Exodus 14 · Verse 3

Exodus 14:3

For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
Exodus 14:3, King James Version

Exodus 14:3 in other translations

BSBFor Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’
WEBPharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.’
ASVAnd Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
YLTand Pharaoh hath said of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut upon them;
DARBYAnd Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has hemmed them in.
BBEAnd Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are wandering without direction, they are shut in by the waste land.
WebsterFor Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

What does Exodus 14:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
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.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 They are entangled in the land - God himself brought them into straits from which no human power or art could extricate them. Consider their situation when once brought out of the open country, where alone they had room either to fight or fly. Now they had the Red Sea before them, Pharaoh and his host behind them, and on their right and left hand fortresses of the Egyptians to prevent their escape; nor had they one boat or transport prepared for their passage! If they be now saved, the arm of the Lord must be seen, and the vanity and nullity of the Egyptian idols be demonstrated. By bringing them into such a situation he took from them all hope of human help, and gave their adversaries every advantage against them, so that they themselves said, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 14:1-9

Pharaoh would think that all Israel was entangled in the wilderness, and so would become an easy prey. But God says, I will be honoured upon Pharaoh. All men being made for the honour of their Maker, those whom he is not honoured by, he will be honoured upon. What seems to tend to the church's ruin, is often overruled to the ruin of the church's enemies. While Pharaoh gratified his malice and revenge, he furthered…

Read the full comment on Exodus 14:1-9 →

Exodus 14:3 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.

וְאָמַ֤רve.'a.Marand he will sayH559
פַּרְעֹה֙par.'OhPharaohH6547
לִבְנֵ֣יliv.Neiof [the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
נְבֻכִ֥יםne.vu.Khim[are] wandering in confusionH943
הֵ֖םhemtheyH1992
בָּאָ֑רֶץba.'A.retzin the landH776
סָגַ֥רsa.Garit has shutH5462
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם'a.lei.Hemon themH5921
הַמִּדְבָּֽר\׃ha.mid.Barthe wildernessH4057

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

Cross references for Exodus 14:3

  • Acts 4:28

    For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

  • Ezekiel 38:17

    Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

  • Psalms 139:4

    For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

  • 1 Samuel 23:7

    And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

  • Psalms 3:2

    Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

  • Deuteronomy 31:21

    And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

  • Jeremiah 20:10-11

    For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

  • Ezekiel 38:10-11

    Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

  • 1 Samuel 23:23

    See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

  • Psalms 71:11

    Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

  • Exodus 7:3-4

    And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

  • Psalms 139:2

    Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pharaoh.
7:3,4; De 31:21; Ps 139:2,4; Eze 38:10,11,17; Ac 4:28
They are entangled.
Jud 16:2; 1Sa 23:7,23; Ps 3:2; 71:11; Jer 20:10,11

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

Context

  • Exodus 14:2

    Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi–hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal–zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

  • Exodus 14:3

    For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

  • Exodus 14:4

    And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so.

Read all of Exodus 14

Exodus 14:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque Faraón dirá de los hijos de Israel: Encerrados están en la tierra, el desierto los ha encerrado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le Pharaon dira des fils d’Israël: Ils sont embarrassés dans le pays, le désert les a enfermés.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Pharao wird von den Kindern Israel sagen: Verwirrt irren sie im Lande umher, die Wüste hat sie umschlossen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dicturusque est Pharao super filiis Israël: Coarctati sunt in terra; conclusit eos desertum.