The splitting of the sea and the drowning of the Egyptians are among the climactic moments of the Exodus. God strengthened Pharaoh’s resolve until the last moment, and Pharaoh continued refusing to release Israel despite the plagues. After the final plague, the death of the firstborn, he seemed to surrender and agree unconditionally to let Israel go. Yet divine providence ordained otherwise. Once Israel left Egypt, God instructed Moses to maneuver in a way that would make Pharaoh think they had lost their way and tempt him to pursue them:

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: ’Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon, over against it shall ye encamp by the sea. And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel: They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get Me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.’ And they did so. (Exodus 14:1–4)

וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֻׁבוּ וְיַחֲנוּ לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת בֵּין מִגְדֹּל וּבֵין הַיָּם לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן נִכְחוֹ תַחֲנוּ עַל הַיָּם. וְאָמַר פַּרְעֹה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נְבֻכִים הֵם בָּאָרֶץ סָגַר עֲלֵיהֶם הַמִּדְבָּר. וְחִזַּקְתִּי אֶת לֵב פַּרְעֹה וְרָדַף אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְאִכָּבְדָה בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל חֵילוֹ וְיָדְעוּ מִצְרַיִם כִּי אֲנִי ה' וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵן. (שמות י"ד א-ד)

Pharaoh was lured into pursuing Israel so that he would suffer his final defeat. I would like to examine this episode and consider its meaning.

As noted, the Israelites, led through the wilderness by Moses, deliberately entered a dead end. The sea lay ahead, while Egypt’s mighty army, reinforced by six hundred select chariots and thousands of soldiers, stood behind them. Evening fell, and the guiding pillar of cloud moved behind Israel to separate the Egyptian and Israelite camps. The Egyptian side remained dark, while the pillar of fire illuminated Israel:

And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them; and it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness here, yet gave it light by night there; and the one came not near the other all the night. (Exodus 14:19–20)

וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּסַּע עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן מִפְּנֵיהֶם וַיַּעֲמֹד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם. וַיָּבֹא בֵּין מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם וּבֵין מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְהִי הֶעָנָן וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ וַיָּאֶר אֶת הַלָּיְלָה וְלֹא קָרַב זֶה אֶל זֶה כָּל הַלָּיְלָה. (שמות י"ד יט-כ)

At God’s command, Moses stretched his hand over the sea. God drove it back with a strong east wind throughout the night until it became dry land – a passage through the sea and an escape from Israel’s predicament. During the night, Israel crossed on dry ground, with the waters forming walls on either side (הַמַּיִם לָהֶם חוֹמָה מִימִינָם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָם; verse 22). Seeing what was happening, the Egyptians pursued them into the sea. At the morning watch, God threw the Egyptian camp into confusion (וַיְהִי בְּאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר וַיַּשְׁקֵף ה’ אֶל מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ וְעָנָן וַיָּהָם אֵת מַחֲנֵה מִצְרָיִם; verse 24). He also impeded their advance by removing their chariot wheels (וַיָּסַר אֵת אֹפַן מַרְכְּבֹתָיו וַיְנַהֲגֵהוּ בִּכְבֵדֻת; verse 25). Once the last Israelites reached the far bank, while the Egyptians were still in the sea, God commanded Moses to stretch out his hand so that the waters would return over Egypt’s chariots and horsemen (verse 26). Moses did so, and the great walls of water collapsed on the Egyptians. Seeing their enemies drowned and destroyed, no longer able to harm them, Israel broke into the Song of the Sea (אָשִׁירָה לַה’ כִי גָאֹה גָּאָה סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם; Exodus 15:1).

Let us pause here and ask a few questions. In this account:

The sea covered the Egyptians during their pursuit of Israel.

The Egyptians fled from the walls of water beginning to collapse over them.

The sea closed over them in order to save Israel from its pursuers.

Is this really an accurate account of what happened?

If so, why was it necessary for God to throw the Egyptian camp into confusion? Why remove the chariot wheels and hinder their progress? The Torah says that the cloud separated the camps so that they did not approach one another throughout the night. Even without confusion or delay, the objective would have been fully achieved: as soon as Israel reached safety, the sea could have closed over the Egyptians and saved Israel.

