Exodus 15:9

Easy-to-Read Version

"The enemy said, ‘I'll chase them and catch them. I'll take all their riches. I'll take it all with my sword. I'll take everything for myself.'

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

King James Version
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Lexham English Bible
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide plunder, my desire will be full of them, I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

New Century Version
"The enemy bragged, ‘I'll chase them and catch them. I'll take all their riches; I'll take all I want. I'll pull out my sword, and my hand will destroy them.'

New English Translation
The enemy said, ‘I will chase, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

Amplified Bible
"The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied against them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall dispossess them and drive them out.'

New American Standard Bible
"The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils; I shall be satisfied against them; I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
The enemie sayd, I wil pursue, I wil ouertake them, I will deuide the spoyle, my lust shall bee satisfied vpon them, I will drawe my sworde, mine hand shall destroy them.

Legacy Standard Bible
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;My desire shall be fulfilled against them;I will draw out my sword, my hand will dispossess them.'

Contemporary English Version
Your enemies boasted that they would pursue and capture us, divide up our possessions, treat us as they wished, then take out their swords and kill us right there.

Complete Jewish Bible
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue and overtake, divide the spoil and gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.'

Darby Translation
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul shall be sated upon them; I will unsheath my sword, my hand shall dispossess them.

English Standard Version
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.'

George Lamsa Translation
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul will devour them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Good News Translation
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue them and catch them; I will divide their wealth and take all I want; I will draw my sword and take all they have.'

Christian Standard Bible®
The enemy said:“I will pursue, I will overtake,I will divide the spoil.My desire will be gratified at their expense.I will draw my sword;my hand will destroy them.”

Literal Translation
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul shall be filled with them; I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The enemie thought: I will folowe vpon them, and ouertake them, and deuyde ye spoyle, and coole my mynde vpon them. I wil drawe out my swerde, and my hande shal destroye them.

American Standard Version
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Bible in Basic English
Egypt said, I will go after them, I will overtake, I will make division of their goods: my desire will have its way with them; my sword will be uncovered, my hand will send destruction on them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The enemie sayde, I wyll folowe [on the] I wyll ouertake [them] I wyll deuide the spoyle, and my lust shalbe satisfied vppon them: I wyll drawe my sworde, myne hande shall destroy them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The enemy said: 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

King James Version (1611)
The enemie said, I will pursue, I wil ouertake, I wil diuide the spoile: my lust shall be satisfied vpon them: I will draw my sword, mine hand shall destroy them.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils; I will satisfy my soul, I will destroy with my sword, my hand shall have dominion.

English Revised Version
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil: My lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Berean Standard Bible
The enemy declared, 'I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The enemy seide, Y schal pursue, and Y schal take; Y schal departe spuylis, my soule schal be fillid. I schal drawe out my swerde; myn hond schal sle hem.

Young's Literal Translation
The enemy said, I pursue, I overtake; I apportion spoil; Filled is my soul with them; I draw out my sword; My hand destroyeth them: --

Update Bible Version
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Webster's Bible Translation
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

World English Bible
The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

New King James Version
The enemy said, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, My hand shall destroy them.'

New Living Translation
"The enemy boasted, ‘I will chase them and catch up with them. I will plunder them and consume them. I will flash my sword; my powerful hand will destroy them.'

New Life Bible
Those who hated us said, ‘I will go after them. I will catch them. I will divide the riches taken from them. My soul will have its way against them. I will take out my sword and my hand will destroy them.'

New Revised Standard
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Said the fee - I will pursue - overtake divide spoil, - Take her fill of them - shall my soul, I will bare my sword, root them out - shall my hand.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The enemy said: I will pursue and overtake, I will divide the spoils, my soul shall have its fill: I will draw my sword, my hand shall slay them.

Revised Standard Version
The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

THE MESSAGE
The enemy spoke, "I'll pursue, I'll hunt them down, I'll divide up the plunder, I'll glut myself on them; I'll pull out my sword, my fist will send them reeling."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be gratified against them; I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

Contextual Overview

¹ Then Moses and the Israelites began singing this song to the Lord : "I will sing to the Lord ! He has done great things. He threw horse and rider into the sea. ² The Lord is my strength. He saves me, and I sing songs of praise to him. He is my God, and I praise him. He is the God of my ancestors, and I honor him. ³ The Lord is a great soldier. The Lord is his name. ⁴ He threw Pharaoh's chariots and soldiers into the sea. Pharaoh's very best soldiers drowned in the Red Sea. ⁵ The deep water covered them, and they sank to the bottom like rocks. ⁶ " Lord , your right hand is amazingly strong. With your right hand, Lord , you broke the enemy to pieces. ⁷ In your great majesty you destroyed those who stood against you. Your anger destroyed them, like fire burning straw. ⁸ The wind you sent in anger piled the water high. The flowing water became a wall, solid to its deepest parts. ⁹ "The enemy said, ‘I'll chase them and catch them. I'll take all their riches. I'll take it all with my sword. I'll take everything for myself.' ¹⁰ But you blew on them and covered them with the sea. They sank like lead into the deep sea.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I will pursue: Genesis 49:27, Judges 5:30, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Kings 20:10, Isaiah 10:8-13, Isaiah 36:20, Isaiah 53:12, Habakkuk 3:14, Luke 11:22

