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Ex 14:1-31.
繁體中文
英語原文
Ex 14:1-31.
GOD INSTRUCTS THE ISRAELITES AS TO THEIR JOURNEY.
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繁體中文
2. 你吩咐以色列人轉回，安營在——以色列人如今已完成三日的行程，到了以倘便須作出決定性的步驟：是守他們預定的節期後返回，還是沿紅海的頭部進入曠野，以求最終離去。他們已經在曠野的邊界上，再走一段短程便可脫離追趕的範圍，因為埃及的戰車在乾旱鬆軟的沙土上難以推進。但在以倘，他們並沒有帶著海在右側向東推進行程，反而突然奉命轉而向南，讓海灣保持在左側；這條路線不但使他們在埃及邊境逗留徘徊，而且採取這條路線時，他們實際上是背向他們起先要得那地而行。如此出乎意料、且最終目的被小心隱瞞的行動，不能不引起眾人的驚奇，甚至摩西本人亦然；不過，他既完全信靠其屬天嚮導的智慧與能力，便遵命而行。其目的是要誘使法老追趕，好使那降於埃及的審判在釋放上帝百姓脫離奴役上所產生的道德影響，能藉著紅海邊所行的可怕事件，進一步擴展到列國。
比哈希錄——即隘口或通道的口——這描述很適合 Bedea，它從尼羅河延伸而出，開口於紅海岸邊。
密奪——即堡壘或要塞。
巴力洗分——對岸或東岸某處顯著的地點。
英語原文
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp--The Israelites had now completed their three days' journey, and at Etham the decisive step would have to be taken whether they would celebrate their intended feast and return, or march onwards by the head of the Red Sea into the desert, with a view to a final departure. They were already on the borders of the desert, and a short march would have placed them beyond the reach of pursuit, as the chariots of Egypt could have made little progress over dry and yielding sand. But at Etham, instead of pursuing their journey eastward with the sea on their right, they were suddenly commanded to diverge to the south, keeping the gulf on their left; a route which not only detained them lingering on the confines of Egypt, but, in adopting it, they actually turned their backs on the land of which they had set out to obtain the possession. A movement so unexpected, and of which the ultimate design was carefully concealed, could not but excite the astonishment of all, even of Moses himself, although, from his implicit faith in the wisdom and power of his heavenly Guide, he obeyed. The object was to entice Pharaoh to pursue, in order that the moral effect, which the judgments on Egypt had produced in releasing God's people from bondage, might be still further extended over the nations by the awful events transacted at the Red Sea.
Pi-hahiroth--the mouth of the defile, or pass--a description well suited to that of Bedea, which extended from the Nile and opens on the shore of the Red Sea.
Migdol--a fortress or citadel.
Baal-zephon--some marked site on the opposite or eastern coast.
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繁體中文
3. 曠野把他們困住了——法老必急切地窺伺他們的動向，如今既滿意於他們正在謀求逃亡，便很自然地認為：他們因進入那隘口而似乎陷入的錯誤，使他可以從中攔截他們。他相信他們如今已完全在其權下——山脈在一側，海在另一側——因此他若從後方追趕，逃脫便似不可能。
英語原文
3. the wilderness hath shut them in--Pharaoh, who would eagerly watch their movements, was now satisfied that they were meditating flight, and he naturally thought from the error into which they appeared to have fallen by entering that defile, he could intercept them. He believed them now entirely in his power, the mountain chain being on one side, the sea on the other, so that, if he pursued them in the rear, escape seemed impossible.
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繁體中文
5. 法老和他的臣僕就向百姓變心等語——唉，這個被棄絕的王其頑梗何等迅速地重現！他被說服了，卻未被改變——被天上那些可畏的審判所懾服，卻未被其成聖。他痛悔自己如今認為是輕率的讓步。驕傲與復仇、王國的尊嚴、臣民的利益，都促使他收回成命，要追回那些逃跑的奴隸、迫使他們回到慣常的勞役中。奇怪的是，他竟仍容讓這些考慮抹煞或壓過他一切痛苦的經歷——那些壓迫那百姓之危險的經歷。但主所定意毀滅的人，必先被罪所昏昧。
英語原文
5. the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, &c.--Alas, how soon the obduracy of this reprobate king reappears! He had been convinced, but not converted--overawed, but not sanctified by the appalling judgments of heaven. He bitterly repented of what he now thought a hasty concession. Pride and revenge, the honor of his kingdom, and the interests of his subjects, all prompted him to recall his permission to reclaim those runaway slaves and force them to their wonted labor. Strange that he should yet allow such considerations to obliterate or outweigh all his painful experience of the danger of oppressing that people. But those whom the Lord has doomed to destruction are first infatuated by sin.
