and the Israelites went through the sea on dry groundThis phrase describes the miraculous event where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. The crossing is a pivotal moment in the Exodus narrative, symbolizing deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The "dry ground" emphasizes the supernatural intervention, as the seabed would naturally be muddy. This event is a testament to God's power and faithfulness, fulfilling His promise to deliver His people. It prefigures Christian baptism, symbolizing the passage from death to life, and is referenced in
1 Corinthians 10:1-2, where Paul speaks of the Israelites being "baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea."
with walls of water on their right and on their left
The imagery of "walls of water" highlights the miraculous nature of the event, as water naturally does not stand upright. This phenomenon underscores God's control over creation, reminiscent of His command over the waters inGenesis 1. The walls of water also serve as a protective barrier, ensuring the safety of the Israelites as they pass through. This imagery is echoed inPsalm 77:16-20, which poetically recounts the crossing. Theologically, the walls can be seen as a type of Christ, who provides a way of salvation and protection for believers. The crossing of the Red Sea is a foreshadowing of Christ's victory over sin and death, offering a path to eternal life.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The IsraelitesThe descendants of Jacob, also known as the children of Israel, who were enslaved in Egypt and are now being led to freedom by Moses.
2.
The Red SeaThe body of water that God miraculously parted to allow the Israelites to escape from the pursuing Egyptian army.
3.
MosesThe prophet and leader chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage.
4.
Pharaoh's ArmyThe Egyptian forces pursuing the Israelites, intending to bring them back into slavery.
5.
God's MiracleThe divine intervention where God parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over NatureGod demonstrates His supreme power over creation by parting the Red Sea. This reminds us that He is in control of all circumstances in our lives.
Faith in God's DeliveranceThe Israelites' journey through the sea on dry ground is a testament to their faith in God's promise of deliverance. We are called to trust God even when the path seems impossible.
God's Protection and GuidanceThe walls of water on either side symbolize God's protection. In our lives, God provides guidance and safety as we walk through challenges.
The Importance of ObedienceThe Israelites had to follow God's command to move forward into the sea. Obedience to God's instructions is crucial for experiencing His miracles.
God's Faithfulness to His PromisesThe crossing of the Red Sea is a fulfillment of God's promise to deliver His people. We can rely on God's faithfulness in our own lives.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Exodus 14:22?
2.How does Exodus 14:22 demonstrate God's power and faithfulness to His people?
3.What can we learn about trust in God from the Israelites' experience?
4.How does the parting of the sea connect to Jesus' miracles in the Gospels?
5.In what ways can we apply God's deliverance in Exodus 14:22 to our lives?
6.How does Exodus 14:22 encourage us to rely on God's guidance in challenges?
7.How did the Israelites walk on dry ground in Exodus 14:22 without natural explanation?
8.What archaeological evidence supports the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14:22?
9.Does Exodus 14:22 challenge the natural laws as we understand them today?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 14?
11.Why is there little or no archaeological or historical evidence in Egypt for the sudden destruction of Pharaoh's army described in Exodus 14?
12.How does Exodus 14 align with any verifiable timeline of Egyptian dynasties and events if the dating is uncertain?
13.In 1 Corinthians 10:2, what does it mean for the Israelites to be “baptized into Moses,” and how does this align with historical accounts of their exodus?
14.Nehemiah 9:11 recounts the Red Sea parting; what historical or natural explanation exists to support such an event?What Does Exodus 14:22 Mean
and the Israelites- God’s covenant family is the focus. He has heard their cries (Exodus 2:23–25) and set Himself to rescue them (Exodus 3:7–8).
- Their identity as “My people” (Exodus 6:7) underscores that the coming miracle is a personal act of faithfulness, just as later affirmed inDeuteronomy 7:6 and echoed to the church in1 Peter 2:9.
- The scene calls each reader to remember that redemption is always about people, not merely events.
went through- Movement is the picture of faith in action.Hebrews 11:29 reflects on this very night: “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land…”.
- Deliverance required stepping into what looked impossible—a pattern seen again when Joshua leads Israel across the Jordan (Joshua 3:13–17).
- Notice the order: God opens the way, then His people advance. That simple sequence remains true in every era.
the sea- The Red Sea was an insurmountable barrier, a natural impossibility standing between bondage and freedom.
- Scripture often recalls God’s mastery over these waters (Psalm 77:16–20;Isaiah 51:10).
