1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song vnto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing vnto the Lord: for he hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider hath he throwen into the Sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my saluation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation, my fathers God, and I wil exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of warre: the Lord is his Name.
4 Pharaohs charets and his hoste hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captaines also are drowned in the red Sea.
5 The depths haue couered them: they sanke into the bottome as a stone.
6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power, thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemie.
7 And in the greatnesse of thine excellencie thou hast ouerthrowen them, that rose vp against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together: the floods stood vpright as an heape, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the Sea.
9 The enemie said, I will pursue, I wil ouertake, I wil diuide the spoile: my lust shall be satisfied vpon them: I will draw my sword, mine hand shall destroy them.
10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea couered them, they sanke as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like vnto thee, O Lord, amongst the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holinesse, fearefull in praises, doing wonders!
12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13 Thou in thy mercie hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength vnto thy holy habitation.
14 The people shall heare, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
15 Then the dukes of Edom shal be amased: the mighty men of Moab trembling shall take hold vpon them: all the inhabitants of Canaan shal melt away.
16 Feare and dread shall fall vpon them, by the greatnesse of thine arme they shall be as still as a stone, till thy people passe ouer, O Lord, till the people passe ouer which thou hast purchased.
17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountaine of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands haue established.
18 The Lord shal reigne for euer and euer.
19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his charets and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought againe the waters of the Sea vpon them: But the children of Israel went on drie land in the mids of the sea.
20 ¶ And Miriam the prophetesse the sister of Aaron, tooke a timbrell in her hand, and all the women went out after her, with timbrels & with dances.
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he throwen into the sea.
22 So Moses brought Israel from the red sea, and they went out into the wildernesse of Shur: and they went three dayes in the wildernesse, and found no water.
23 ¶ And when they came to Marah, they could not drinke of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall wee drinke?
25 And he cried vnto the Lord: and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when hee had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweete: there he made a statute & an ordinance, and there he proued them,
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt doe that which is right in his sight, and wilt giue eare to his Commandements, and keepe all his Statutes, I will put none of these diseases vpon thee, which I haue brought vpon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
27 ¶ And they came to Elim: where were twelue wels of water, and threescore and ten palme trees, and they encamped there by the waters.
The song of Moses for the deliverance of Israel. (1-21) The bitter waters at Marah, The Israelites come to Elim. (22-27)1-21 This song is the most ancient we know of. It is a holy song, to the honour of God, to exalt his name, and celebrate his praise, and his only, not in the least to magnify any man. Holiness to the Lord is in every part of it. It may be considered as typical, and prophetical of the final destruction of the enemies of the church. Happy the people whose God is the Lord. They have work to do, temptations to grapple with, and afflictions to bear, and are weak in themselves; but his grace is their strength. They are often in sorrow, but in him they have comfort; he is their song. Sin, and death, and hell threaten them, but he is, and will be their salvation. The Lord is a God of almighty power, and woe to those that strive with their Maker! He is a God of matchless perfection; he is glorious in holiness; his holiness is his glory. His holiness appears in the hatred of sin, and his wrath against obstinate sinners. It appears in the deliverance of Israel, and his faithfulness to his own promise. He is fearful in praises; that which is matter of praise to the servants of God, is very dreadful to his enemies. He is doing wonders, things out of the common course of nature; wondrous to those in whose favour they are wrought, who are so unworthy, that they had no reason to expect them. There were wonders of power and wonders of grace; in both, God was to be humbly adored.
22-27 In the wilderness of Shur the Israelites had no water. At Marah they had water, but it was bitter; so that they could not drink it. God can make bitter to us that from which we promise ourselves most, and often does so in the wilderness of this world, that our wants, and disappointments in the creature, may drive us to the Creator, in whose favour alone true comfort is to be had. In this distress the people fretted, and quarrelled with Moses. Hypocrites may show high affections, and appear earnest in religious exercises, but in the time of temptation they fall away. Even true believers, in seasons of sharp trial, will be tempted to fret, distrust, and murmur. But in every trial we should cast our care upon the Lord, and pour out our hearts before him. We shall then find that a submissive will, a peaceful conscience, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost, will render the bitterest trial tolerable, yea, pleasant. Moses did what the people had neglected to do; he cried unto the Lord. And God provided graciously for them. He directed Moses to a tree which he cast into the waters, when, at once, they were made sweet. Some make this tree typical of the cross of Christ, which sweetens the bitter waters of affliction to all the faithful, and enables them to rejoice in tribulation. But a rebellious Israelite shall fare no better than a rebellious Egyptian. The threatening is implied only, the promise is expressed. God is the great Physician. If we are kept well, it is he that keeps us; if we are made well, it is he that recovers us. He is our life and the length of our days. Let us not forget that we are kept from destruction, and delivered from our enemies, to be the Lord's servants. At Elim they had good water, and enough of it. Though God may, for a time, order his people to encamp by the bitter waters of Marah, that shall not always be their lot. Let us not faint at tribulations.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.