Exodus 14 · Verse 15

Exodus 14:15

And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
Exodus 14:15, King James Version

Exodus 14:15 in other translations

BSBThen the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.
WEBThe LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward.
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto Moses, ‘What? thou criest unto Me--speak unto the sons of Israel, and they journey;
DARBYAnd Jehovah said to Moses, Why dost thou cry unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.
BBEAnd the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to me? give the children of Israel the order to go forward.
WebsterAnd the LORD said to Moses, Why criest thou to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward:

What does Exodus 14:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 14:15-18
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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 Wherefore criest thou unto me? - We hear not one word of Moses' praying, and yet here the Lord asks him why he cries unto him? From which we may learn that the heart of Moses was deeply engaged with God, though it is probable he did not articulate one word; but the language of sighs, tears, and desires is equally intelligible to God with that of words. This consideration should be a strong encouragement to every feeble, discouraged mind: Thou canst not pray, but thou canst weep; if even tears are denied thee, (for there may be deep and genuine repentance, where the distress is so great as to stop up those channels of relief), then thou canst sigh; and God, whose Spirit has thus convinced thee of sin, righteousness, and judgment, knows thy unutterable groanings, and reads the inexpressible wish of thy burdened soul, a wish of which himself is the author, and which he has breathed into thy heart with the purpose to satisfy it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 14:15-20
Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided between light and darkness, Ge 1:4, allotted darkness to the Egyptians, and light to the Israelites. Such a difference there will be between the inheritance of the saints in light, and that utter darkness which will be the portion of hypocrites for ever.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 14:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
מֹשֶׁ֔הmo.ShehMosesH4872
מַה\־mah-why?H4100
תִּצְעַ֖קtitz.'Akare you crying outH6817
אֵלָ֑י'e.Laito meH413
דַּבֵּ֥רda.BerspeakH1696
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בְּנֵי\־be.nei-[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וְיִסָּֽעוּ\׃ve.yi.Sa.'uso they may set outH5265

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 14:15

  • Joshua 7:10

    And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

  • Ezra 10:4-5

    Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it. Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

  • Exodus 17:4

    And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

  • Nehemiah 9:9

    And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
17:4; Jos 7:10; Ezr 10:4,5; Ne 9:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 14:14

    The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

  • Exodus 14:15

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

  • Exodus 14:16

    But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Read all of Exodus 14

Exodus 14:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Jehová dijo á Moisés: ¿Por qué clamas á mí? di á los hijos de Israel que marchen:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel dit à Moïse: Que cries-tu à moi? Parle aux fils d’Israël, et qu’ils marchent.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova sprach zu Mose: Was schreiest du zu mir? rede zu den Kindern Israel, daß sie aufbrechen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Quid clamas ad me? loquere filiis Israël ut proficiscantur.