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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Exodus 14:3 For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.'</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/exodus/14-3.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/3/02_Exo_14_03.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Exodus 14:3 - Pharaoh Pursues the Israelites" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.'" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/exodus/14-3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/exodus/14-3.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/exodus/">Exodus</a> > <a href="/exodus/14.htm">Chapter 14</a> > Verse 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad3.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/exodus/14-2.htm" title="Exodus 14:2">◄</a> Exodus 14:3 <a href="/exodus/14-4.htm" title="Exodus 14:4">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/exodus/14.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/exodus/14.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />Pharaoh will think, &#8216The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.&#8217<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/exodus/14.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/exodus/14.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/exodus/14.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/exodus/14.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They <i>are</i> entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/exodus/14.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They <i>are</i> bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/exodus/14.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/exodus/14.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, &#8216They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.&#8217<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/exodus/14.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/exodus/14.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering in confusion in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/exodus/14.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/exodus/14.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/exodus/14.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/exodus/14.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/exodus/14.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />The king will think you were afraid to cross the desert and that you are wandering around, trying to find another way to leave the country. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/exodus/14.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/exodus/14.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are [just] wandering around. The desert is blocking their escape.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/exodus/14.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/exodus/14.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Pharaoh will say about the Israelis, 'They're wandering aimlessly in the land, and the desert has closed in on them.' <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/exodus/14.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ?They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/exodus/14.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Pharaoh will think regarding the Israelites, 'They are wandering around confused in the land--the desert has closed in on them.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/exodus/14.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are wandering in the land. The wilderness has boxed them in.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/exodus/14.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/exodus/14.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.’ <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/exodus/14.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />and Pharaoh has said of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut on them;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/exodus/14.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> and Pharaoh hath said of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut upon them;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/exodus/14.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And Pharaoh will say concerning the sons of Israel, They are wandering in perplexity in the land; the desert closed upon them.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/exodus/14.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And Pharao will say of the children of Israel: They are straitened in the land, the desert hath shut them in. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/exodus/14.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And Pharaoh will say about the sons of Israel, ‘They have been confined by the land; the desert has enclosed them.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/exodus/14.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Pharaoh will then say, “The Israelites are wandering about aimlessly in the land. The wilderness has closed in on them.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/exodus/14.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, “They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.”<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/exodus/14.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are strangers in the land, the wilderness has shut them in.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/exodus/14.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And Pharaoh said about the children of Israel: “They are strangers in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.”<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/exodus/14.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel: They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/exodus/14.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And Pharao will say to his people, As for these children of Israel, they are wandering in the land, for the wilderness has shut them in.