exodus 14 chiastic structure

Read Exodus 14 at Bible Gateway.

Hebrew paragraph divisions

Exo 14:1-14 {p} Pharaoh pursues Israel + YHVH’s assurance of deliverance
Exo 14:15-25 {p} The Red Sea divided; Israel goes through on dry ground
Exo 14:26-31 {p} The Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea

Chiastic structure

Here is an alternate chiasm I have for Exo 14. Why the need for a new structure? This one brings out a different emphasis. One thing I learned while working on this, that never struck me before, even though I have read Exo 14 countless times over the years, is the central axis of the 1B pair. “Is not this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt?” You know, as we go through Torah, we will read of Israel’s complaints, and her murmuring and grumbling at the outset of every difficulty. But even before they left Egypt, they were declaring their preference to remain in slavery! We can marvel at it, but my takeaway from this chapter is that when I catch myself murmuring and complaining, I need to go before YHVH and repent of fearing something else – even situations of threatening death – more than I fear Him. For if I feared Him as I ought, I would see my so-called Egyptians dead on the seashore by the great work of YHVH, at the outset!