Exodus 15:1 · Bible study
Exodus 15:1 Commentary: Moses’ Song
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
The first recorded song in Scripture celebrates God's triumph at the Red Sea and anticipates the ultimate victory of the Lamb in Revelation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Moses and Israel respond to the Red Sea deliverance by singing a song of praise that celebrates God's triumph and foretells final salvation.
- Key words: “sang” (shir, H7891), “triumphed gloriously” (ga'ah ga'ah, emphatic repetition), “horse and his rider” (sus v'rokhevo, H5483/H7392)
- Main debate: Whether “rider” refers to cavalry or charioteer; textual variant suggests “chariot” in some early versions (Cambridge Bible).
- Theological theme: God alone is the warrior who saves; human power is overthrown; deliverance evokes worship that anticipates the final victory of the Lamb.
- Best use: A model of spontaneous, corporate praise rooted in historical redemption and pointing to eschatological hope.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Yahweh, and said, “I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.
KJV King James Version 1769
Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto Jehovah, and spake, saying, I will sing unto Jehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously: The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Then singeth Moses and the sons of Israel this song to Jehovah, and they speak, saying: --`I sing to Jehovah, For triumphing He hath triumphed; The horse and its rider He hath thrown into the sea.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song to Jehovah, and spoke, saying, I will sing unto Jehovah, for he is highly exalted: The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Then Moses and the children of Israel sung this canticle to the Lord, and said: Let us sing to the Lord: for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and the rider he hath thrown into the sea.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
ENTONCES cantó Moisés y los hijos de Israel este cántico á Jehová, y dijeron: Cantaré yo á Jehová, porque se ha magnificado grandemente, echando en la mar al caballo y al que en él subía.
Então cantou Moisés e os filhos de Israel este cântico ao SENHOR, e disseram: Cantarei eu ao SENHOR, porque se triunfou grandemente, Lançando no mar ao cavalo e ao que nele subia.
Alors Moïse et les enfants d’ Israël chantèrent ce cantique à l’ Éternel. Ils dirent:
Da sang Mose und die Kinder Israel dies Lied dem HERRN und sprachen: Ich will dem HERRN singen, denn er hat eine herrliche Tat getan; Roß und Mann hat er ins Meer gestürzt.
Toen zong Mozes en de kinderen Israels de HEERE dit lied, en spraken, zeggende: Ik zal den HEERE zingen; want Hij is hogelijk verheven! Het paard en zijn ruiter heeft Hij in de zee geworpen.
Allora Mosè e i figliuoli d’Israele cantarono questo cantico all’Eterno, e dissero così: “Io cantero all’Eterno perché si è sommamente esaltato; ha precipitato in mare cavallo e cavaliere.
Zaśpiewał tedy Mojżesz i synowie Izraelscy tę pieśń Panu, a rzekli mówiąc: Śpiewać będę Panu, iż wielmożnie wywyższon jest; konia i jezdnego jego wrzucił w morze.
Пою Господу, ибо Он высоко превознесся; коня и всадника его ввергнул в море.
