God is escorting the Jewish people out of Egypt. He directed them to camp by the sea. But Pharaoh is chasing after them with 600 chariots.
The Egyptians catch up with the children of Israel who cry out to God and Moses.
10. … and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.
11. And they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done to us, to take us out of Egypt?
12. Is not this the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it is better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”
Moses Promises
In this article I will focus on what Moses promised the people.
13. And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, that He will perform for you today; because though you saw the Egyptians today, you will never see them again.
14. The Lord will fight for you, and you be silent.”
Let’s start by looking at a midrash about what the people said and how Moses replied.
Targum Yonaton
I’m going to paraphrase the midrash. This midrash is from the Mechilta and also written in Targum Yonaton on this verse.
When Pharaoh caught up with the children of Israel, they reacted in 4 different ways.
1. One group said, Let us go down into the sea.
2. One said, Let us return to Egypt.
3. One said, Let us make war against them.
4. One said, Let us cry out against them.
Torah Temimah explains the motivations of these four groups.
1. The first group had given up all hope and was ready to fall into the sea and drown.
2. The second group denied the promises of God and wanted to go back to the life they knew.
3. The 3rd group believed in God’s promises and was willing to fight to achieve them.
4. The last group also believed in God’s promises but wanted to rely on Him via prayer.
The way Exodus 14:13-14 are written in the Bible, it seems like Moses is speaking to the Jewish people as a whole.
The midrash explains that Moses is making 4 different statements. Moses recognized the motivation of each group and answered them specifically.
Here’s what Moses says to each group:
1. “Do not fear, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, that he will perform for you today.”
2. You will not return, “because though you saw the Egyptians today, you will never see them again.”
3. “The Lord will fight for you.”
4. “You be silent.”
Exodus 14:13-14 Explained
Now let’s look at how some of the commentators explain these two verses.
Abarbanel
Moses is answering what was said in the previous verses. He is saying to the children of Israel: stand in your place and see the salvation of God that he will perform for you today. Because, it’s not as you think. You will not return to Egypt and serve them. I am informing you that though you see the Egyptians today, you will never see them again. They will die here and you will never see them again.
You will not have to fight against them, because God will fight on your behalf. Therefore, be quiet from your crying out in the previous verses.
Abarbanel is accepting the simple reading of the verses that Moses is addressing all of his remarks to the entire Jewish people.
Ibn Ezra
He asks how is it possible that the children of Israel, over 600,000 strong, were afraid of Pharaoh’s 600 chariots? Why wouldn’t they fight for themselves and their children?
He answers: The Egyptians had been their masters. The generation that came out of Egypt had been raised in servitude. From their youth they had been taught and had accepted the yoke of Egyptian slavery. They could not suddenly turn into fighters.
Malbim
This that “you saw the Egyptians today,” that is from God in order that “you will never see them again.” Because, were it not for the miracle at the Splitting of the Sea, Egypt would have continued chasing after them.
He also explains that the reason “the Lord will fight for you” is because Egypt is fighting against God. This is God’s war and not your war. Therefore, “you be silent.”
Rabbi Sorotzkin
The salvation will not be via natural means, rather it will be the result of a miracle.
“The Lord will fight for you” with the condition that “you be silent.” They must not even pray to God. Why? Because, in a sense, they defiled themselves the way they cried out (Exodus 14:11-12).
He offers another explanation: Why must you be silent? So that future generations will not claim that the strength and power of the Jewish people brought them out of Egypt.
Ramban on Exodus 14:13
The Jerusalem Talmud (Sukkah 5:1) cites 3 verses that command the Jewish people not to return to Egypt.
- Exodus 14:13 – though you saw the Egyptians today, you will never see them again.
- Deuteronomy 17:16 – God said to you, you shall not return on this road ever again.
- Deuteronomy 28:68 – And the Lord shall return you to Egypt in ships, by the road about which I said to you, You shall never again see it.
Rambam in his compilation of Jewish law (Mishneh Torah Kings and Wars 5:7) quotes this gemara as authoritative and writes: “It is permitted to dwell anywhere in the entire world with the exception of the land of Egypt.”
Based on the Jerusalem Talmud and the Rambam, Ramban concludes that our verse is not a promise but a command.
This is how the verse should be read to clarify that it is a command:
“Do not fear, stand still” in your place “and see the salvation of the Lord,” that He will save you “today” from their hand. And do not return to serve them, “because Egypt that you see them today,” God commands you that you will not continue willingly “to see them ever again.”
Promises Fulfilled
Rabbi Cassuto writes that the verb “see” occurs 3 times in verse 14:13. This parallels the two times it occurs at the end of Exodus 14.
These verses reveal a partial fulfillment of what Moses promised:
30. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
31. And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and His servant Moses.
Also, there is a hint in the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15) about promises being fulfilled.
Moses promised, “The Lord will fight for you.” In Exodus 15:3 the children of Israel sang: “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name.”
Even the Egyptians realized this truth (Exodus 14:25) “… the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”