The Meaning of Exodus 14:16 Explained

Exodus 14:16

KJV: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

YLT: and thou, lift up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand towards the sea, and cleave it, and the sons of Israel go into the midst of the sea on dry land.

Darby: And thou, lift thy staff, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

ASV: And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But lift thou up  thy rod,  and stretch out  thine hand  over the sea,  and divide  it: and the children  of Israel  shall go  on dry  [ground] through the midst  of the sea. 

What does Exodus 14:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 14:10-20 - The Murmuring People Encouraged
We cannot wonder at their consternation. Before, the surf of the beach; behind, the serried ranks of Egypt's chivalry; on either side, impassable cliffs. It seemed a veritable death-trap. But Moses reckoned confidently on the salvation of God. All they had to do, in the first instance, was to stand still and see it. It is hard to stand still when the situation becomes acute. If you don't know what to do, stand still until you do; it is God's business to direct and defend the believing soul. Let God do the fighting, Exodus 14:14. This Angel, Stephen tells us, was our Lord, Acts 7:38. He always puts Himself between us and our strong enemies. Note Exodus 14:19. The ordinary man puts circumstances between himself and God, but the consecrated soul inserts God between himself and circumstances. When God says Forward! He will open the path and lead His people, as a shepherd leads His flock, by a way they know not. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Exodus 14:16 mean?

but you lift up - your rod and stretch out - your hand over the sea and divide it And shall go the sons of Israel through the midst of the sea on dry [ground]
וְאַתָּ֞ה הָרֵ֣ם אֶֽת־ מַטְּךָ֗ וּנְטֵ֧ה אֶת־ יָדְךָ֛ עַל־ הַיָּ֖ם וּבְקָעֵ֑הוּ וְיָבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָֽׁה

וְאַתָּ֞ה  but  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
הָרֵ֣ם  lift  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מַטְּךָ֗  your  rod 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
וּנְטֵ֧ה  and  stretch  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יָדְךָ֛  your  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַיָּ֖ם  the  sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וּבְקָעֵ֑הוּ  and  divide  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּקַע  
Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.
וְיָבֹ֧אוּ  And  shall  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּת֥וֹךְ  through  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הַיָּ֖ם  of  the  sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
בַּיַּבָּשָֽׁה  on  dry  [ground] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַבָּשָׁה  
Sense: dry land, dry ground.