave Them An Opportunity Of Escaping From Them. 1. When Moses had said this, he led them to the sea, while the Egyptians looked on; for they were within sight. Now these were so distressed by the toil of their pursuit, that they thought proper to put off fighting till the next day. But when Moses was come to the sea-shore, he took his rod, and made supplication to God, and called upon him to be their helper and assistant; and said ”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Red Sea — + Name.--The sea known to us as the Red Sea was by the Israelites called "the sea," (Exodus 14:2,9,16,21,28; 15:1,4,8,10,19; Joshua 24:6,7) and many other passages, and specially "the sea of Suph ." (Exodus 10:19; 13:18; 15:4,22; 23:31; Numbers 14:25) etc. This word signifies a sea-weed resembling wool, and such sea-weed is thrown up abundantly on the shores of the Red Sea; hence Brugsch calls it the sea of reeds or weeds . The color of the water is not red. Ebers says that it is of a lovely blue-green color, and named Red either from its red banks or from t”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 14:22: And the waters were a wall unto them on their right and on their left - This verse demonstrates that the passage was miraculous. Some have supposed that the Israelites had passed through, favored by an extraordinary ebb, which happened at that time to be produced by a strong wind, which happened just then to blow! Had this been the case, there could not have been waters standing on the right hand and on the left; much less could those waters, contrary to every law of fluids, have stood as a wall on either side while the Israelites passed through, and then happen to”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 3: Augustine — On the Holy Trinity — CHAP. 20.--OF ISRAEL'S BONDAGE IN EGYPT, THEIR DELIVERANCE, AND THEIR PASSAGE THROUGH THE RED SEA. (part 1): 34. "That people, then, having been brought down into Egypt, were in bondage to the harshest of kings; and, taught by the most oppressive labors, they sought their deliverer in God; and there was sent to them one belonging to the people themselves, Moses, the holy servant of God, who, in the might of God, terrified the impious nation of the Egyptians in those days by great miracles, and led forth the people of God out of that land through t”
- Exodus (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Exodus 14:21: We have here the history of that work of wonder which is so often mentioned both in the Old and New Testament, the dividing of the Red Sea before the children of Israel. It was the terror of the Canaanites (Jos 2:9, Jos 2:10), the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Psa 114:3; Psa 106:9; Psa 136:13, Psa 136:14. It was a type of baptism, Co1 10:1, Co1 10:2. Israel's passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls (Isa 11:15), and the Egyptians' perdition in it was typical of the final ruin of all impenitent sinners, Rev 20:14. Here we have, I. An insta”
- Joshua (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Joshua 24:5: 24:5-7 The Exodus, which culminated with the crossing of the Red Sea, was the climactic salvation event of ancient Israel’s history. A number of psalms, several of the later prophets, and several New Testament writers all celebrated this defining event.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER II. 23-25; III. 1-5. (part 5): Red Sea signifies, hear the apostle: "Moreover, brethren, I would not have you ignorant, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea." To what purpose passed they through the sea? As if thou wert asking of him, he goes on to say, "And all were baptized by Moses in the cloud and in the sea."(1) Now, if the figure of the sea had such efficacy, how great will be the efficacy of the true form of baptism! If what was done in a figure brought the people, after they had crossed over, to th”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 14:15: 14:15-31 The escape through the Red Sea was the climactic moment of rescue.”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 14:21: And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,.... With his rod in it, as he was directed to, Exo 14:16. What the poet says (z) of Bacchus is more true of Moses, whose rod had been lift up upon the rivers Egypt, and now upon the Red sea: and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night; and the direction of the Red sea being nearly, if not altogether, north and south, it was in a proper situation to be wrought upon and divided by an easterly wind; though the Septuagint version renders it a strong south wind. No wind of itself, without the”