destroy: or, repossess, Exodus 14:5, Exodus 14:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:23 - General Deuteronomy 11:4 - how he made Joshua 8:6 - They flee Judges 20:41 - were amazed 1 Samuel 23:7 - he is shut 1 Kings 20:3 - General 2 Kings 3:23 - now therefore 2 Kings 19:24 - with the sole 2 Chronicles 32:14 - your God Esther 8:12 - one day Job 20:5 - the triumphing Psalms 10:3 - boasteth Psalms 12:3 - tongue Psalms 17:10 - with Psalms 35:25 - so Psalms 37:36 - General Psalms 64:5 - encourage Psalms 76:10 - Surely Psalms 94:4 - boast Psalms 106:10 - And he Psalms 124:6 - who hath not Proverbs 11:7 - General Proverbs 16:19 - than Proverbs 27:22 - General Isaiah 33:10 - now will I be exalted Isaiah 37:24 - By the Isaiah 51:13 - were ready Jeremiah 31:2 - The people Jeremiah 46:8 - I will go Jeremiah 46:17 - Pharaoh Ezekiel 21:3 - will draw Ezekiel 38:11 - go up Daniel 3:19 - he spake Daniel 4:31 - the word Luke 1:51 - he hath scattered 1 Thessalonians 5:3 - then James 3:5 - so James 4:6 - God

Cross-References

Genesis 22:13
Then Abraham noticed a ram whose horns were caught in a bush. So Abraham went and took the ram. He offered it, instead of his son, as a sacrifice to God.

Leviticus 1:3
"If you offer one of your cattle as a burnt offering, it must be a bull that has nothing wrong with it. You must take the animal to the entrance of the Meeting Tent where the Lord will accept the offering.

Leviticus 1:10
"If you offer a sheep or a goat as a burnt offering, it must be a male that has nothing wrong with it.

Leviticus 1:14
"If you offer a bird as a burnt offering to the Lord , that bird must be a dove or a young pigeon.

Leviticus 3:1
"If you offer one of your cattle as a fellowship offering, it can be a bull or a cow. But the animal you offer to the Lord must have nothing wrong with it.

Leviticus 3:6
"If you offer a sheep or a goat as a fellowship offering to the Lord , whether it is a male or a female, it must have nothing wrong with it.

Leviticus 9:2
He said to Aaron, "Take a bull and a ram. There must be nothing wrong with them. The bull will be a sin offering, and the ram will be a burnt offering. Offer these animals to the Lord .

Leviticus 9:4
Take a bull and a ram for fellowship offerings. Take these animals and a grain offering mixed with oil for an offering to the Lord . Do this because the Lord will appear to you today.'"

Leviticus 14:22
and two doves or two young pigeons. Even poor people can afford these things. One bird will be a sin offering, and the other will be a burnt offering.

Leviticus 14:30
"Then the priest must offer one of the doves or young pigeons. (He must offer whichever the person can afford.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The enemy said,.... That is, Pharaoh, who repented that he had let Israel go; an emblem of Satan, who when the people of God are taken out of his hands is uneasy at it, and seeks to recover them again into his possession; or of antichrist breathing out threatening and slaughter to the saints, the reformers departed from him, and delivered out of his captivity:

I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; which words being expressed without the copulative "and", show the passion he was in, the hastiness of his expressions, and the eagerness of his mind; and being delivered in such an absolute manner, "I will", "I will", c. denote not only the fixed resolution and determination he had made to pursue, but the assurance he had of carrying his point he thought as surely, as he pursued he should overtake, and overtaking should conquer, and get into his hands all the riches the people of Israel went out of Egypt with:

my lust shall be satified upon them; both his lust of covetousness to possess himself of the wealth the people had of their own, and which they had spoiled the Egyptians of, by borrowing of them; and also his lust of revenge and cruelty upon them; as appears from what follows:

I will draw my sword; out of its scabbard, and sheathe it in them:

my hand shall destroy them; which he made no doubt of, they being an unarmed people; and therefore, though numerous, were unable to engage with him, and defend themselves; see Revelation 6:14 and with it compare Isaiah 10:11.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

With the deliverance of Israel is associated the development of the national poetry, which finds its first and perfect expression in this magnificent hymn. It was sung by Moses and the people, an expression which evidently points to him as the author. That it was written at the time is an assertion expressly made in the text, and it is supported by the strongest internal evidence. In every age this song gave the tone to the poetry of Israel; especially at great critical epochs of deliverance: and in the book of Revelation Exodus 15:3 it is associated with the final triumph of the Church.

