Bible Strands
Exodus 14:16
And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God speaks directly to Moses at the sea's edge, instructing him to command the Israelites to advance after Moses performs a physical act with his staff.
The words — The Hebrew verbs הָרֵם (haRem, "raise") and נְטֵה (neTeh, "stretch out") command Moses to lift his staff and extend his hand over the water.
The thread — This directive recalls Exodus 4:2 and Exodus 4:17 where God equips Moses with a staff for signs, and parallels Exodus 7:19 where God commands Aaron to stretch out his hand over Egypt's waters.
Why it lands — The text demands immediate physical obedience to a visible sign that precedes the people's movement, placing the leader's action as the catalyst for the nation's passage.
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
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
Cross-references
- Exodus 7:19 And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”
- Exodus 4:2 And the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
- Exodus 4:17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”
- Exodus 4:20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.
- Exodus 7:9 “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.”
- Exodus 14:26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”
- Isaiah 10:26 And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise His staff over the sea, as He did in Egypt.
- Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,
- Numbers 20:8 “Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”
- Numbers 20:11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.