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繁體中文
6, 7. 他便預備車輛——他為立即而猛烈的追趕所作的準備在此描述：「特選的戰車」與「埃及的戰車」之間有所區別。前者顯然組成王的禁衛軍，共六百輛，被稱為「特選」，直譯為「第三人」；每輛戰車分派三人——御者與兩名戰士。至於「埃及的戰車」，普通的戰車只載兩人——一人駕車、一人爭戰；有時戰車中只有一人，駕車者將繮繩繫在身上爭戰；步兵完全不適用於迅速的追趕，而埃及人沒有騎兵，因此「騎兵」一詞在語法關係上被用來指所用的戰車——這些都是輕便構造、後面敞開、裝在小輪子上的。
英語原文
6, 7. he made ready his chariot--His preparations for an immediate and hot pursuit are here described: A difference is made between "the chosen chariots" and "the chariots of Egypt." The first evidently composed the king's guard, amounting to six hundred, and they are called "chosen," literally, "third men"; three men being allotted to each chariot, the charioteer and two warriors. As to "the chariots of Egypt," the common cars contained only two persons, one for driving and the other for fighting; sometimes only one person was in the chariot, the driver lashed the reins round his body and fought; infantry being totally unsuitable for a rapid pursuit, and the Egyptians having had no cavalry, the word "riders" is in the grammatical connection applied to war chariots employed, and these were of light construction, open behind, and hung on small wheels.
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繁體中文
10. 法老臨近的時候，以色列人舉目看見——以色列人極大的驚惶有些令人費解——考量到他們在人數上的極大優勢；但他們看見這武裝大軍時那深沉的沮丧與絕望的絕望，可從以下事實得到圓滿的解釋：埃及社會的文明狀態要求一切兵器除服役時外都須收起。以色列人若在離去時完全沒有武裝，便不可能考慮任何抵抗
〔WILKINSON 及 HENGSTENBERG〕。
英語原文
10. when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes--The great consternation of the Israelites is somewhat astonishing, considering their vast superiority in numbers, but their deep dismay and absolute despair at the sight of this armed host receives a satisfactory explanation from the fact that the civilized state of Egyptian society required the absence of all arms, except when they were on service. If the Israelites were entirely unarmed at their departure, they could not think of making any resistance [WILKINSON and HENGSTENBERG].
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繁體中文
13, 14. 摩西說……不要懼怕、只管站住，看耶和華今天向你們所要施行的救恩——也許從未有一個人的堅忍受到像希伯來領袖在此危機中那樣嚴格的試驗，他暴露在各樣不可避免的危險中，其中最可怕的是叛亂而絕望的群眾之報復；但他那溫和、不驚不亂、寬宏大量的鎮定，提供了歷史上最崇高的道德勇氣榜樣之一。他的勇氣從何而來？他看見那神蹟的雲彩仍伴隨著他們，他的信心完全來自對上帝干預的盼望——雖然他可能在每一個方向尋找那所期望的拯救，卻獨未想到從海的方向而來。
英語原文
13, 14. Moses said, . . . Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord--Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the sublimest examples of moral courage to be found in history. And whence did his courage arise? He saw the miraculous cloud still accompanying them, and his confidence arose solely from the hope of a divine interposition, although, perhaps, he might have looked for the expected deliverance in every quarter, rather than in the direction of the sea.
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繁體中文
*15-18. 耶和華對摩西說：你為甚麼向我哀求呢？*等語——當他在禱告中得到上帝前進的命令時，他便不再懷疑這龐大群眾的拯救將以何種神蹟來成就。
英語原文
15-18. the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? &c.--When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation of his mighty charge was to be effected.
