Bible Strands
Exodus 14:13
But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites at the edge of the sea, who have just told him it would have been better to serve the Egyptians than die in the wilderness (v.12).
The words — הִֽתְיַצְּבוּ (ḥittāyṣəḇû), "stand firm," is a hithpael imperative of יָצַב, a reflexive intensification: not merely standing but setting oneself resolutely in place.
The thread — 2 Chronicles 20:17 repeats the same formula almost verbatim: "stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD." Exodus 14:14, the very next verse, completes the thought: "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Why it lands — The verse demands that a person in the grip of a threat that looks unsurvivable do the opposite of what panic dictates: stop, hold position, and watch. It is not a call to effort but to restraint.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 20:17 You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.
- Exodus 14:30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.
- Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
- 2 Kings 6:16 “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
- Lamentations 3:26 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
- Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
- Psalms 27:1 Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?
- Hosea 13:4 Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me.
- Numbers 14:9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!”