Exodus 14:23
New International Version
The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.

New Living Translation
Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea.

English Standard Version
The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Berean Standard Bible
And the Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen—and followed them into the sea.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

New American Standard Bible
Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea.

NASB 1995
Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea.

NASB 1977
Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea.

Amplified Bible
Then the Egyptians pursued them into the middle of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his war-chariots and his charioteers.

Christian Standard Bible
The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen—and went into the sea after them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen—and went into the sea after them.

American Standard Version
And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Contemporary English Version
The Egyptian chariots and cavalry went after them.

English Revised Version
And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and cavalry followed them into the sea.

Good News Translation
The Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the sea with all their horses, chariots, and drivers.

International Standard Version
The Egyptians pursued—all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen—and they went into the middle of the sea after them.

Majority Standard Bible
And the Egyptians chased after them?all Pharaoh?s horses, chariots, and horsemen?and followed them into the sea.

NET Bible
The Egyptians chased them and followed them into the middle of the sea--all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.

New Heart English Bible
The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea: all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the Egyptians pursue, and go in after them (all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen) into the midst of the sea,

Young's Literal Translation
And the Egyptians pursue, and go in after them (all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen) unto the midst of the sea,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the Egyptians will pursue and will go after them, all the horse of Pharaoh and his chariots and his horsemen to the midst of the sea.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Egyptians pursuing went in after them, and all Pharao's horses, his chariots and horsemen through the midst of the sea,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Egyptians, pursuing them, went in after them, along with all of the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots and horsemen, through the midst of the sea.

New American Bible
The Egyptians followed in pursuit after them—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen—into the midst of the sea.

New Revised Standard Version
The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the Egyptians pursued and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Egyptians pursued and all the horses of Pharaoh and his chariots and his horsemen went in after them within the sea.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Egyptians pursued them and went in after them, and every horse of Pharao, and his chariots, and his horsemen, into the midst of the sea.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Parting the Red Sea
22and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. 23And the Egyptians chased after them— all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen— and followed them into the sea. 24At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion.…

Cross References
Joshua 4:23
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed 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 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.

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 63:12-13
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.

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 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.

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.

Romans 9:17-18
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” / Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

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 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.

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;

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.


Treasury of Scripture

And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the middle of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Exodus 14:17
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

Exodus 15:9,19
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them…

1 Kings 22:20
And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.

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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














The Egyptians
This phrase refers to the people of Egypt, specifically the army led by Pharaoh. In the context of Exodus, the Egyptians symbolize the oppressive forces that enslaved the Israelites. Historically, Egypt was a powerful and advanced civilization, known for its military prowess and architectural achievements. Theologically, the Egyptians represent the worldly powers that stand in opposition to God's people. Their pursuit of the Israelites into the Red Sea is a testament to their hardened hearts and defiance against God's will.

pursued
The Hebrew root for "pursued" is "רדף" (radaph), which conveys a sense of relentless chasing or hunting down. This pursuit is not just a physical chase but also symbolizes the spiritual and emotional oppression the Israelites faced. The Egyptians' pursuit is a vivid illustration of how sin and worldly powers can relentlessly chase after believers, seeking to recapture them into bondage.

and went in after them
This phrase highlights the Egyptians' boldness and determination. Despite witnessing the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, they still chose to follow the Israelites into the sea. This act of following the Israelites into the parted waters demonstrates a profound lack of reverence for God's power. It serves as a reminder of the dangers of pride and the blindness that can result from a hardened heart.

into the midst of the sea
The "midst of the sea" refers to the heart of the Red Sea, which God had miraculously parted for the Israelites. This miraculous event is central to the narrative of Exodus, symbolizing God's deliverance and protection of His people. Theologically, the sea often represents chaos and danger, and God's control over it demonstrates His sovereignty over all creation. The Egyptians entering the midst of the sea signifies their overconfidence and ultimate downfall.

all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen
This phrase emphasizes the full might of Pharaoh's military forces. Horses and chariots were symbols of military strength and technological advancement in ancient times. The inclusion of "all" indicates the totality of Pharaoh's commitment to recapturing the Israelites. This overwhelming show of force contrasts with the vulnerability of the Israelites, highlighting the miraculous nature of their deliverance. Spiritually, it serves as a reminder that no earthly power can stand against the will of God when He chooses to act on behalf of His people.

