Exodus 14:21 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,

◄ Exodus 14:21 ►

New International Version
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,

New Living Translation
Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.

English Standard Version
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Berean Standard Bible
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,

King James Bible
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

New King James Version
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

New American Standard Bible
Then Moses reached out with his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

NASB 1995
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided.

NASB 1977
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Yahweh swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea into dry ground, so the waters were split.

Amplified Bible
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all that night and turned the seabed into dry land, and the waters were divided.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided,

American Standard Version
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Jehovah caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Contemporary English Version
Moses stretched his arm over the sea, and the LORD sent a strong east wind that blew all night until there was dry land where the water had been. The sea opened up,

English Revised Version
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. All that night the LORD pushed back the sea with a strong east wind and turned the sea into dry ground. The water divided,

Good News Translation
Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind. It blew all night and turned the sea into dry land. The water was divided,

International Standard Version
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the water to retreat by a strong east wind all night, turning the sea into dry land. As the waters were divided,

Majority Standard Bible
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,

NET Bible
Moses stretched out his hand toward the sea, and the LORD drove the sea apart by a strong east wind all that night, and he made the sea into dry land, and the water was divided.

New Heart English Bible
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

World English Bible
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Moses stretches out his hand toward the sea, and YHWH causes the sea to go on by a strong east wind all the night, and makes the sea become dry ground, and the waters are cleaved,

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses stretcheth out his hand towards the sea, and Jehovah causeth the sea to go on by a strong east wind all the night, and maketh the sea become dry ground, and the waters are cleaved,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Moses will stretch forth his hand over the sea, and Jehovah will cause the sea to go by a strong east wind all the night; and he will set the sea for dry land, and the waters will be rent.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when Moses had stretched forth his hand over the sea, the Lord took it away by a strong and burning wind blowing all the night, and turned it into dry ground: and the water was divided.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when Moses had extended his hand over the sea, the Lord took it away by an intense burning wind, blowing throughout the night, and he turned it into dry ground. And the water was divided.

New American Bible
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind all night long and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split,

New Revised Standard Version
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And Moses lifted up his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Moshe lifted his hand over the sea and LORD JEHOVAH drove the sea back by a mighty hot Simoom wind all night, and he put the sea on land and the waters were divided.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the Lord carried back the sea with a strong south wind all the night, and made the sea dry, and the water was divided.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Parting the Red Sea
…20so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other. 21Then 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, 22and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Joshua 3:13-17
When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.” / So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them. / Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, ...

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

Psalm 106:9
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert.

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?

Nehemiah 9:11
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 136:13-14
He divided the Red Sea in two His loving devotion endures forever. / and led Israel through the midst, His loving devotion endures forever.

Isaiah 63:12-13
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.

Psalm 114:3
The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back;

Psalm 77:16-19
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. ...

Isaiah 11:15-16
The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals. / There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.

Job 26:12
By His power He stirred the sea; by His understanding He shattered Rahab.

Habakkuk 3:15
You trampled the sea with Your horses, churning the great waters.

Treasury of Scripture

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

stretched

Exodus 14:16
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

the Lord

Exodus 15:8
And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

Joshua 3:13-16
And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap…

Joshua 4:23
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

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Exodus 14

1. God instructs the Israelites in their journey
5. Pharaoh pursues after them
10. The Israelites murmur
13. Moses comforts them
15. God instructs Moses
19. The cloud removes behind the camp
21. The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians

Berean Study Bible

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea
The act of Moses stretching out his hand is symbolic of divine authority and obedience to God's command. In Hebrew, the word for "stretched out" is "נָטָה" (natah), which conveys the idea of extending or reaching out. This gesture signifies Moses' role as God's chosen leader, acting as an intermediary between God and the Israelites. The sea, or "יַם" (yam), represents the formidable barrier that stands between the Israelites and their freedom. This moment is a testament to the power of faith and obedience, as Moses acts in accordance with God's will, setting the stage for a miraculous deliverance.

and all that night the LORD drove the sea back
The phrase "all that night" emphasizes the duration and the divine orchestration of the event. The Hebrew word for "night" is "לַיְלָה" (laylah), which often symbolizes a time of trial or testing. The LORD, or "יְהוָה" (YHWH), is the covenant name of God, highlighting His faithfulness and power. The action of driving the sea back is described with the Hebrew verb "הוֹלֵךְ" (holek), meaning to cause to go or to lead. This underscores God's active role in the deliverance of His people, as He manipulates the natural elements to fulfill His promise.

