Exodus 15:14

Exo 15:14 The people shall hear, [and] be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.

Ver. 14. So, now shall take hold.] So it did. {1Sa 4:8}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo_15:14-16

The people shall hear, and be afraid.

The world afraid of Gods people

What shall make these mighty men melt away? Seeing two or three millions of unwarlike folks marching towards them--an unarmed rabble, without military discipline, and without the appliances of war? Is it before such that the mighty men of Moab are to fall back, that the chivalrous sons of Edom are to be put to flight; that all the inhabitants of Palestine are to melt away? Nothing of the kind. Those Israelites were not going to terrify all these nations with any display of their own power or prowess. It was the story of the Exodus, the story of a divided sea, the story of a certain mysterious pillar of fire, the story of the wonderful overthrow of Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea; it was this that was to fill them with despair. Many of us are at the outset terribly afraid of these hostile forces; is it not a comfort to know that on account of redemption they are actually afraid of us? In a very memorable period in our island story, when Admiral Howard and Drake had defeated the Spanish Armada after the first great battle, they continued to pursue them for a fortnight without having a single shot or a single charge of powder left in their ships. They had nothing left but air to fill their guns with. Yet thus without any ammunition our fleet went sailing on and sailing on, while the terrified strangers fled before them, until they were driven right into the Northern Sea. Then the Admiral thought they could not do much harm there, and so he left them and came back to get powder and shot for his own ships. Our fleet, with empty guns, chased their enemies because that enemy was afraid of them. They had had one terrible defeat, and that was enough. And even so may we deal with the forces of this world. Count upon your enemies being afraid of you. If instead of being afraid of them you will only carry the war into the enemys camp, and seek to win them for Christ, instead of allowing them to draw you away from Him, you will find that redemption has already stripped them of their courage and paralyzed their power to do you any injury. (W. Hay Aitken, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15:14-15 Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan are the four peoples that would most feel the hand of God’s judgment as he dispossessed them to give the land to the people of Israel. What God had done to Egypt would have been common news throughout that part of the world (see Rahab’s report in Josh 2:9-11, where the same imagery as in Exod 15:15, to melt away, is used).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(14) The people.—Heb., The peoples: i.e., all the various tribes and nations of the desert and of Palestine—the Amalekites, Edomites, Philistines, Moabites, Amorites, &c.

Shall hear, and be afraid.—On the fear which was actually felt, see Num_22:3; Jos_2:11; Jos_5:1; Jos_9:3-15, &c.

The inhabitants of Palestina are the Philistines, from whom the Holy Land derived the name which it still retains in most of the languages of modern Europe. The Hebrew word is Phĕlâsheth, of which the nearest English equivalent would be “Philistia.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14.The peoples heard, they trembled;

Pangs took hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.

Pangs] Properly, as of a woman in travail. Cf. Psa_48:6, Jer_6:24; Jer_50:43.

14–16. The poet pictures the neighbouring nations as seized with alarm, when they hear that Israel is advancing on its way to Canaan. The description is idealized: Edom, for instance, according to Num_20:18-21, was in no fear of Israel whatever.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the people shall hear, and be afraid,.... What follows from hence to the end of the song is plainly prophetic, a prediction of future events; and this clause respects the case of all the nations of the earth, who should hear the report of the plagues, brought upon the Egyptians for the sake of Israel, and of their being brought out of Egypt, and of their being led through the Red sea as on dry land, and of the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in it, which report would strike a panic in all that heard it, throughout the whole world; as well as of what the Lord would after this do for them in the wilderness, see Deu 2:25.

sorrow shall take hold of the inhabitants of Palestina; which was adjoining to the land of Canaan, and through which in the common way their road lay to it.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

14-17. Fifth strain. The Egyptians were conquered, but other foes yet lay between the Israelites and the promised inheritance. The Canaanites filled the land, and Philistia barred one gate of entrance, while Moab and Edom held the other. It is a noteworthy mark of the genuineness of this prophecy that Canaan and Phllistia, Edom and Moab, are all spoken of in the same terms; yet, while the Canaanites were exterminated, Israel passed by Edom, (Num_20:18, etc.,) while Moab and Philistia were rival nations through all the centuries of the Hebrew commonwealth and monarchy. A poet would naturally have written thus at the time of the exodus, when he had simply the general revelation that Israel would triumph over all these enemies; but after the conquest of Canaan some distinction would naturally have been made between nations which were exterminated and those which never lost their independence.

The theme of this last stanza is introduced with wonderful boldness and vigour, hurling out the words without article or connective.

Palestina — Palestuth, Philistia; the meaning of the word Palestine or Palestina throughout the Bible. This was the dwelling-place of the Philistines, the long, fertile plain, about fifteen miles wide, which skirts the Mediterranean from the coast to the foot-hills of the mountains of Judah, and now, as probably then, an enormous wheat field. The name was afterwards extended to the whole of Canaan. Note Act_8:40.

