John Calvin Commentary Exodus 15

Then sang Moses. Moses introduced this song not only as a testimony to his gratitude but also as a confirmation of the history. For the song he dictated to the Israelites was not about an unknown event; instead, he brought them forward as eyewitnesses, so that all ages might know that nothing up to this point had been written which had not been openly declared by 600,000 men, in addition to their wives and children.

Moses, therefore, set the example in keeping with his office, while the people, by singing with him, testified their approval in a way that allows no contradiction. For to whom could they have lied, since they were each other’s witnesses, and the song was heard by no strangers?

Moses seems to indicate their confidence by the Hebrew repetition, “they spoke, saying.” For this reason, too, their confession, declared by all of them, is more credible, because most of them soon after gave in to ingratitude: from this we gather that they only gave God glory under compulsion.

But, although Moses was the author of the song, he does not say “I will sing” for himself; instead, he prescribes to all what each individual should heartily do.

The Lord is my strength. In this expression, they acknowledge that they have a sufficient defense in God. Afterwards, they add that His grace furnishes them with just ground for praise.

The sum is that they were strong in God and had not conquered their enemies by their own bravery; therefore, it is not lawful to glory except in God alone.

But we must observe that the help of God is connected with His praise, because this is the goal of all His benefits: that we should regard our salvation as received from Him. This is mentioned here in the third place. For to say that God had “become their salvation” was equivalent to saying that the people were saved by His grace.

In the second clause, there is an antithesis between the true God and all false ones, for there is much emphasis in the declaration, “he is my God,” as by it Moses excludes all that multitude of gods which then were everywhere worshipped in the world. To the same effect, he adds, “my father’s God,” thus distinguishing the faith of Abraham from all the superstitions of the Gentiles. The faithful then declare that it is safe for them to repose in this One God and that His praises are worthy of celebration. Isaiah imitates this figure (Isaiah 25:9):

“Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him.”

What follows in the next verse—“The Lord is a man of war”—is to the same purpose. For although at first sight the phrase may seem harsh, it is not without beauty: that God is armed in military attire to contend with all the forces of His foes.

Therefore, says Moses, the name of the Lord belongs to Him alone, because His hand is ready to destroy whatever lifts itself up against Him.

Pharaoh’s chariots. Moses, in these words, only meant to assert that the drowning of Pharaoh was manifestly God’s work. Therefore, he now illustrates in more glowing terms the transaction which he had before simply narrated; as he also does when he compares the Egyptians to stones and lead, as if to say that they were hurled by God’s mighty hand into the deep, so that they had no power to swim out.

For this reason, he repeats the mention of God’s “right hand” twice, as if to say that such a miracle could not be ascribed either to fortune or to human efforts. We must note what he says soon after: that the Egyptians “rose up against” God because they had treated His people with injustice and cruelty. From this, we gather that God’s majesty is violated by the wicked whenever His Church—whose safety He has undertaken to preserve by His faithful patronage—is assailed by them.

The phrases You sent forth your wrath, and with the blast of your nostrils the waters were gathered together, are to be read in conjunction; for their meaning is that God, without any instrumentality, but by His simple volition, and in manifestation of His wrath, brought the enemy to destruction.

The enemy said. He relates the boast of Pharaoh not merely in exultation over him, but to magnify the miracle by which God gives over this wolf, intent on its prey, to destruction. But there is more force in the language when he introduces the Egyptians as speakers than if he had merely described their plans; for in this way the marvelous catastrophe more strikingly affects our minds when the Egyptians, as if brought onto the stage, not only trumpet forth their victory but also insolently give vent to their arrogance and cruelty.

Then, the Lord is introduced on the other side, dissipating their terrible audacity with a single blast. For from where did this great confidence come to the Egyptians—promising themselves that they would be satisfied with the spoils, and that, to put the people to death, they would need to do nothing more than draw their swords—except from the fact that they were very well armed against this unwarlike multitude? Therefore, God’s power shone forth more brightly when He swept them away by blowing with His wind.

¹⁶² Filios Dei. — V.

¹⁶³ “Or le Sainct Esprit veut dire;” now the Holy Spirit means to say. — Fr..