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/exodus/14-3.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kVae3PiKqhs?start=3409" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/exodus/14.htm">Pharaoh Pursues the Israelites</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">2</span>“Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal-zephon. <span class="reftext">3</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/6547.htm" title="6547: par·‘ōh (N-proper-ms) -- A title of Eg. kings. Of Egyptian derivation; Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings.">For Pharaoh</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: wə·’ā·mar (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-3ms) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">will say</a> <a href="/hebrew/1121.htm" title="1121: liḇ·nê (Prep-l:: N-mpc) -- Son. From banah; a son, in the widest sense (like 'ab, 'ach, etc.)."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3478.htm" title="3478: yiś·rā·’êl (N-proper-ms) -- From sarah and 'el; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also of his posterity.">of the Israelites,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1992.htm" title="1992: hêm (Pro-3mp) -- They. Or hemmah; masculine plural from halak; they.">‘They</a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: bā·’ā·reṣ (Prep-b, Art:: N-fs) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth.">are wandering the land</a> <a href="/hebrew/943.htm" title="943: nə·ḇu·ḵîm (V-Nifal-Prtcpl-mp) -- To perplex, confuse. A primitive root; to involve.">in confusion;</a> <a href="/hebrew/4057.htm" title="4057: ham·miḏ·bār (Art:: N-ms) -- A pasture, a desert, speech. From dabar in the sense of driving; a pasture; by implication, a desert; also speech.">the wilderness</a> <a href="/hebrew/5462.htm" title="5462: sā·ḡar (V-Qal-Perf-3ms) -- To shut, close. A primitive root; to shut up; figuratively, to surrender.">has boxed them</a> <a href="/hebrew/5921.htm" title="5921: ‘ă·lê·hem (Prep:: 3mp) -- Properly, the same as al used as a preposition; above, over, upon, or against in a great variety of applications.">in.’</a> </span><span class="reftext">4</span>And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/numbers/33-7.htm">Numbers 33:7-8</a></span><br />They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and they camped near Migdol. / They set out from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the sea, into the wilderness, and they journeyed three days into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joshua/24-6.htm">Joshua 24:6-7</a></span><br />When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. / So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/nehemiah/9-9.htm">Nehemiah 9:9-11</a></span><br />You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea. / You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. / You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/106-7.htm">Psalm 106:7-12</a></span><br />Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders or remember Your abundant kindness; but they rebelled by the sea, there at the Red Sea. / Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known. / He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/51-9.htm">Isaiah 51:9-10</a></span><br />Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon? / Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/63-11.htm">Isaiah 63:11-13</a></span><br />Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, / who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, / who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/7-36.htm">Acts 7:36</a></span><br />He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/11-29.htm">Hebrews 11:29</a></span><br />By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/10-1.htm">1 Corinthians 10:1-2</a></span><br />I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/77-16.htm">Psalm 77:16-20</a></span><br />The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and swirled; even the depths were shaken. / The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth. / Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/136-13.htm">Psalm 136:13-15</a></span><br />He divided the Red Sea in two His loving devotion endures forever. / and led Israel through the midst, His loving devotion endures forever. / but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His loving devotion endures forever.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/9-17.htm">Romans 9:17-18</a></span><br />For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” / Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/exodus/15-4.htm">Exodus 15:4-5</a></span><br />Pharaoh’s chariots and army He has cast into the sea; the finest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. / The depths have covered them; they sank there like a stone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/11-4.htm">Deuteronomy 11:4</a></span><br />what He did to the Egyptian army and horses and chariots when He made the waters of the Red Sea engulf them as they pursued you, and how He destroyed them completely, even to this day;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joshua/2-10.htm">Joshua 2:10</a></span><br />For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in.</p><p class="hdg">Pharaoh</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/exodus/7-3.htm">Exodus 7:3,4</a></b></br> And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/31-21.htm">Deuteronomy 31:21</a></b></br> And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/139-2.htm">Psalm 139:2,4</a></b></br> Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off… </p><p class="hdg">they are entangled</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/judges/16-2.htm">Judges 16:2</a></b></br> <i>And it was told</i> the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed <i>him</i> in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_samuel/23-7.htm">1 Samuel 23:7,23</a></b></br> And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2</a></b></br> Many <i>there be</i> which say of my soul, <i>There is</i> no help for him in God. Selah.