with a strong east wind
The "strong east wind" is a natural phenomenon used supernaturally by God. In Hebrew, "רוּחַ" (ruach) means wind, spirit, or breath, indicating the life-giving and transformative power of God. The east wind, "קָדִים" (qadim), is often associated with judgment or change in the Bible. This wind is not merely a natural occurrence but a divine instrument, demonstrating God's sovereignty over creation. It serves as a reminder that God can use the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary.

and turned it into dry land
The transformation of the sea into "dry land" is a miraculous event, echoing the creation narrative where God separates the waters to create habitable space. The Hebrew word for "dry land" is "חָרָבָה" (charavah), which signifies a place devoid of water, safe for passage. This act of turning the sea into dry land is a powerful symbol of salvation and new beginnings, as God provides a way where there seems to be none. It illustrates His ability to bring order out of chaos and deliver His people from bondage.

So the waters were divided
The division of the waters is the climax of this miraculous event. The Hebrew verb "בָּקַע" (baqa) means to split or cleave, indicating a decisive and powerful action. This division is not just a physical separation but a spiritual one, marking the transition from slavery to freedom for the Israelites. It is a testament to God's power and faithfulness, as He fulfills His promise to deliver His people. The divided waters stand as a monument to God's ability to overcome any obstacle, providing a path to redemption and hope.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) The Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind.--By "a strong east wind" we are at liberty to understand one blowing from any point between N.?. and S.E. If we imagine the Bitter Lakes joined to the Red Sea by a narrow and shallow channel, and a south-east wind blowing strongly up this channel, we can easily conceive that the water in the Bitter Lakes might be driven northward, and' held there, while the natural action of the ebb tide withdrew the Red Sea water to the southward. A portion of the channel might in this way have been left dry, and have so continued until the wind changed and the tide began to flow. It is true that Scripture does not speak of the ebb and flow of the tide, since in them there was nothing unusual; but an Egyptian tradition distinctly stated that "Moses waited for the ebb tide in order to lead the Israelites across." (Artipanus, ap. Euseb. Pr?p. Ev., 9:27.) Whether the whole effect was purely natural, or whether (as in so many other cases) Goa used the force of nature so far as it could go, and further supernaturally increased its force, we are not told, and may form what opinion we please.

The waters were divided.--The waters of the Bitter Lakes were for a time separated completely from those of the Red Sea. By gradual elevation and desiccation the channel over which the Israelites passed has probably now become dry land.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - Moses stretched out his hand. As commanded by God (ver. 16). Compare the somewhat similar action of Elijah and Elisha, when they divided the Jordan (2 Kings 2:8, 14). The Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind. The LXX. translate "a strong south wind" (ἐν ἀνέμῳ νότῳ βιαίῳ); but the Hebrew kadim is certainly "east" rather than "south." It is not, however, "east" in the sense of due east, but would include all the range of the compass between N.E. and S.E. If we suppose the Bitter Lakes to have been joined to the Red Sea by a narrow and shallow channel, the action of a south-east wind, by driving the water of the Lakes northward, may have easily produced the effect described in the text. A simultaneous ebb of the lower gulf would have further facilitated the passage. The waters were divided. Water remained in the upper extremity of the Gulf, now the site of the Bitter Lakes, and also, of course, below Suez. The portion of the sea dried up lay probably between the present southern extremity of the Bitter Lakes and Suez. By the gradual elevation and desiccation of the region, it has passed into permanent dry land.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then Moses
מֹשֶׁ֣ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

stretched out
וַיֵּ֨ט (way·yêṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

his hand
יָדוֹ֮ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

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

and all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

that night
הַלַּ֔יְלָה (hal·lay·lāh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity

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

drove back
וַיּ֣וֹלֶךְ (way·yō·w·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

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

with a strong
עַזָּה֙ (‘az·zāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 5794: Strong, vehement, harsh

east
קָדִ֤ים (qā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6921: The fore, front part, the East

wind
בְּר֨וּחַ (bə·rū·aḥ)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

that turned
וַיָּ֥שֶׂם (way·yā·śem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

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

into dry land.
לֶחָרָבָ֑ה (le·ḥā·rā·ḇāh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2724: Dry ground

So the waters
הַמָּֽיִם׃ (ham·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

were divided,
וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ (way·yib·bā·qə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1234: To cleave, to rend, break, rip, open

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OT Law: Exodus 14:21 Moses stretched out his hand over (Exo. Ex)