Another difficulty arises from the description of the Egyptians’ movement as the sea returned to its strength: they were fleeing toward it (וּמִצְרַיִם נָסִים לִקְרָאתוֹ; Exodus 14:27). On the account just presented, this is puzzling. The natural response to the sea closing over them would be to flee out of it. Why does the verse say they fled toward the sea?

Immediately after the confusion and the removal of the chariot wheels, the Torah describes the mood in the Egyptian camp: they decide to flee from Israel, recognizing that God is fighting for Israel against Egypt (וַיֹּאמֶר מִצְרַיִם אָנוּסָה מִפְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי ה’ נִלְחָם לָהֶם בְּמִצְרָיִם; Exodus 14:25). God’s intervention prompted them to escape from Israel. Contrary to the familiar account, they were fleeing from the Israelites, rather than from the advancing waters.

Israel was certainly terrified upon seeing the Egyptians pursuing them. Perhaps the people themselves did not know the plan God had revealed to Moses. But, as noted at the beginning, their predicament was staged rather than real. God instructed Moses to lead Israel into a dead end so that Pharaoh would believe they had lost their way and were easy prey. This was a tactical maneuver intended to bring Pharaoh to his end.

The sea’s closing over the Egyptians, then, was not intended to save Israel, as we initially assumed. Had rescue been the objective, Israel could simply have proceeded toward Canaan without giving Pharaoh reason to think pursuit was possible. The Torah explains that the drowning was intended to display God’s greatness through the destruction of Pharaoh and his army, so that Egypt would recognize Him (וְחִזַּקְתִּי אֶת לֵב פַּרְעֹה וְרָדַף אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְאִכָּבְדָה בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל חֵילוֹ וְיָדְעוּ מִצְרַיִם כִּי אֲנִי ה’; Exodus 14:4).

In light of these questions, I propose a different sequence that resolves the difficulties. During the night, Israel crossed the sea and advanced inland beyond the far bank. The Egyptians, eager to overtake them, also decided to cross and pursue them. Here lies the central innovation of this reading: the Egyptians, too, successfully crossed the sea, reached the far bank, and continued their pursuit there. At the morning watch, with both camps on the other side, God threw Egypt’s camp into confusion:

And it came to pass in the morning watch, that the LORD looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, and made them to drive heavily; so that the Egyptians said: ‘Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.’ (Exodus 14:24–25)

וַיְהִי בְּאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר וַיַּשְׁקֵף ה' אֶל מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ וְעָנָן וַיָּהָם אֵת מַחֲנֵה מִצְרָיִם. וַיָּסַר אֵת אֹפַן מַרְכְּבֹתָיו וַיְנַהֲגֵהוּ בִּכְבֵדֻת וַיֹּאמֶר מִצְרַיִם אָנוּסָה מִפְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי ה' נִלְחָם לָהֶם בְּמִצְרָיִם. (שמות י"ד כד-כה)

The Egyptians realized that Israel’s God was fighting against them. They fled back toward their country along the route by which they had come, through the dry passage in the sea. Toward dawn, while they were still far from completing their return crossing, the decisive moment arrived. Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and it covered the Egyptians fleeing from Israel:

And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. (Exodus 14:27)

וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ עַל הַיָּם וַיָּשָׁב הַיָּם לִפְנוֹת בֹּקֶר לְאֵיתָנוֹ וּמִצְרַיִם נָסִים לִקְרָאתוֹ. (שמות י"ד כז).

The description of the Egyptians fleeing toward the sea shows that they were outside it at that moment. They, too, must therefore have crossed to the far bank. Their pursuit crossing succeeded, but their attempt to cross back while fleeing failed because the sea closed over them.

The Torah’s descriptions of the drowning concern the stage when the Egyptians were fleeing toward Egypt, rather than the pursuit stage. The contrast between Egypt drowning and Israel passing safely, presented at the end of the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:19), describes the overall outcome once the whole event was complete, rather than Egypt’s initial, successful crossing.

It is now clear why the Egyptians fled toward the sea rather than out of it. They were retreating after God threw their camp into confusion on its far side. Their only escape route home was the dry passage through the sea. At that very moment, Moses stretched out his hand, and the sea began returning to its strength as the Egyptians fled toward it.

This explanation raises a difficulty: why does Scripture not state explicitly that the Egyptians crossed to the far side and were covered only while fleeing from Israel? Another difficulty comes from Exodus 14:28, which describes the sea covering Pharaoh’s army that had entered it after Israel (חֵיל פַּרְעֹה הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם בַּיָּם). This creates the impression that the drowning occurred during pursuit rather than retreat.