那時，摩西 和以色列 人 向耶和華 唱 歌 說：我要向耶和華 歌唱，因 他大大 戰勝，將馬 和騎馬的 投 在海中。
Then Moses and the children of Israel made this song to the Lord, and said, I will make a song to the Lord, for he is lifted up in glory: the horse and the horseman he has sent down into the sea.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 15:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Exodus 15:1 introduces the first biblical song, sung by Moses and all Israel immediately after the crossing of the Red Sea. Wesley notes that this shows singing was an act of worship before the ceremonial law, and Calvin emphasizes that the song serves as a public testimony to the miracle, with 600,000 men and their families as eyewitnesses. Barnes calls it the first and perfect expression of Israel's national poetry, and Keil and Delitzsch add that the song is not merely historical but provides the Church with materials for praise in every age, culminating in the song of Moses and the Lamb in Revelation 15:3. There is broad agreement that Moses authored the song (Barnes, Keil, Gill), and that its three-part structure (vv.1, 5, 6, 10, 11, 18) celebrates God's power in judgment and salvation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Exodus 15:1 records that Moses and the Israelites sang a song of praise to God immediately after their deliverance from the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Authorship of the song | Most commentators accept that Moses composed and led the song (Barnes, Keil, Gill; Wesley says he wrote it by inspiration). | Some modern critics question Mosaic authorship due to the song's poetic sophistication, but the supplied sources (Barnes, Keil) argue for internal consistency and early dating. |
| Meaning of 'rider' | All agree the phrase refers to those mounted on horses or in chariots, describing the Egyptian forces. | The Cambridge Bible notes a variant reading among some manuscripts that replaces 'rider' with 'chariot', though the Masoretic text is retained. Barnes specifies that 'rider' applies primarily to the charioteer, not separate cavalry. |
| Purpose of the song | The song functions as immediate praise for deliverance and as a testimony to future generations (Calvin, Gill). | Some see it primarily as a historical record; others emphasize its prophetic and typological role leading to Revelation 15 (Keil, Gill). Both are affirmed in the supplied commentaries. |
| Triumphed gloriously (literal translation) | The Hebrew construction <em>ga'oh ga'ah</em> is an emphatic infinitive absolute, conveying intensification, 'he is gloriously glorious' (Barnes). | No substantive debate; translations vary in phrasing ('highly exalted', 'triumphed gloriously') but agree on the effect. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The song of Exodus 15:1 is set at the eastern shore of the Red Sea, at a site tradition associates with the springs of Moses (Ayoun Musa), according to Jamieson-Fausset-Brown. The Israelites had just crossed on dry ground while the Egyptian army, chariots, horses, and riders, were drowned when the waters returned at dawn (Exodus 14:27). This event marked Israel's definitive liberation from slavery and the beginning of their journey to Sinai and the Promised Land.
Ancient Near Eastern victory songs were common after military triumphs; this one is unique in that the battle was entirely the Lord's. The Hebrew verb ga'ah, repeated for emphasis (''certainly exalted''), conveys the idea of rising up majestically (Cambridge Bible). Israel's response is immediate: they sing. The song employs imagery from the event, horse and rider hurled into the sea, and looks forward to its effect on surrounding nations (vv.14, 16). Moses, trained in Egyptian wisdom (Acts 7:22), likely drew on familiar poetic forms, but the content is entirely shaped by Yahweh's self-revelation as warrior and redeemer.
Literarily, this is the first of several biblical songs sung after great deliverances (cf. Judges 5; 2 Samuel 22; Revelation 15). It sets a pattern for corporate worship that is both spontaneous and structured, personal and national.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew Masoretic text of Exodus 15:1 is stable. The Cambridge Bible notes a possible variant for the word rokhevo (''his rider'') based on the Septuagint and a conjecture by Haupt, which would read ''the horse and the chariot'' (cf. Exodus 14:9). However, the standard reading is well-attested, and the imagery of rider (charioteer) fits the context. No other significant textual variants are reported in the supplied sources.
Reception History
The Song of Moses has been a cornerstone of both Jewish and Christian worship. Jewish tradition counts it as the second of ten songs sung in Scripture, with the first attributed to Adam (Gill). In the New Testament, Revelation 15:3 explicitly calls the final victory hymn the ''song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb,'' linking the Exodus deliverance to Christ's ultimate triumph. Early church fathers often read the Red Sea crossing as a type of baptism, with this song as the believer's response. Throughout history, the hymn has inspired countless poetic paraphrases and liturgical chants, and its themes echo in every age when God's people celebrate rescue from oppression.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Singing as Response to Salvation, Moses and the people sing because God has acted decisively. Their song is not a ritual but an overflow of gratitude. (Exodus 15:1a; Calvin)
- God's Triumph Over His Enemies, The imagery of horse and rider thrown into the sea declares that no human power can stand against the Lord. (v.1b; Barnes on ''triumphed gloriously'')
- A Pattern for Future Praise, This song echoes in Israel's worship and, in Revelation 15:3, becomes the song of the redeemed who have conquered the beast. (Keil and Delitzsch; Gill)
Five-point outline
- Historical memory, The song anchors the Exodus event in the people's collective identity. It is not abstract theology but testimony.
- Corporate worship, ''Moses and the children of Israel'' sing together. The community joins in one voice to honor God.
- God as warrior, He fights for His people; they do not lift a sword. The victory is entirely His.
- Poetry as proclamation, The elevated language of ''gloriously glorious'' (Barnes' literal rendering) magnifies the event beyond bare fact into praise.
- Eschatological assurance, The same power that overthrew Pharaoh will one day defeat all evil, and believers will sing a new song of deliverance.
