Exodus 15:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Israelites once celebrated their triumph with a song when the Egyptian forces were overwhelmed, proclaiming, “I sing unto the Lord, for He is highly exalted.” Yet, our melody is far more profound, for it is not merely the Egyptians who have fallen, but the very forces of darkness. It is not Pharaoh who faces defeat, but Satan himself. The weapons of flesh have not been disarmed, but rather, sin has been vanquished. Our deliverance does not take place in the Red Sea but through the waters of baptism, and our journey leads not to the Promised Land, but to eternal life in heaven. We no longer partake of manna; we receive the body of Christ, and instead of drawing water from a rock, we partake of the blood flowing from His side.

When we delve into the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, dear brothers and sisters, our understanding must be anchored in the authority of these very Scriptures. It is through the clear teachings contained within them that we can properly grasp the more obscure messages intended for our growth. Who would venture to unravel the Divine mysteries in any way that deviates from the guidance provided by the Apostles’ teachings?

Praise the Lord who is exalted, who overcame the horses and their riders by throwing them into the sea.

In the song when it proclaims: For he hath cast the horse and his rider into the sea, it signifies the multifaceted and beastly desire—lust—along with the charioteer who governs these sensual indulgences, both of which are submerged into chaos. Similarly, Plato in his treatise On the Soul describes how both the charioteer and the untamed horse, representing the irrational aspects of the soul that are divided into passion and lust, are brought low. The myth of Phaeton, who was cast down from his chariot by wild horses, conveys the same allegorical truth.

The initial verse serves as the introduction, highlighting the central theme of the hymn. It depicts the magnificence of the Lord, who triumphantly rejoiced over the downfall of the Egyptians, casting both horse and rider into the depths of the sea, sealing their fate and eliminating all chance of their escape.

Following their liberation from slavery, the spirit of poetry ignites among the Israelites: Moses, inspired yet solemn, leads the people in a song dedicated to the Lord. He recounts the miraculous events witnessed by them and, with prophetic insight, envisions their future entrance into the Promised Land. He implores the Lord to guide them to His holy mountain, to the designated dwelling He has chosen, ‘to the sanctuary which Thy hands have made, O Lord’. His sister Miriam echoes the song alongside a choir of women, and the entire nation is filled with inspiration, marking the beginning of their spiritual journey. Scholars agree that, based on verse 81 of the preceding chapter, the song must have originated from the lips of Moses himself.