The Meaning of Exodus 15:20 Explained

Exodus 15:20

KJV: And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

YLT: And Miriam the inspired one, sister of Aaron, taketh the timbrel in her hand, and all the women go out after her, with timbrels and with choruses;

Darby: And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the tambour in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambours and with dances.

ASV: And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Miriam  the prophetess,  the sister  of Aaron,  took  a timbrel  in her hand;  and all the women  went out  after  her with timbrels  and with dances. 

What does Exodus 15:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 15:19-27 - Marah's Waters Sweetened Elim's Rest
How rapid are the transitions of life! Today the song of victory, tomorrow the bitter wells of Marah, and the next the shadow of Elim's palms! One moment we are singing the joyous song of victory on the shores of the Red Sea, strewn with the bodies of foes, which we believe that we have seen for the last time; and then, by a sudden change, we find ourselves standing beside Marah-waters of pain and disappointment. We, however, learn more of God at Marah than at Elim; because He reveals to us the tree of the Cross. It was there that our Lord gave up His will absolutely to the Father. See Hebrews 10:5-7. "He bare our sins in His own body on the tree." Now, for us, there is but one way to bear sorrow and to extract its sweetness. We must yield our will to God; we must accept what He permits; we must do what He bids. So we come to find that dis-appointments are His appointments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 15

1  The song of Moses, Miriam, and Israel on their deliverance
22  The people want water in the desert
23  The waters at Marah are bitter,
24  they murmur,
25  Moses prays, and sweetens the waters by God's direction
27  They encamp at Elim, where are twelve wells, and seventy palm trees

What do the individual words in Exodus 15:20 mean?

And took Miriam the prophetess the sister of Aaron the timbrel in her hand and went out all the women after her with timbrels and with dances
וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־ הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כָֽל־ הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת

וַתִּקַּח֩  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִרְיָ֨ם  Miriam 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִרְיָם  
Sense: elder sister of Moses and Aaron.
הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה  the  prophetess 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְבִיאָה  
Sense: prophetess.
אֲח֧וֹת  the  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
אַהֲרֹ֛ן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
הַתֹּ֖ף  timbrel 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּתֹף 
Sense: timbrel, tambourine.
בְּיָדָ֑הּ  in  her  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ  and  went  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הַנָּשִׁים֙  the  women 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ  after  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
בְּתֻפִּ֖ים  with  timbrels 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּתֹף 
Sense: timbrel, tambourine.
וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת  and  with  dances 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְחֹלָה  
Sense: dancing, dance.