Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 15:15
Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
15. Then were the chiefs of Edom dismayed;
The mighty men of Moab, trembling took hold upon them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan melted away (in fear).
Then ] when they heard the tidings of the great disaster to the Egyptians. The terror thus inspired into them continued till Israel had passed by them and entered Canaan ( v. 16). The Israelites did, 40 years afterwards, pass round Edom and Moab on the S. and E. of the Dead Sea: see Num 20:21; Num 21:4; Num 21:13; Deu 2:1-9; Deu 2:18.
chiefs ] Properly, clan-chiefs, or heads of clans (from ’eleph, a family or clan, Jdg 6:15, 1Sa 10:19, Mic 5:2); a word used specially of the clan-chiefs of Edom (see Gen 36:15-19; Gen 36:21; Gen 36:29-30; Gen 36:40-43 [= 1Ch 1:51-54 ]), and rare besides (Zec 9:7; Zec 12:5-6, only). In EVV., here and in Genesis 36, ‘duke’ represents the Lat. dux (which in its turn is based upon the of the LXX.), and means simply leader.
dismayed ] as Psa 48:5, for the same Heb. ‘Amazed’ (AS. amasian, to perplex; connected with maze) meant formerly bewildered (cf. ‘to be in a maze ’) or confounded by any strong emotion, especially by fear (cf. Jdg 20:41, for the same word as here; Job 32:15 for ; and ‘amazement’ for in 1Pe 3:6, RV. ‘terror’: also ‘amazing,’ i.e. bewildering, ‘thunder’ in Shakespeare, Richard II. i. 3. 81); but now it suggests a wrong meaning (‘astonished’).
mighty men ] The same rare word recurs 2Ki 24:15, Eze 17:13; Eze 31:11; Eze 31:14; Eze 32:21 (‘strong’). It seems to be identical with the Heb. word for ‘ram’: if this is really the case, it must have come to be used figuratively for leader; cf. the similar use of ‘he-goats’ in Isa 14:9 (see RVm.).
trembling ( ) took hold upon them ] Cf. Psa 48:6 ( , both rare words).
melted away ] fig. for, were incapacitated and helpless through terror and despair. Cf. Jos 2:9 b, 24 b, (reminiscences of the present passage), Isa 14:31, Nah 2:6 (EVV. ‘is dissolved,’ to be understood in its old fig. sense of relaxed, enfeebled: the Heb. word is the same as here).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 15. The dukes of Edom] Idumea was governed at this time by those called alluphim, heads, chiefs, or captains. See Clarke on Ge 36:15.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed, c,] Of which there were many, see Ge 36:15 the land being first governed by dukes, as perhaps it was at this time, though in some few years after it had a king, Nu 20:14 now these, when they heard of the wonderful things that were done for Israel in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, were astonished and surprised, and filled with fear and dread, see De 2:4,
the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them: as did on Balak the king of Moab, and his people, Nu 22:2, where may be observed a literal accomplishment of this prophecy:
all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away as their hearts did, through fear, when they heard what God did for Israel against the Egyptians and the Amorites, and understood that they were upon the march to their land to invade it and dispossess them of it: see the fulfilment of this prediction in Jos 2:9 thus when Babylon shall be destroyed, as Pharaoh and his host were, and the people of God saved out of the midst of her, as Israel was, the kings of the earth will stand afar off for fear of her torment, and bewail and lament for her, Re 18:9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 15-19:
The “dukes of Edom” refer to the tribal chieftains of Edom. Edom is another name for Esau. He had twelve sons, who became heads of twelve tribes (see Ge 36:15-43). By the time of the Exodus, these tribes had grown, and their chieftains were called “kings” (Nu 20:14).
“Moab” was one of Lot’s sons by his older daughter, Ge 19:37. He became the ancestor of a nation which later gave Israel much trouble.
The inhabitants of Canaan (Palestine) heard of the manner in which Jehovah delivered Israel from Egypt. They were filled with terror at Israel’s advance toward their land. This was calculated to aid Israel in their conquest of Canaan, see Jos 2:8-11.
God went before Israel to prepare the way for them to occupy the Land He had promised. This illustrates His working today: He goes before His child to open the way to accomplish what He has commanded, see Php 2:13.
Verses 18 and 19 conclude Moses’ song by re-affirming the sovereignty of Jehovah and His power over the Egyptians.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(15) The dukes of Edom.Comp. Gen. 36:15, where the same title is found. Apparently in the course of the thirty-eight years between the Exodus and the approach to. Canaan, the oligarchy of dukes had been replaced by a monarchy. (See Num. 20:14.) The fear of Israel had also passed away; and the Edomites came out against Moses with much people, and with a strong hand, laying a foundation for that prolonged hatred of which we have traces in 2Sa. 8:14; 1Ki. 11:14-22; 2Ki. 8:20-22; 2Ch. 20:16; Psa. 137:7, &c.
The mighty men of Moab.On the terror of the Moabites, when Israel approached their borders, see Num. 22:3-4. The efforts made by Balak to procure Balaams curse upon them were indications of the alarm felt.
All the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.Compare Jos. 2:11 : As soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt; and Exo. 5:1 : It came to pass . . . when all the kings of the Canaanites heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan, that their hearts melted, neither was there any spirit in them any more.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
Ver. 15. Then the dukes of Edom. ] See Deu 2:4 .
The mighty men.
Shall melt.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
dukes = chiefs.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
dukes: Gen 36:40, Num 20:14-21, Deu 2:4, 1Ch 1:51-54
Moab: Num 22:3-5, Hab 3:7
all the: Jos 2:11, Jos 5:1
melt: Deu 20:8, Jos 2:9, *marg. Jos 14:8, 1Sa 14:16, 2Sa 17:10, Psa 68:2, Isa 13:7, Isa 19:1, Eze 21:7, Nah 2:10
Reciprocal: Gen 25:30 – Edom Gen 35:5 – General Gen 36:16 – duke Gen 36:39 – Hadar Gen 36:43 – the dukes Exo 10:1 – that I Deu 1:28 – discouraged Jos 2:24 – faint Jdg 7:14 – into his hand 1Sa 17:46 – all the earth 2Sa 23:20 – he slew Psa 48:6 – Fear Psa 58:7 – General Psa 69:24 – take Eze 26:16 – tremble Rom 9:17 – that