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繁體中文
19. 上帝的使者——即雲柱
〔見 出 13:21〕。
那宏偉的柱體緩慢而無聲地在空中移動，並占據他們後方的位置，必引起了以色列人的驚奇
（賽 58:8）。 它在他們與追趕者之間是一道有效的屏障，不但保護他們，也隱藏其行動。如此，同一雲彩向上帝的百姓產生光（恩寵的象徵），向他們的仇敵產生黑暗（震怒的象徵）
（比較 林後 2:16）。
英語原文
19. the angel of God--that is, the pillar of cloud [see on
Ex 13:21].
The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air, and occupying a position behind them must have excited the astonishment of the Israelites
(Isa 58:8).
It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud produced light (a symbol of favor) to the people of God, and darkness (a symbol of wrath) to their enemies (compare
2Co 2:16).
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繁體中文
21. 摩西向海伸杖等語——在這場合杖的揮動極為重要，要在聚集的以色列人面前公開認證摩西的品格及其所受的神聖使命。
耶和華……用强烈的東風那一夜——假設風所造成的只是退潮、將水在一側升至極高，然而既然不僅有「乾地」，而且按聖經敘述的內容，左右兩邊都有牆
〔出 14:22〕，
在那種自然原因的假設下，要在另一側也築起牆是不可能的。因此上帝干預的觀念是必須的；假設渡海是在 Mount Attakah 或 Wady Tawarik 口進行的，東風便會沿那條線劃開海水。然而，希伯來文 kedem 一詞——我們的譯本譯作「東」——其原本含義是 以前的；因此本節也許可譯作：「耶和華用强烈的以前的風使海退去那一夜」；這譯法可以消除以色列大軍頂著一股足以將水堆成牆的強風在沙上行進的困難，並給出上帝干預的明白敘述。
英語原文
21. Moses stretched out his hand, &c.--The waving of the rod was of great importance on this occasion to give public attestation in the presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses and the divine mission with which he was charged.
the Lord caused . . . a strong east wind all that night--Suppose a mere ebb tide caused by the wind, raising the water to a great height on one side, still as there was not only "dry land," but, according to the tenor of the sacred narrative, a wall on the right hand and on the left
[Ex 14:22],
it would be impossible on the hypothesis of such a natural cause to rear the wall on the other. The idea of divine interposition, therefore, is imperative; and, assuming the passage to have been made at Mount Attakah, or at the mouth of Wady Tawarik, an east wind would cut the sea in that line. The Hebrew word kedem, however, rendered in our translation, "east," means, in its primary signification, previous; so that this verse might, perhaps, be rendered, "the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong previous wind all that night"; a rendering which would remove the difficulty of supposing the host of Israel marched over on the sand, in the teeth of a rushing column of wind, strong enough to heap up the waters as a wall on each side of a dry path, and give the intelligible narrative of divine interference.
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繁體中文
22. 以色列人下海中走乾地等語——很可能摩西與亞倫首先踏上那未經踐踏的沙土，鼓勵百姓毫無畏懼地跟隨他——不畏那危險的兩壁；當我們考量到跟隨他的群眾之眾、其中因嬰孩與老邁而不能加快腳步的大量人數、以及營中的一切用具，領袖們之信心的堅強與穩固便顯著地表現出來
（書 2:10；4:23；詩 66:6；74:13；106:9；136:13；賽 63:11-13；林前 10:1；來 11:29）。
英語原文
22. the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, &c.--It is highly probable that Moses, along with Aaron, first planted his footsteps on the untrodden sand, encouraging the people to follow him without fear of the treacherous walls; and when we take into account the multitudes that followed him, the immense number who through infancy and old age were incapable of hastening their movements, together with all the appurtenances of the camp, the strong and steadfast character of the leaders' faith was strikingly manifested
(Jos 2:10; 4:23; Ps 66:6; 74:13; 106:9; 136:13; Isa 63:11-13; 1Co 10:1; Heb 11:29).
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繁體中文
23. 埃及人追趕他們，都跟著下到海中——由於攔截的雲所造成的黑暗，他們很可能不知道自己所馳騁的是甚麼地面：他們聽見前面逃亡者的聲音，便以報血仇者的狂怒向前推進，做夢也沒有想到自己正奔馳在見底的海床上。
英語原文
23. the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea--From the darkness caused by the intercepting cloud, it is probable that they were not aware on what ground they were driving: they heard the sound of the fugitives before them, and they pushed on with the fury of the avengers of blood, without dreaming that they were on the bared bed of the sea.