Edom — Idumea, Mount Seir, and the adjacent desert; the mountainous and desert country east of the Arabah, stretching from the head of the eastern gulf of the Red Sea to the Jordan valley; separated by the brook Zered from Moab, which skirts the eastern shore of the Dead Sea.

Till thy people pass through — Through the desert to the Land of Promise. The strain closes with a beautiful parallelism and climax.

Thou shalt… plant them in the mountain — Israel, like a fruitful tree, is to be planted in God’s mountain-land, God’s dwelling-place, God’s sanctuary, country, home, altar. (Murphy.) How calm the close! How delightful to repose under the vine and fig tree, to rest in the peaceful home, to cling to the sacred altar, after this tempest of emotions! And then from the whole congregation bursts forth the grand chorus,

Jehovah shall reign for ever and ever — And the hearts of the vast host are all lifted heavenward and left before the Throne.

The saints on “the sea of glass” will sing the “song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” Rev_15:3. The birth-song of ransomed Israel is, in its deeper meanings, the birth-song of the spiritual Israel of all ages — of the great redemption from the darkness and death of sin. The profound and far-reaching spiritual significance of these Old Testament events will be fully felt when “God’s mystery is finished;”

when type and antitype, prophecy and history, law and gospel, will blend in one blaze of light. Christ is in all the Old Covenant as Moses is in all the New; the “Song of Moses” is the “Song of the Lamb.” “The word is nigh” us, though it comes to us across so many centuries, for it is a word from Jehovah, and not to Israel alone, but to mankind — to me and thee.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The people shall hear. Rather, "the peoplesi.e. , the tribes, or nations, of these parts Philistines, Amalekites, Edomites, Moabites, etc. will hear of the wonders done in Egypt, especially of the crowning wonder of all Israel"s passage through the Red Sea and Egypt"s destruction in it and will in consequence tremble with fear when the Israelites approach them, and offer them no effectual opposition. Palestine. This is a Greek form. The Hebrew is Phelasheth, which would perhaps be best translated "Philistia." (Compare Psa_60:8 Psa_87:4 Psa_108:9) The Philistine country was a strip of territory extending along the coast of the Mediterranean from a little below Gaze on the south, nearly to Mount Carmel on the north. It is curious that the philistines are not mentioned under that name on any of the early Egyptian monuments. They may perhaps be the Purusaia of the time of Rameses III, whom some however identify with the Pelasgi.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

tremble

This means to shake because you are afraid.

terror will seize the inhabitants of Philistia

Moses speaks of terror as if it were a person that could forcefully grab hold of someone and make them extremely afraid. AT: "the inhabitants of Philistia will be afraid" (See: Personification)

will melt away

Moses speaks of people becoming weak from their fear as melting away. AT: "will be weak from fear" or "will be afraid and faint" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

people group

seize

Philistines

Edom

Moab

Canaan

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ירגזון means THEY TREMBLE (not they will tremble).

ישבי פלשת [REIGS SEIZED] THE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE, because they slew the children of Ephraim who anticipated the end fixed for the period of slavery and left Egypt forcibly, as is explained in Chronicles (1 7:21) “[The sons of Ephraim…] whom the men of Gath slew” (Mekhilta).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

THE PEOPLES HAVE HEARD, THEY TREMBLE. The purport thereof is: “when the people will hear [of Thy visitation upon the Egyptians], they will tremble from the blow of Thy hands, and pangs will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia when they will hear [of those deeds].” It is possible that Moses is saying that the peoples have already heard all that G-d has done in the land of Egypt, and that they will always tremble from the disease He has put upon them. Thus Moses continues to pray that He should let fall upon them terror and dread so that they should not go out to war against Israel.Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained that the verse, Horror and dread shall fall upon them, refers only to Philistia, [mentioned in Verse 14] and Edom and Moab, [mentioned in Verse 15], but not to the inhabitants of Canaan, [who are also mentioned at the end of Verse 15]. This is because Moses said afterward, [i.e., at the end of Verse 16 before us], till Thy people pass over, O Eternal. It was over them [Philistia, Edom and Moab] that the Israelites passed before they came into the land of Canaan, and these peoples really did not war against them. Even when Edom came out against him with much people, and a strong hand, it was only so that the Israelites should not pass over his land, but he did not war against them. But were it not for the terror and dread that fell upon them, they would have wanted to battle against them out of their hatred of them. Now Moses did not mention Ammon, because Ammon and Moab are as one nation. It is possible that the dread of the Israelites fell on the Canaanite too, and he did not war against them until they had passed over [the Jordan], for the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the south, 21:1. [and who warred against Israel when they were still in the wilderness], was not a Canaanite by descent, according to the opinion of our Rabbis. 18. The explanation there is that this was Amalek, but he purposely changed his speech to the Canaanite language so that Israel might be misled and would pray that G-d should give the Canaanites into their hands. Since Amalek was actually not a Canaanite, their prayers would therefore be ineffectual. This interpretation is quoted by Rashi to Numbers 21:1.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.