Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 15:16
Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be [as] still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
16. Terror and dread fell upon them;
By the greatness of thine arm, they were as still as a stone:
Till thy people passed through, O Yahweh,
Till thy people passed through, which thou hadst purchased.
Terror, &c.] Cf. Jos 2:9 ‘and that your terror is fallen upon us.’
as still as a stone ] i.e. at once motionless (Jos 10:13 Heb.) and silent (Psa 31:17) through fear. For the comparison, cf. the ‘ dumb stone’ of Hab 2:19.
passed through ] viz. the nations through whom they passed on their progress to Canaan (Di. B., &c.): cf. for the expression Deu 29:16 ‘and how we passed through the midst of the nations through which ye passed.’ The poet idealizes the past; and pictures the neighbouring peoples terror-struck, unable to move a hand to resist Israel, as it marched on to take possession of its inheritance in Canaan. The words do not refer, as the rend. of EVV. would imply that they do, to the passage of the Jordan.
purchased ] The word does mean (marg.) to get (Gen 4:1, Pro 16:16 al.) or acquire; but it is commonly used in the sense of to get by purchase, or buy (Gen 33:19, &c.). And this no doubt is its meaning here; the idea being that Jehovah has ‘redeemed’ Israel ( v. 13, Exo 6:6), like a slave, from servitude, and purchased it as His own possession (cf. Neh 5:8 RVm.). The word is used similarly of Israel in Isa 11:11 (see RVm.), Psa 74:2 (cf. Psa 78:54 b).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 16. Till thy people pass over] Not over the Red Sea, for that event had been already celebrated; but over the desert and Jordan, in order to be brought into the promised land.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Be as still, or, be as silent; they shall be so struck. with amazement, that they shall be impotent both for speech and motion.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Fear and dread shall fall upon them…. On the several nations and people before mentioned, especially the Canaanites, which the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem interpret of the fear of death, lest the Israelites should fall upon them and destroy them, or God should fight for them, against them, and bring ruin and destruction on them:
by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; awed by the power of God, visible in what he had done for the Israelites, and upon their enemies; they should be like stocks and stones, immovable, have no power to act, nor stir a foot in their own defence, and against Israel, come to invade and possess their land; nor in the least molest them, or stop them in their passage over Jordan, or dispute it with them, but stand like persons thunderstruck, and as stupid as stones, not having any spirit or courage left in them:
till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased; pass over the brook of Arnon, and the ford of Jabbok, according to the Targum of Jonathan; or the ford of Jabbok, and the ford of Jordan, according to the Jerusalem Targum; the river of Jordan is doubtless literally meant, at least chiefly; and the accomplishment of this prediction may be seen in Jos 3:15 which was an emblem of the quiet passage of Christ’s purchased people, through the ford or river of death, to the Canaan of everlasting rest and happiness: Christ’s people are purchased by him, who is able to make the purchase, and had a right to do it, and has actually made it, by giving his flesh, shedding his blood, laying down his life, and giving himself a ransom price for them: these do, and must pass over Jordan, or go through the cold stream of death; it is the way of all the earth, of good men as well as others; it is a passage from one world to another; and there is no getting to the heavenly Canaan without going this way, or through this ford; and all the Lord’s purchased people, like Israel, clean pass over through it, not one are left in it; their bodies are raised again, their souls are reunited to them, and both come safe to heaven and happiness: and, for the most part, they have a quiet and easy passage, the enemy is not suffered to disturb them, neither the sins and corruptions of their nature, nor an evil heart of unbelief, nor Satan with his temptations; and the terrors of death are taken away from them; so that they can sit and sing on the shores of eternity, in the view of death and another world, saying, death, where is thy sting? grave, where is thy victory? c. and this is to be ascribed to the greatness of Jehovah’s arm, to his almighty power, on which they lean, and go on comfortably in the wilderness and by this they are carried safely through death to glory, and it is owing to this that the enemy and the avenger are stilled.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. Fear and dread shall fall upon them. Some read this in the optative mood, but with little probability, as it seems to me; for Moses is not so much expressing wishes or prayers, as animating the Israelites to have a good hope, and to be firmly convinced that God would not make an end until He had finished the course of His grace. And this we may fairly apply to ourselves at this time, viz., that God will continue His calling in the elect, until they are brought on to the goal. For the heavenly inheritance, (to which we are called,) answers to “the mountain” of His holiness. (166) The same reason, which was just before advanced, is again repeated, viz., that God would not fail His people until the end, because He had “purchased” them to Himself. For the translation “which thou hast possessed” is not so suitable; because although Moses signifies that they are God’s peculiar people, yet is their deliverance undoubtedly alleged as the cause of their full redemption; as if he had said, that the people whom God had once undertaken to protect would always be dear to Him.
(166) Sion. — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Fear and dread shall fall upon them.A portion of the Edomites felt so much fear of Israel that they allowed them to pass through their coasts (Deu. 2:4). The Moabites of Aracted similarly (Deu. 2:29).
Till thy people pass overi.e., cross the frontier of the Canaanites, and enter their country. There is no need to suppose that Moses had as yet any distinct idea of the place where the frontier would be crossed.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 15:16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be [as] still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, [which] thou hast purchased.
Ver. 16. Till thy people pass over. ] Over Jordan; as now they have done over the Red Sea, into Canaan.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Till Thy People, &c. Note Figure of speech Epizeuxis. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
dread: Deu 2:25, Deu 11:25, Jos 2:9
still: Exo 11:7, 1Sa 2:9, 1Sa 25:37
which thou: Exo 19:5, Exo 19:6, Deu 32:6, Deu 32:9, 2Sa 7:23, Psa 74:2, Isa 43:1-3, Isa 51:10, Jer 31:11, Act 20:28, Tit 2:14, 1Pe 2:9, 2Pe 2:1
Reciprocal: Gen 35:5 – General Jos 4:24 – that it is Est 8:17 – for the fear Job 13:11 – his dread Psa 8:2 – still Psa 9:6 – O thou Psa 9:20 – Put Psa 14:5 – were Psa 44:3 – thy right Psa 48:6 – Fear Psa 107:2 – Let the Isa 30:30 – the lighting Isa 63:12 – with Nah 3:18 – Thy shepherds