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繁體中文
24, 25. 耶和華……在雲中觀看……使埃及人的軍隊混亂——我們推想事實是這樣的：雲柱朝向埃及人的一側突然照亮片刻，那輝煌的光芒閃爍在先前濃厚的黑暗之上，使追趕者的馬匹驚恐，以致混亂地衝撞在一起、難以控制。「我們逃跑吧」——這呼聲在潰散顫抖的行列中迴響，但已太遲；一切逃走的嘗試都是徒然的〔BUSH〕。
英語原文
24, 25. Lord looked . . . through . . . the cloud, and troubled them--We suppose the fact to have been that the side of the pillar of cloud towards the Egyptians was suddenly, and for a few moments, illuminated with a blaze of light, which, coming as it were in a refulgent flash upon the dense darkness which had preceded, so frightened the horses of the pursuers that they rushed confusedly together and became unmanageable. "Let us flee," was the cry that resounded through the broken and trembling ranks, but it was too late; all attempts at flight were vain [BUSH].
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繁體中文
27. 摩西就向海伸杖等語——還有甚麼情境能比這更清楚地證明此事的奇蹟性質呢？摩西的杖一揮，分開的海水便讓出乾涸的河道；而當他在對側作出同樣的動作，海水便以頃刻之間的狂暴彼此匯合。退潮豈有如此特徵？
英語原文
27. Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, &c.--What circumstances could more clearly demonstrate the miraculous character of this transaction than that at the waving of Moses' rod, the dividing waters left the channel dry, and on his making the same motion on the opposite side, they returned, commingling with instantaneous fury? Is such the character of any ebb tide?
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繁體中文
28. 連一個也沒有剩下——令人驚訝的是，有此明確的宣告，竟仍有些有識之士堅稱沒有證據顯示法老本人也一同滅亡
（詩 106:11）。
英語原文
28. there remained not so much as one of them--It is surprising that, with such a declaration, some intelligent writers can maintain there is no evidence of the destruction of Pharaoh himself
(Ps 106:11).
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繁體中文
30. 以色列人看見埃及人的死屍都在海邊等語——潮水將屍體沖上沙灘，堆積甚多；這結果使埃及人更蒙羞辱，另一方面卻使以色列人的勝利更為輝煌，並且無疑使他們獲得了此前所沒有的兵器。這著名過海之處的地點，至今尚未能確定，恐怕也永遠無法令人滿意地確定。有人把它定在蘇伊士附近；據他們說，那一帶的海面最易受「強烈的東風」
〔出 14:21〕 影響；從密奪（今 Muktala）隘口出來的道路直通此地；而且那裏海面不過兩英里寬，短時間內即可渡過。然而絕大多數實地考察過的人都不接受此說，而按當地傳統，將過海之處定在沿海而下約十至十二英里的 Wady Tawarik。「這奇蹟發生的時間是整整一夜，而那個季節的夜晚大約是一般的長度。該處海面寬六英里半至八英里。因此以色列人從谷中任何一處渡海，時間都綽綽有餘，何況他們因上帝施恩奇妙地為他們干預而振奮激昂」〔WILSON〕。
英語原文
30. Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore, &c.--The tide threw them up and left multitudes of corpses on the beach; a result that brought greater infamy on the Egyptians, but that tended, on the other hand, to enhance the triumph of the Israelites, and doubtless enriched them with arms, which they had not before. The locality of this famous passage has not yet been, and probably never will be, satisfactorily fixed. Some place it in the immediate neighborhood of Suez; where, they say, the part of the sea is most likely to be affected by "a strong east wind"
[Ex 14:21];
where the road from the defile of Migdol (now Muktala) leads directly to this point; and where the sea, not above two miles broad, could be crossed in a short time. The vast majority, however, who have examined the spot, reject this opinion, and fix the passage, as does local tradition, about ten or twelve miles further down the shore at Wady Tawarik. "The time of the miracle was the whole night, at the season of the year, too, when the night would be about its average length. The sea at that point extends from six and a half to eight miles in breadth. There was thus ample time for the passage of the Israelites from any part of the valley, especially considering their excitement and animation by the gracious and wonderful interposition of Providence in their behalf" [WILSON].
Ex 14:1-31.
上帝指示以色列人的行程。