| Chapter 16. The sea parts asunder for the Hebrews, and destroys the pursuing Egyptians | ||||
1. When Moses had said this, he led them to the sea, while the Egyptians looked on; for they were within sight. Now these were so distressed by the toil of their pursuit, that they thought proper to put off fighting till the next day. But when Moses arrived at the sea-shore, he took his rod and made supplication to God and called upon him to be their helper and assistant; and said �You are not ignorant, O Lord, that it is beyond human strength and human plan to avoid the difficulties we are now under; but it must be your work altogether to procure deliverance to this army, which has left Egypt at your appointment. We despair of any other assistance or plan and have recourse only to that hope we have in you; and if there be any method that can promise us an escape by your providence, we look up to you for it. And let it come quickly and manifest your power to us; and do you raise up this people to good courage and hope of deliverance, who are deeply sunk into a disconsolate state of mind. We are in a helpless place, but still it is a place that you possess; still the sea is yours, the mountains also that enclose us are yours; so that these mountains will open themselves if you commandest them and the sea also, if you commandest it, will become dry land. Indeed we might escape by a flight through the air, if you should determine we should have that way of salvation." | ||||
2. When Moses had thus addressed himself to God, he smote the sea with his rod, which parted asunder at the stroke and receiving those waters into itself, left the ground dry, as a road and a place of flight for the Hebrews. Now when Moses saw this appearance of God and that the sea went out of its own place and left dry land, he went first of all into it and bid the Hebrews to follow him along that divine road and to rejoice at the danger their enemies that followed them were in; and gave thanks to God for this so surprising a deliverance which appeared from him. | ||||
3. Now, while these Hebrews made no stay, but went on earnestly, as led by God's presence with them, the Egyptians supposed first that they were distracted and were going rashly upon manifest destruction. But when they saw that they were going a great way without any harm and that no obstacle or difficulty fell in their journey, they made haste to pursue them, hoping that the sea would be calm for them also. They put their horse foremost and went down themselves into the sea. Now the Hebrews, while these were putting on their armor and therein spending their time, were beforehand with them and escaped them and got first over to the land on the other side without any hurt. Whence the others were encouraged and more courageously pursued them, as hoping no harm would come to them neither: but the Egyptians were not aware that they went into a road made for the Hebrews and not for others; that this road was made for the deliverance of those in danger, but not for those that were earnest to make use of it for the others' destruction. As soon, therefore, as ever the whole Egyptian army was within it, the sea flowed to its own place and came down with a torrent raised by storms of wind, and encompassed the Egyptians. Showers of rain also came down from the sky and dreadful thunders and lightning, with flashes of fire. Thunderbolts also were darted upon them. Nor was there anything which used to be sent by God upon men, as indications of his wrath, which did not happen at this time, for a dark and dismal night oppressed them. And thus did all these men perish, so that there was not one man left to be a messenger of this calamity to the rest of the Egyptians. | ||||
4. But the Hebrews were not able to contain themselves for joy at their wonderful deliverance and destruction of their enemies; now indeed supposing themselves firmly delivered, when those that would have forced them into slavery were destroyed and when they found they had God so evidently for their protector. And now these Hebrews having escaped the danger they were in, after this manner and besides that, seeing their enemies punished in such a way as is never recorded of any other men whomsoever, were all the night employed in singing of hymns and in mirth. Moses also composed a song to God, containing his praises and a thanksgiving for his kindness, in hexameter verse. | ||||
5. As for myself, I have delivered every part of this history as I found it in the sacred books; nor let any one wonder at the strangeness of the narration if a way were revealed to those men of former times, who were free from the wickedness of the modern ages, whether it happened by the will of God or whether it happened of its own accord; -- while, for the sake of those that accompanied Alexander, king of Macedonia, who yet lived, comparatively but a little while ago, the Pamphylian Sea retired and afforded them a passage through itself, had no other way to go; I mean, when it was the will of God to destroy the monarchy of the Persians: and this is confessed to be true by all that have written about the actions of Alexander. But as to these events, let every one determine as he pleases. | ||||
6. On the next day Moses gathered together the weapons of the Egyptians, which were brought to the camp of the Hebrews by the current of the sea and the force of the winds resisting it; and he conjectured that this also happened by Divine Providence, that so they might not be destitute of weapons. So when he had ordered the Hebrews to arm themselves with them, he led them to Mount Sinai, in order to offer sacrifice to God and to render oblations for the salvation of the multitude, as he was charged to do beforehand. | ||||