Exodus 14:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Israelites observed the lifeless forms of the deceased Egyptians along the coastline, just as the Egyptians had previously witnessed the bodies of the Hebrew children beside the riverbank.

When could the Israelites traverse the sea? The wind that separated the waters blew at dusk, approximately around seven in the evening, coinciding with the vernal equinox. The waters that had been parted by Moses' staff returned with the dawn, not before five or six in the morning. By then, the Israelites had made their way to the Arabian shore, as Moses had halted the waters’ division to prevent the Egyptians from following with a gesture of his rod from that side. Therefore, the journey of the Hebrews across the exposed seabed extended over ten to eleven hours—a duration ample enough to cover a distance of twenty yards from one side to the other. Not only were the Israelites delivered from the Egyptians, but they also witnessed the downfall of their pursuers, seeing the bodies of the Egyptians washed up by the tumultuous sea on the shore where they had safely arrived.