(23-28) The Egyptians pursued.--All the Israelites having entered the bed of the sea, the pillar of the cloud, it would seem, withdrew after them, and the Egyptians, who, if they could not see, could at any rate hear the sound of the departure, began to advance, following on the track of the fugitives. What they thought concerning the miracle, or what they expected, it is difficult to say. They can scarcely have entered on the bed of the sea without knowing it. Probably they assumed that, as the bed had somehow become dry, it would continue dry long enough for their chariots and horsemen to get across. The distance may not have been so much as a mile, which they may have expected to accomplish in ten minutes; but when once they were entered, their troubles began. "The Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar . . . and troubled the host of the Egyptians" (Exodus 14:24). By some terrible manifestation of His presence and of His anger, proceeding from the pillar of the cloud in their front, God threw the Egyptian troops into consternation and confusion. A panic terror seized them. Some probably stopped, some fled; but there were others who persevered. Then followed a second difficulty. The progress of the chariots was obstructed. According to the present reading of the Hebrew text, the wheels parted from the axles, which would naturally bring the vehicles to a stand. According to the LXX. and a reading found in the Samaritan Pentateuch, the wheels "became entangled," as they would if they sank up to the axles in the soft ooze. Hereby the advance was rendered slow and difficult: "they drave them heavily." To the Egyptians the obstruction seemed more than could be accounted for by natural causes, and they became convinced that Jehovah was fighting for Israel and against them (Exodus 14:25). Hereupon they turned and fled. But the flight was even harder than the advance. A confused mass of horses and chariots filled the channel--they impeded each other--could make no progress--could scarcely move. Then came the final catastrophe. At God's command, Moses once more stretched his hand over the sea, and the waters returned on either side--a north-west wind brought back those of the Bitter Lakes (Exodus 14:10), the flood tide those of the Bed Sea--and the whole of the force that had entered on the sea-bed in pursuit of the Israelites was destroyed.

(23) All Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.--The chariot and cavalry force alone entered the sea, not the infantry. (Comp, Exodus 14:28 and Exodus 15:1.) The point is of importance as connected with the question whether the Pharaoh himself perished. If all his force entered, he could not well have stayed behind; if only a portion, he might have elected to remain with the others. Menephthah, the probable Pharaoh of the Exodus, was apt to consult his own safety. (Records of the Past, vol. iv., pp. 44-45.) . . .

Verses 23-31. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EGYPTIANS. As the rearguard of the Israelite host having entered the tract from which the waters had retired, proceeded along it, and left the western end of the isthmus vacant, the pillar of the cloud seems to have followed it up and withdrawn with it. The Egyptians immediately advanced. Notwithstanding the preternatural darkness, they had become aware, perhaps by means of their ears, of the movement that was taking place, and with early dawn they were under arms and pressing on the line of the Israelite retreat. They found the channel still dry, and hastily entering it with their chariot force, they hurried forward in pursuit. The first check which they received was wholly supernatural. "The Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians" (ver. 24). Details here are wanting; but less cannot be meant, than that some strange phenomena connected with the retiring "pillar" caused a panic and threw the ranks of the army into confusion. Then followed natural impediments. The Lord "took off," or "clogged" their chariot Wheels, and made them go heavily - i.e., the chariot wheels, not by miracle, but by the operation of God's natural laws, sank into the soft sand over which the Israelites had passed easily, having no wheeled vehicles, and the chariots were consequently dragged forward slowly and with difficulty. The double hindrance, from the confusion and the stoppage of the chariots, so discouraged the Egyptians, that after a time they resolved on beating a retreat (ver. 25). They had set out on their return, when Moses, at God's instance, stretched forth his hand once mere over the sea, and the waters on both sides began at once to return. The Egyptians saw their danger, and "fled against" the advancing tide, racing against it, as it were, and seeking to reach the shore. But in vain. The waves came on rapidly, and (in the language of ver. 28) there was not a man of all those who had entered the dry bed of the sea that was not overwhelmed and drowned in the waters. We should he wrong to press this language to the extreme letter. In graphic narrative the sacred writers uniformly employ universal expressions, where they mean to give the general fact or general result. The true meaning is, that the pursuit altogether failed. Not an Egyptian made his way alive across the strait. All that the Israelites ever saw afterwards of the army that they had so much dreaded (ver. 10) was a ghastly mass of corpses thrown up by the tide on the Asiatic shore (ver. 30).

Exodus 14:23 Verse 23. - All Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Here, as elsewhere, the word translated "horsemen" probably means the men who rode in the chariots. Observe that the Pharaoh himself is not said to have gone in. Menephthah was apt to avoid placing himself in a position of danger (Records of the Past, vol. 4. pp. 44, 45). Nor is any of the infantry said to have entered the bed of the sea.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the Egyptians
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ (miṣ·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4713: Egyptian -- inhabitant of Egypt

chased after them—
וַיִּרְדְּפ֤וּ (way·yir·də·p̄ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

all
כֹּ֚ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

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

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

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

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

and followed
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (way·yā·ḇō·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

them
אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם (’a·ḥă·rê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

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


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OT Law: Exodus 14:23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 14:22
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