John Calvin Commentary Exodus 14:21

"And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Jehovah caused the sea to go [back] by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided." — Exodus 14:21 (ASV)

And Moses stretched out. We have already said that the passage was free and convenient for the Israelites by night, since the pillar of fire replenished their side with light. Certainly, so great a multitude could not reach the opposite shore in an hour or two.

The Israelites then passed over from evening until dawn. Then the Egyptians, having discovered that they were gone, hastened to follow so they could attack their rear.

Now, though Moses uses no ornaments of language in celebrating this miracle, the bare recital ought to be sufficient. Therefore, it is more powerful in awakening our admiration than any rhetorical coloring and magnificent eloquence.

For who would desire loud exclamations to be moved to the highest admiration of the divine power, when he is told simply and in a few words that the sea was divided by the rod of Moses, that enough dry space appeared for the people's passage, and that the mighty mass of waters stood like solid rocks on either side?

Intentionally, then, he has set the whole matter before our eyes, bare of all verbal splendor. This is so, although it will soon after be celebrated in accordance with its dignity in the Canticle, and is everywhere more splendidly magnified by the Prophets and in the Psalms.

In this passage, let us learn—just as if Moses were leading us to the actual event—to fix our eyes on the prospect of God’s inestimable power, which cannot be sufficiently expressed by any number or force of words.

But Moses is very careful not to arrogate to himself more than is proper, so as not to detract from the praise of God. He had previously been commanded to divide the sea with his uplifted rod; he now changes the form of expression, namely, that the waters went back by the command of God.

Thus, content with the role of a servant, he makes God alone, as was fitting, the author of the miracle.

But although it was within God’s power to dispel the waters without any movement of the air, yet, so that He might show that all nature was obedient to Him and governed at His will, He chose to raise the strong east wind.

Meanwhile, it is to be remembered that the sea could not be dried by any wind, however strong, unless it had been effected by the secret power of the Spirit, beyond the ordinary operation of nature. On this point, see my previous annotations on Exodus 10:13 and 10:19.