And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
The pursuing force was a very large, well-equipped army of horsemen and chariots gathered for war, made up of six hundred specially chosen chariots together with all the other chariots of Egypt, with commanders set over each one. The pursuit did not begin at once but after Israel had been gone some days, after Egypt had buried its dead and the judgments had ceased, when Pharaoh was told that they had fled and would never return to serve him. Despite all they had suffered from God's judgments in the plagues, the Egyptians were hardened by continual rebellion, and Pharaoh's counselors and mighty men refused to admit that the bereavement was God's judgment, explaining it instead by natural causes.
They mourned permitting Israel to leave as a very great loss of their services, regretted consenting to let them go, and repented of letting them go. The army he prepared included the priests of the idol gods together with the rulers and all the great men of the kingdom, with the most mighty of Egypt selected, the priests going to make success more sure and the mighty going to intimidate the Israelites with a grand display of power and greatness. Its purpose was to intimidate the Israelites and to bring them back by force into Egypt to slavery and service again, and also to redeem Egypt's glory before other nations that would deride Egypt for yielding to the God of Israel whom they had despised.
God had led Israel by the way of the sea instead of through the land of the Philistines in order to spare them war, revealing Himself as compassionate as well as a God of judgment. He directed Moses just where to encamp before the sea, knew beforehand that Pharaoh would pursue, and said He would be honored before Pharaoh and all his host. Pharaoh overtook Israel while encamped by the sea at the place God had appointed, so that Israel was shut in with the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian host behind them, saw no way of escape and was greatly terrified, while the Egyptians shouted in triumph at having Israel in their power and the danger behind Israel was real.
At God's command Moses bade Israel go forward and lifted the rod and stretched his hand over the sea to divide it, and Israel passed over dry ground on the miraculously prepared path. Pharaoh had so long withstood God and hardened his heart against His mighty works that in blindness he rushed into that path after them, and when Moses stretched his hand again over the sea it returned in full strength, covered the host and drowned them. That overtaking at the Red Sea was the place appointed for the last display of God's power before the hardened Egyptians, and their utter destruction there was the execution of God's judgment against all the gods of Egypt.
The pursuing force was a very large, well-equipped army of horsemen and chariots gathered for war, made up of six hundred specially chosen chariots together with all the other chariots of Egypt, with commanders set over each one. The pursuit did not begin at once but after Israel had been gone some days, after Egypt had buried its dead and the judgments had ceased, when Pharaoh was told that they had fled and would never return to serve him. Despite all they had suffered from God's judgments in the plagues, the Egyptians were hardened by continual rebellion, and Pharaoh's counselors and mighty men refused to admit that the bereavement was God's judgment, explaining it instead by natural causes.
They mourned permitting Israel to leave as a very great loss of their services, regretted consenting to let them go, and repented of letting them go. The army he prepared included the priests of the idol gods together with the rulers and all the great men of the kingdom, with the most mighty of Egypt selected, the priests going to make success more sure and the mighty going to intimidate the Israelites with a grand display of power and greatness. Its purpose was to intimidate the Israelites and to bring them back by force into Egypt to slavery and service again, and also to redeem Egypt's glory before other nations that would deride Egypt for yielding to the God of Israel whom they had despised.
God had led Israel by the way of the sea instead of through the land of the Philistines in order to spare them war, revealing Himself as compassionate as well as a God of judgment. He directed Moses just where to encamp before the sea, knew beforehand that Pharaoh would pursue, and said He would be honored before Pharaoh and all his host. Pharaoh overtook Israel while encamped by the sea at the place God had appointed, so that Israel was shut in with the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian host behind them, saw no way of escape and was greatly terrified, while the Egyptians shouted in triumph at having Israel in their power and the danger behind Israel was real.
At God's command Moses bade Israel go forward and lifted the rod and stretched his hand over the sea to divide it, and Israel passed over dry ground on the miraculously prepared path. Pharaoh had so long withstood God and hardened his heart against His mighty works that in blindness he rushed into that path after them, and when Moses stretched his hand again over the sea it returned in full strength, covered the host and drowned them. That overtaking at the Red Sea was the place appointed for the last display of God's power before the hardened Egyptians, and their utter destruction there was the execution of God's judgment against all the gods of Egypt.