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/1_corinthians/9-26.htm">Aimlessly</a> <a href="/exodus/14-2.htm">Children</a> <a href="/james/3-16.htm">Confusion</a> <a href="/exodus/13-20.htm">Desert</a> <a href="/genesis/31-21.htm">Direction</a> <a href="/2_peter/2-20.htm">Entangled</a> <a href="/psalms/139-5.htm">Hemmed</a> <a href="/exodus/14-2.htm">Israel</a> <a href="/exodus/14-2.htm">Israelites</a> <a href="/exodus/13-17.htm">Pharaoh</a> <a href="/genesis/40-3.htm">Shut</a> <a href="/genesis/32-18.htm">They</a> <a href="/genesis/48-11.htm">Think</a> <a href="/genesis/37-15.htm">Wandering</a> <a href="/exodus/13-20.htm">Waste</a> <a href="/exodus/13-20.htm">Wilderness</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/joel/1-18.htm">Aimlessly</a> <a href="/exodus/14-8.htm">Children</a> <a href="/exodus/14-24.htm">Confusion</a> <a href="/exodus/14-11.htm">Desert</a> <a href="/exodus/16-10.htm">Direction</a> <a href="/2_samuel/22-6.htm">Entangled</a> <a href="/job/23-17.htm">Hemmed</a> <a href="/exodus/14-5.htm">Israel</a> <a href="/exodus/14-4.htm">Israelites</a> <a href="/exodus/14-4.htm">Pharaoh</a> <a href="/exodus/21-18.htm">Shut</a> <a href="/numbers/18-3.htm">They</a> <a href="/numbers/36-6.htm">Think</a> <a href="/exodus/23-4.htm">Wandering</a> <a href="/exodus/14-11.htm">Waste</a> <a href="/exodus/14-11.htm">Wilderness</a><div class="vheading2">Exodus 14</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/14-1.htm">God instructs the Israelites in their journey</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/14-5.htm">Pharaoh pursues after them</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/14-10.htm">The Israelites murmur</a></span><br><span class="reftext">13. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/14-13.htm">Moses comforts them</a></span><br><span class="reftext">15. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/14-15.htm">God instructs Moses</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/14-19.htm">The cloud removes behind the camp</a></span><br><span class="reftext">21. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/14-21.htm">The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/exodus/14.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/exodus/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/exodus/14.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites</b><br>Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, represents the hardened heart and opposition to God's will. His perspective is limited to human understanding and political power. This phrase indicates Pharaoh's assumption about the Israelites' situation, reflecting his lack of awareness of God's plan. Pharaoh's perception is a reminder of the spiritual blindness that can accompany pride and resistance to God. This echoes earlier instances where Pharaoh's heart was hardened (<a href="/exodus/7-3.htm">Exodus 7:3</a>), showing a pattern of misunderstanding God's intentions.<p><b>‘They are wandering the land in confusion;</b><br>The Israelites' journey through the wilderness may have appeared aimless to Pharaoh, but it was divinely guided. This phrase highlights the difference between human perception and divine reality. The Israelites were following God's pillar of cloud and fire (<a href="/exodus/13-21.htm">Exodus 13:21-22</a>), which provided direction and protection. This misunderstanding by Pharaoh is reminiscent of how God's ways are often inscrutable to those who do not know Him (<a href="/isaiah/55-8.htm">Isaiah 55:8-9</a>). The perceived confusion is part of God's strategy to demonstrate His power and deliverance.<p><b>the wilderness has boxed them in.’</b><br>Geographically, the Israelites were encamped by the sea, with the wilderness surrounding them, creating a seemingly inescapable situation. This setting was part of God's plan to display His glory through a miraculous deliverance. The wilderness represents a place of testing and dependence on God, as seen throughout Israel's journey. This situation foreshadows the Red Sea crossing, a type of baptism and deliverance, prefiguring Christ's victory over sin and death (<a href="/1_corinthians/10.htm">1 Corinthians 10:1-2</a>). The phrase underscores the theme of God making a way where there seems to be none, a recurring motif in Scripture (<a href="/isaiah/43-16.htm">Isaiah 43:16</a>).<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/p/pharaoh.htm">Pharaoh</a></b><br>The ruler of Egypt, who is a central figure in the account of the Exodus. His heart is hardened, leading to his pursuit of the Israelites.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_israelites.htm">The Israelites</a></b><br>The descendants of Jacob, who are escaping from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_wilderness.htm">The Wilderness</a></b><br>The desert area where the Israelites find themselves after leaving Egypt. It represents both a physical and spiritual journey.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_exodus.htm">The Exodus</a></b><br>The event of the Israelites' departure from Egypt, which is a foundational account of deliverance and faith in the Bible.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/m/moses.htm">Moses</a></b><br>The leader chosen by God to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. He acts as a mediator between God and the people.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_in_confusion.htm">God's Sovereignty in Confusion</a></b><br>Even when situations seem confusing or dire, God is in control. The Israelites appeared trapped, but God had a plan for their deliverance.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/p/perception_vs._reality.htm">Perception vs. Reality</a></b><br>Pharaoh perceived the Israelites as lost and vulnerable, but God's reality was different. We must trust God's perspective over human perception.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/f/faith_in_the_wilderness.htm">Faith in the Wilderness</a></b><br>The wilderness is a place of testing and growth. Like the Israelites, we may face wilderness experiences that challenge our faith but also strengthen it.