Passage

Exodus 14.13

Book: Exodus · ASV

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"11. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt? 12. Is not this the word that we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."

"13. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will work for you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever."

"14. Jehovah will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 15. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." (Exodus 14:11-15, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"11. They said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us out of Egypt? 12. Isn’t this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”"

"13. Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again."

"14. Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still.” 15. Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward." (Exodus 14:11-15, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"11. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12. Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."

"13. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. ^{for the: or, for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians to day}"

"14. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 15. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:" (Exodus 14:11-15, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"11. And they say unto Moses, 'Because there are no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in a wilderness? what is this thou hast done to us, to bring us out from Egypt? 12. Is not this the word which we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Cease from us, and we serve the Egyptians; for better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in a wilderness?'"

"13. And Moses saith unto the people, 'Fear not, station yourselves, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which He doth for you to-day; for, as ye have seen the Egyptians to-day, ye add no more to see them, to the age;"

"14. Jehovah doth fight for you, and ye keep silent.' 15. And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'What? thou criest unto Me, speak unto the sons of Israel, and they journey;" (Exodus 14:11-15, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: Moses, addressing the assembled Israelites at the edge of the Red Sea
Audience: the panicked nation, with Pharaoh's army closing behind them
Location: the shore of the Yam Suph (Sea of Reeds / Red Sea), eastern frontier of Egypt
Time period: the Exodus, traditional date c. 1446 BC (early-date) or c. 1260 BC (late-date)

Theological reading

Ex 14:13 is the inaugural OT yeshuʿah-confession. Israel stands trapped between the sea and Pharaoh's chariots; Moses' response is not a battle-plan but a posture-prescription: stand still, and see. The yeshuʿah of YHWH is something He works for them, not something they accomplish. The verse establishes the OT-pattern that runs through the Psalms, Isaiah, Jonah, and Habakkuk: salvation is YHWH's act, and the human response is to behold it. The text is foundational for the Reformed-Calvinist salus ex Domino maxim (cf. Jonah 2:9) and for the broader biblical-theological pattern that ties physical deliverance to spiritual salvation; the same word names both. The NT inherits this exactly: Christ's saving work is something done for sinners, and the response of faith is to see (John 3:14-15, deliberately echoing the Mosaic-deliverance idiom).

Key words

H3444 - yeshuah, yeshuʿah (Strong's H3444). The OT salvation-noun; this verse is its inaugural deployment.

Quoted in

H3444 - yeshuah

Notes

Stub. Promote to rich hub when warranted.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.