Illustration hooks
- A family evacuated from a flood watches from higher ground as the waters subside; they embrace and sing a spontaneous song of relief.
- A sports team that was losing badly rallies to win at the final whistle, the celebration afterward is unrestrained, and the story is retold for years.
- In a worship service, a congregation sings a hymn that recalls a difficult year and God's sustaining grace; some in the pews wipe tears.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did Israel need to sing this song? Couldn't they just have said thank you?
- How can my own community sing when we still face difficult circumstances?
- What does this old song have to do with my life today?
Leading a Discussion
The Song of Moses marks a turning point in Israel's story: slavery is over, and the people are free. This passage invites us to consider how we respond when God works powerfully in our lives. It also hints that our greatest deliverance is still to come, when Christ returns to make all things new.
Discussion questions
- What had just happened that prompted this song? Read Exodus 14:30, 31 to refresh the context.
- Notice that the singing is a group action led by Moses. Why is corporate praise important in the life of faith?
- The Hebrew verb ''ga'ah'' (to rise up) is doubled: ''he is highly exalted.'' What does this repetition emphasize about God's character and action?
- How does the specific image of ''horse and rider'' being thrown into the sea show the completeness of God's victory? (See also Exodus 15:4, 21.)
- In Revelation 15:3, the ''song of Moses the servant of God'' is sung by those who overcome the beast. What does this connection tell us about the ultimate end of all tyranny?
- When has your small group or church experienced a ''Red Sea moment'', a time when God's deliverance was so clear that singing was the only fitting response?
- What keeps us from worshiping with the same wholehearted, immediate joy that Israel showed here? How can we cultivate that readiness to praise?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 14:17 | Behold, I myself will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in after them. I will get myself honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies, over his chariots, and over his horsemen. |
| Exodus 14:18 | The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh when I have gotten myself honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.” |
| Exodus 14:27 | Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. |
| Exodus 15:21 | Miriam answered them, “Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.” |
| Exodus 18:11 | Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.” |
| Judges 5:1 | Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, |
| Judges 5:31 | “So let all your enemies perish, Yahweh, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years. |
| II Samuel 22:1 | David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that poetry has been cultivated among all peoples throughout history, and under God's providence poetry preserved the earliest records of ancient nations. The song of Moses and Israel is part of this tradition, celebrating deliverance through vivid, poetic recounting of God's power.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes treats this song as the first and perfect expression of Israel's national poetry, written by Moses at the time. He draws attention to its three-part structure and the literal meaning of key phrases, such as "He is gloriously glorious" and "Jah is His name," linking them to the divine promise. He also contrasts the enemy's frantic, greedy speech with the solemn majesty of God's act.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that Moses wrote this song not just as an act of gratitude but as a legal confirmation of history; an entire nation of eyewitnesses sang it aloud together. The fact that many of them later fell into ingratitude actually strengthens the song's credibility, since they confessed against their own future behavior.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary notes that the common rendering "hath triumphed gloriously" comes from Sebastian Münster's Latin version, while the Hebrew verb more literally means to rise up majestically. On "the horse and his rider," the commentator observes the word for rider can mean either a horse rider or a chariot rider; since Egyptians had no cavalry at the Exodus, it likely refers to chariot riders, and the original may have read "the horse and the chariot."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that this song of Moses is a direct celebration of God's decisive victory over the enemy's full military strength. The horse and rider represent the pride and power of Egypt, and the Lord overthrew them completely in the sea, leaving no doubt that the triumph belongs to Him alone.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this song as a prophetic type, not just history. He connects it to the Jewish tradition of ten songs and points ahead to Revelation's song of Moses and the Lamb, sung when spiritual Egypt falls. For Gill, Moses himself stands as a type of Christ, and Israel's deliverance foreshadows the church's final redemption.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the Israelites, despite their uneducated background and rough character, could still grasp the song's core sentiment of gratitude. The commentator stresses that every person, old and young, was called to join in singing because each individual had a personal reason to give thanks.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch read the Song
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange defends the song of Moses as genuinely from the Exodus period, not
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the singing of psalms as an act of worship predates the ceremonial law, appearing in this song by Moses. Therefore it is not part of the law nor abolished with it. Singing is the language of holy joy, and all praise must terminate in God, who triumphs.