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/divine_strategy.htm">Divine Strategy</a></b><br>God's strategies often defy human logic. The path He chooses for us may not always make sense, but it is always for our ultimate good and His glory.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/trusting_god's_deliverance.htm">Trusting God's Deliverance</a></b><br>Just as God delivered the Israelites, He is capable of delivering us from our own "Egypts"—places of bondage and fear.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_exodus_14.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Exodus 14</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_did_moses_mean_by_'let_my_people_go'.htm">What did Moses mean by 'Let my people go'?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_to_biblically_respect_others.htm">What are examples of miracles in the Bible?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_does_the_bible_say_on_swearing.htm">Why does God cause people's hearts to harden?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what's_the_bible's_view_on_snakes.htm">What is the biblical perspective on snakes?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/exodus/14.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(3) <span class= "bld">Entangled in the land.</span>--Literally, <span class= "ital">confused, perplexed.</span> (Comp. <a href="/esther/3-15.htm" title="The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.">Esther 3:15</a>.) Pharaoh, seeing that the Israelites had placed the Bitter Lakes on their left, and were marching southward, in a direction which would soon put the Red Sea on one side of them and a desert region--that about the Jebel Atakah--on the other, thought that they must be quite ignorant of the geography, and have, as it were, "lost their way." He observed, moreover, that "the wilderness had shut them in." The desert tract between the Nile Valley and the Red Sea lay upon their left and in their front: they would soon be unable to proceed, and would not know which way to turn.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/exodus/14.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 3.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">They are entangled in the land</span>. Or "they are confused," "perplexed" - <span class="accented">i.e.</span>. "they have lost their way." Pharaoh could not conceive that they would have taken the route to the west of the Bitter Lakes, which conducted to no tolerable territory, unless they were hopelessly at sea with respect to the geography of the country. In this "perplexity" of theirs he thought he saw his own opportunity. The wilderness hath shut them in. Pharaoh is thinking of his own "wilderness," the desert country between the Nile valley and the Red Sea. This desert, he says, "blocks their way, and shuts them in " - they cannot escape if he follows in their steps, for they will have the sea on one hand, the desert on the other, and in their front, while he himself presses upon their rear. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/exodus/14-3.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">For Pharaoh</span><br /><span class="heb">פַּרְעֹה֙</span> <span class="translit">(par·‘ōh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6547.htm">Strong's 6547: </a> </span><span class="str2">Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings</span><br /><br /><span class="word">will say</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאָמַ֤ר</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’ā·mar)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of the Israelites,</span><br /><span class="heb">לִבְנֵ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(liḇ·nê)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1121.htm">Strong's 1121: </a> </span><span class="str2">A son</span><br /><br /><span class="word">‘They</span><br /><span class="heb">הֵ֖ם</span> <span class="translit">(hêm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1992.htm">Strong's 1992: </a> </span><span class="str2">They</span><br /><br /><span class="word">are wandering the land</span><br /><span class="heb">בָּאָ֑רֶץ</span> <span class="translit">(bā·’ā·reṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_776.htm">Strong's 776: </a> </span><span class="str2">Earth, land</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in confusion;</span><br /><span class="heb">נְבֻכִ֥ים</span> <span class="translit">(nə·ḇu·ḵîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_943.htm">Strong's 943: </a> </span><span class="str2">To perplex, confuse</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the wilderness</span><br /><span class="heb">הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃</span> <span class="translit">(ham·miḏ·bār)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4057.htm">Strong's 4057: </a> </span><span class="str2">A pasture, a desert, speech</span><br /><br /><span class="word">has boxed them</span><br /><span class="heb">סָגַ֥ר</span> <span class="translit">(sā·ḡar)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5462.htm">Strong's 5462: </a> </span><span class="str2">To shut up, to surrender</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in.’</span><br /><span class="heb">עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם</span> <span class="translit">(‘ă·lê·hem)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5921.htm">Strong's 5921: </a> </span><span class="str2">Above, over, upon, against</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/exodus/14-3.htm">Exodus 14:3 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/exodus/14-3.htm">OT Law: Exodus 14:3 Pharaoh will say of the children (Exo. Ex) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/exodus/14-2.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Exodus 14:2"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Exodus 14:2" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/exodus/14-4.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Exodus 14:4"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Exodus 14:4" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>