Exodus 14:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consider how God orchestrates every aspect of creation to act contrary to its inherent nature when He chooses to do so. As the Creator and Sovereign, He arranges all things according to His divine purpose. Would you like an illustration involving water? Just as we see in Daniel 3:48-50, the flames did not harm those who were thrown into them, exerting their fury instead on those who remained outside; similarly, with water, we observe it sinking some while it allows others to pass safely through. Recall the account of Pharaoh and the Egyptians along with the Israelites: under God's direction through Moses, the Israelites traversed the Red Sea on dry ground, yet the Egyptians, who dared to follow, were overwhelmed by the waters and perished. Thus, the elements yield to those who honor the Lord, restraining their fierceness within themselves.

When did the Israelites manage to cross the sea? The wind that separated the waters blew in the evening, around 7 o'clock, as it occurred during the spring equinox. Moses, with his rod, caused the waters to part, and by daytime, the waters returned to their original place due to the power of the same rod, which happened not before 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning. By this time, the Israelites had already made their way to the Arabian side, as Moses had halted the parting of the waters to allow the Egyptians to be engulfed from that same shore. This means that the Hebrews journeyed across the dry seabed for a span of 10 to 11 hours, a sufficient duration to traverse the roughly twenty yards between the two shores.