The Meaning of Exodus 14:3 Explained

Exodus 14:3

KJV: For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

YLT: and Pharaoh hath said of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut upon them;

Darby: And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has hemmed them in.

ASV: And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For Pharaoh  will say  of the children  of Israel,  They [are] entangled  in the land,  the wilderness  hath shut them in. 

What does Exodus 14:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 14:1-9 - The People Are Led Out And Pursued
There were two routes to Canaan, the nearest through the land of the Philistines; but to take that would have exposed the Hebrews to the very sights that so dismayed the twelve spies. See Numbers 33:1-56. They might have had to fight every mile of advance. This would have been too great an ordeal for their young faith. So God, like the mother eagle, bore them on His wings. The Angel who conducted the march in the cloud chariot, led them about. Thus God deals with us still, tempering the wind to the shorn lamb. Patience and faith are still severely tested by the circuitous and laborious route, but when in the afterwards we understand God's reasons, we are satisfied. There are many lessons learned on the wilderness route. How often God leads us into what seem to be impossible positions, that in our absolute extremity there may be room for Him to work. All is love. See Psalms 136:1-26. [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 14:3 mean?

For will say Pharaoh of the sons of Israel [are] bewildered they by the land has closed in them the wilderness
וְאָמַ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נְבֻכִ֥ים הֵ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ סָגַ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַמִּדְבָּֽר

וְאָמַ֤ר  For  will  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
פַּרְעֹה֙  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
לִבְנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  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.
נְבֻכִ֥ים  [are]  bewildered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בּוּךְ  
Sense: to perplex, confuse, be confused.
בָּאָ֑רֶץ  by  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
סָגַ֥ר  has  closed  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָגוּר 
Sense: to shut, close.
הַמִּדְבָּֽר  the  wilderness 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.