The division of the song into three parts is distinctly marked: Exodus 15:1-5; Exodus 15:6-10; Exodus 15:11-18 : each begins with an ascription of praise to God; each increases in length and varied imagery unto the triumphant close.

Exodus 15:1

He hath triumphed gloriously - Literally, He is gloriously glorious.

The horse and his rider - The word “rider” may include horseman, but applies properly to the charioteer.

Exodus 15:2

The Lord is my strength and song - My strength and song is Jah. See Psalms 68:4. The name was chosen here by Moses to draw attention to the promise ratified by the name “I am.”

I will prepare Him an habitation - I will glorify Him. Our Authorized Version is open to serious objection, as suggesting a thought (namely, of erecting a temple) which could hardly have been in the mind of Moses at that time, and unsuited to the occasion.

Exodus 15:3

A man of war - Compare Psalms 24:8. The name has on this occasion a special fitness: man had no part in the victory; the battle was the Lord’s.

The Lord is his name - “Jah is His name.” See Exodus 15:2.

Exodus 15:4

Hath He cast - “Hurled,” as from a sling. See Exodus 14:27.

His chosen captains - See Exodus 14:7 note.

Exodus 15:5

As a stone - The warriors in chariots are always represented on the monuments with heavy coats of mail; the corslets of “chosen captains” consisted of plates of highly tempered bronze, with sleeves reaching nearly to the elbow, covering the whole body and the thighs nearly to the knee. The wearers must have sunk at once like a stone, or as we read in Exodus 5:10, like lumps of lead.

Exodus 15:7

Thy wrath - Literally, Thy burning, i. e. the fire of Thy wrath, a word chosen expressly with reference to the effect.

Exodus 15:8

The blast of God’s nostrils corresponds to the natural agency, the east wind Exodus 14:21, which drove the waters back: on the north the waters rose high, overhanging the sands, but kept back by the strongwind: on the south they laid in massive rollers, kept down by the same agency in the deep bed of the Red Sea.

Exodus 15:9

The enemy said - The abrupt, gasping utterances; the haste, cupidity and ferocity of the Egyptians; the confusion and disorder of their thoughts, belong to the highest order of poetry. They enable us to realize the feelings which induced Pharaoh and his host to pursue the Israelites over the treacherous sandbanks.

Exodus 15:10

Thou didst blow with thy wind - Notice the solemn majesty of these few words, in immediate contrast with the tumult and confusion of the preceding verse. In Exodus 14:28, we read only, “the waters returned,” here we are told that it was because the wind blew. A sudden change in the direction of the wind would bring back at once the masses of water heaped up on the north.

They sank as lead - See the note at Exodus 15:5.

Exodus 15:11

Among the gods - Compare Psalms 86:8; Deuteronomy 32:16-17. A Hebrew just leaving the land in which polytheism attained its highest development, with gigantic statues and temples of incomparable grandeur, might well on such an occasion dwell upon this consummation of the long series of triumphs by which the “greatness beyond compare” of Yahweh was once for all established.

Exodus 15:13

Thy holy habitation - Either Palestine, regarded as the land of promise, sanctified by manifestations of God to the Patriarchs, and destined to be both the home of God’s people, and the place where His glory and purposes were to be perfectly revealed: or Mount Moriah.

Exodus 15:14

The inhabitants of Palestina - i. e. the country of the Philistines. They were the first who would expect an invasion, and the first whose district would have been invaded but for the faintheartedness of the Israelites.

Exodus 15:15

The dukes of Edom - See Genesis 36:15. It denotes the chieftains, not the kings of Edom.

The mighty men of Moab - The physical strength and great stature of the Moabites are noted in other passages: see Jeremiah 48:29, Jeremiah 48:41.

Canaan - The name in this, as in many passages of Genesis, designates the whole of Palestine: and is used of course with reference to the promise to Abraham. It was known to the Egyptians, and occurs frequently on the monuments as Pa-kanana, which applies, if not to the whole of Palestine, yet to the northern district under Lebanon, which the Phoenicians occupied and called “Canaan.”

Exodus 15:17

In the mountain of thine inheritance - See Exodus 15:13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 15:9. The enemy said — As this song was composed by Divine inspiration, we may rest assured that these words were spoken by Pharaoh and his captains, and the passions they describe felt, in their utmost sway, in their hearts; but how soon was their boasting confounded? "Thou didst blow with thy wind, and the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters!"