To resolve these difficulties, we must recognize two aims in the biblical account. One is to emphasize the contrast between Egypt drowning and Israel crossing. The other is to show that Egypt drowned as punishment for its actions, rather than as a means of rescuing Israel; thus the drowning occurred during retreat. The Egyptians’ successful initial crossing would weaken the first message. To accommodate both aims, the text foregrounds the contrast between the final outcomes and passes over the intermediate stage in which Egypt temporarily reached the far bank. Yet it also describes Egypt fleeing from Israel (אָנוּסָה מִפְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) toward the sea’s passage (וּמִצְרַיִם נָסִים לִקְרָאתוֹ). Those details reveal that Egypt had crossed before retreating into the sea. Careful reading thus discloses the precise sequence.

“The Brook Kishon Swept Them Away”

The splitting of the sea parallels Deborah and Barak’s battle against Sisera, commander of King Jabin of Hazor’s army. Rabbinic traditions connect the two: the Kishon’s sweeping away Sisera’s chariots compensates the sea for having agreed to cast Egypt’s army ashore to dispel Israel’s fear (Yalkut Shimoni on Judges 5, section 53; Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 118b). The choice of Deborah’s song as the haftarah for Beshalach, Shabbat Shirah, expresses another connection. As I will show, the parallel supports the claim that Egypt crossed safely while pursuing Israel and drowned only while fleeing.

There are many parallels. I will mention several.

Most conspicuous are the songs sung after the great deliverance and the participation of female prophets: Deborah in Sisera’s defeat and Miriam at the sea (Exodus 15:20–21).

Sisera had nine hundred iron chariots (Judges 4:3), comparable to Pharaoh’s six hundred select chariots (שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בָּחוּר; Exodus 14:7).

The language describing Israel’s distress under Jabin and Sisera resembles the language describing its suffering in Egypt. Judges states:

And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. (Judges 4:3)

וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה' כִּי תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל לוֹ וְהוּא לָחַץ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחָזְקָה עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה. (שופטים ד' ג)

Exodus says:

And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their pains; … And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me; moreover I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. (Exodus 3:7, 9)

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' רָאֹה רָאִיתִי אֶת עֳנִי עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר בְּמִצְרָיִם וְאֶת צַעֲקָתָם שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפְּנֵי נֹגְשָׂיו כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת מַכְאֹבָיו... וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָה אֵלָי וְגַם רָאִיתִי אֶת הַלַּחַץ אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם לֹחֲצִים אֹתָם. (שמות ג' ז-ט)

The most important parallel is this: Barak and Deborah assembled their fighters on Mount Tabor and waited for Sisera. Israel preferred mountain fighting, which gave it an advantage over Canaanite iron chariots, whose strength lay on level ground. On learning that Barak’s army was on Tabor, Sisera had to move from Harosheth-goiim toward the mountain. Something analogous to Egypt’s first sea crossing occurred: Sisera’s army had to cross the Kishon to reach Israel’s position. On the outward journey, it crossed the still-calm brook. When Sisera reached the mountain’s foot, Barak and his ten thousand fighters descended, and providence intervened:

And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet. (Judges 4:15)

וַיָּהָם ה' אֶת סִיסְרָא וְאֶת כָּל הָרֶכֶב וְאֶת כָּל הַמַּחֲנֶה לְפִי חֶרֶב לִפְנֵי בָרָק וַיֵּרֶד סִיסְרָא מֵעַל הַמֶּרְכָּבָה וַיָּנָס בְּרַגְלָיו. (שופטים ד' טו)

This parallels the sea account:

And it came to pass in the morning watch, that the LORD looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, and made them to drive heavily; so that the Egyptians said: ‘Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.’ (Exodus 14:24–25)

וַיְהִי בְּאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר וַיַּשְׁקֵף ה' אֶל מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ וְעָנָן וַיָּהָם אֵת מַחֲנֵה מִצְרָיִם... וַיֹּאמֶר מִצְרַיִם אָנוּסָה מִפְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי ה' נִלְחָם לָהֶם בְּמִצְרָיִם. (שמות י"ד כד-כה)