- The sea thus becomes a stage for God to display His supremacy over creation and over the powers that terrify humanity (Psalm 93:3–4).
on dry ground- The path God provides is not barely survivable; it is solid, “dry.”Exodus 14:29 repeats the phrase to make sure we don’t miss it.
- This mirrorsGenesis 1, where dry land appears at God’s word—creation power now redeploys for salvation.
- Later, God repeats the miracle at the Jordan (Joshua 4:22) and promises spiritual parallels: “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:16, 19).
with walls of water on their right- The text says the water “stood up like a heap” (Psalm 78:13), forming a visible, towering safeguard.
- On the right—a place of strength and favor (Psalm 110:1)—God stations His own created order as a sentry.
- The imagery anticipates the promise inPsalm 121:5: “The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand”.
and on their left- Protection is complete and symmetrical. Nothing is left to chance; the same God braces both flanks (Isaiah 41:10).
- The scene foreshadows how Christ “encamps around those who fear Him” (Psalm 34:7) and how believers are “surrounded” by divine mercy (Psalm 32:10).
- The people therefore walk a corridor of grace, danger held at bay until every last pilgrim is safely across (Exodus 14:30).
summaryExodus 14:22 presents a literal, historical rescue that also serves as an enduring template of God’s salvation. His chosen people advance by faith, pass through an impossible barrier, travel on solid ground, and are shielded on every side. The verse reassures every generation that the God who parts seas still makes a way where none exists and guards His redeemed from first step to last.
(22)
The waters were a wall unto them.--Any protection is in Scripture called "a wall," or "a rampart" (
1Samuel 25:16;
Proverbs 18:11;
Isaiah 26:1;
Jeremiah 1:18;
Nahum 3:8). In the present case, the waters protected Israel on either flank--the Red Sea upon the right, the Bitter Lakes upon the left. Poetical writers, as was natural, used language still more highly metaphorical (
Psalm 78:13;
Exodus 15:8), and spoke of the waters as "standing on an heap." Hence, some moderns have gone so far as to maintain that on this occasion the water "gave up its nature, formed with its waves a strong wall, and instead of streaming like a fluid, congealed into a hard substance" (Kalisch). But this is to turn poetry into prose, and enslave oneself to a narrow literalism. . . .
Verse 22. -
The waters were a wall - i
.e., a protection, a defence. Pharaoh could not attack them on either flank, on account of the two bodies of water between which their march lay. He could only come at them by following after them. The metaphor has been by some understood literally, especially on account of the expression in
Exodus 15:8 - "The floods stood upright as an heap;" and again that in
Psalm 78:13 - "He made the waters to stand as an heap." But those phrases, occurring in poems, must be taken as poetical; and can scarcely have any weight in determining the meaning of "wall" here. We must ask ourselves - is there not an economy and a restraint in the exertion by God even of miraculous power? - is more used than is needed for the occasion? - and would not all that was needed at this time have been effected by such a division of the sea as we have supposed, without the fluid being converted into a solid, or having otherwise the laws of its being entirely altered. Kalisch's statement, that the word "wall" here is "not intended to convey the idea of protection, but only of hardness and solidity," seems to us the very reverse of the truth. Protection is at any rate the main idea, and any other is secondary and subordinate.
CHAPTER 14:23-31
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
and the Israelitesבְנֵֽי־(ḇə·nê-)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121:A sonwentוַיָּבֹ֧אוּ(way·yā·ḇō·’ū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935:To come in, come, go in, gothroughבְּת֥וֹךְ(bə·ṯō·wḵ)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432:A bisection, the centrethe seaהַיָּ֖ם(hay·yām)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220:A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basinon dry ground,בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה(bay·yab·bā·šāh)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3004:Dry land, dry groundwith wallsחֹמָ֔ה(ḥō·māh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2346:A wall of protectionof waterוְהַמַּ֤יִם(wə·ham·ma·yim)Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325:Water, juice, urine, semenon their rightמִֽימִינָ֖ם(mî·mî·nām)Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3225:The right hand, side, the southand on their left.וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃(ū·miś·śə·mō·lām)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8040:Dark, the north, the left hand
Links
Exodus 14:22 NIVExodus 14:22 NLTExodus 14:22 ESVExodus 14:22 NASBExodus 14:22 KJV
Exodus 14:22 BibleApps.comExodus 14:22 Biblia ParalelaExodus 14:22 Chinese BibleExodus 14:22 French BibleExodus 14:22 Catholic Bible
OT Law: Exodus 14:22 The children of Israel went into (Exo. Ex) 