Sisera’s camp fled from Barak back toward Harosheth-goiim. To return, his soldiers had to recross the Kishon, the same water barrier they had passed on the way to Tabor. Providence now intervened a second time. The normally calm brook became a raging torrent and swept away Sisera’s army, just as happened to Pharaoh’s army at the sea. Deborah’s song describes it:

They fought from heaven, The stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The brook Kishon swept them away, That ancient brook, the brook Kishon. O my soul, tread them down with strength. (Judges 5:20–21)

מִן שָׁמַיִם נִלְחָמוּ הַכּוֹכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם נִלְחֲמוּ עִם סִיסְרָא. נַחַל קִישׁוֹן גְּרָפָם נַחַל קְדוּמִים נַחַל קִישׁוֹן תִּדְרְכִי נַפְשִׁי עֹז. (שופטים ה' כ-כא)

The parallel is clear. In both battles, the enemy crossed the water barrier while advancing against Israel. During retreat, divine intervention caused it to drown where it had previously crossed safely.

God’s throwing an enemy camp into confusion, followed by divine intervention striking a fleeing enemy, is a recurring biblical motif. Joshua’s battle against the southern kings who attacked Gibeon, a city allied with Israel, offers another example. God first threw the enemy into confusion and caused it to flee. Then He struck the retreating forces after they had ceased to threaten Israel:

Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly; for he went up from Gilgal all the night. And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon; and they chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died; they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel: ‘Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.’ And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. (Joshua 10:9–14)

וַיָּבֹא אֲלֵיהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ פִּתְאֹם כָּל הַלַּיְלָה עָלָה מִן הַגִּלְגָּל. וַיְהֻמֵּם ה' לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּכֵּם מַכָּה גְדוֹלָה בְּגִבְעוֹן וַיִּרְדְּפֵם דֶּרֶךְ מַעֲלֵה בֵית חוֹרֹן וַיַּכֵּם עַד עֲזֵקָה וְעַד מַקֵּדָה. וַיְהִי בְּנֻסָם מִפְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם בְּמוֹרַד בֵּית חוֹרֹן וַה' הִשְׁלִיךְ עֲלֵיהֶם אֲבָנִים גְּדֹלוֹת מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם עַד עֲזֵקָה וַיָּמֻתוּ רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר מֵתוּ בְּאַבְנֵי הַבָּרָד מֵאֲשֶׁר הָרְגוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּחָרֶב. אָז יְדַבֵּר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לַה' בְּיוֹם תֵּת ה' אֶת הָאֱמֹרִי לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר לְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁמֶשׁ בְּגִבְעוֹן דּוֹם וְיָרֵחַ בְּעֵמֶק אַיָּלוֹן. וַיִּדֹּם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ עָמָד עַד יִקֹּם גּוֹי אֹיְבָיו הֲלֹא הִיא כְתוּבָה עַל סֵפֶר הַיָּשָׁר וַיַּעֲמֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּחֲצִי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא אָץ לָבוֹא כְּיוֹם תָּמִים. וְלֹא הָיָה כַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לְפָנָיו וְאַחֲרָיו לִשְׁמֹעַ ה' בְּקוֹל אִישׁ כִּי ה' נִלְחָם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. (יהושע י', ט-יד)

What is the significance of this sequence? Why did God drown the Egyptians while they fled from Israel rather than while they pursued it? Why did the same pattern occur in Barak’s battle with Sisera and Joshua’s battle against the southern kings?

The answer concerns the purpose of striking the enemies. In the sea account, Israel’s predicament was not real: God had Moses take a route that would lead Pharaoh to think Israel was lost and vulnerable. The purpose of splitting the sea and drowning Egypt was therefore not rescue. It was to punish Pharaoh by drawing him into his final defeat, displaying God’s glory and bringing Egypt to recognize Him (וְאִכָּבְדָה בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל חֵילוֹ וְיָדְעוּ מִצְרַיִם כִּי אֲנִי ה’; Exodus 14:4). This fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham at the covenant between the pieces to judge the nation that would enslave his descendants (וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל; Genesis 15:14).

Had Egypt drowned while pursuing Israel, the event would appear primarily as another act of deliverance, with punishment less strongly emphasized. Describing Egypt drowning while retreating, when it no longer threatened Israel, identifies the drowning specifically as punishment for its deeds. The same applies to the other cases: the enemy is struck during flight to emphasize punishment, rather than the rescue of Israel, which had already been achieved in the preceding stage.