He divided the sea and brought them through: and he made the waters to stand as in a vessel.
בָּ֣קַע יָ֭ם וַיַּֽעֲבִירֵ֑ם וַֽיַּצֶּב־מַ֥יִם כְּמוֹ־נֵֽד׃
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He who divided the sea and led it through, containing the waters as in a pouch (Psalms 77:13), can, through His grace, hold back the surge of earthly desires when we turn away from this world. In doing so, all transgressions can be thoroughly cleansed as if vanquished foes, allowing the faithful to enter through the holy rite of Baptism.
He split the sea and guided them through it. Moreover, by dividing the waters, He created a path for everyone. This verse marks the beginning of the Psalmist's recounting of the wonders that accompanied the initial act of liberation. When the Red Sea was separated, the water on both sides stood tall, rising high. Through His might, God contained these waters, almost as if wrapping them in a protective shroud, preventing them from overwhelming the people.
The Lord made His way over the waters, calming their flow, and guided us onward. “He divided the sea and led them through.” Even now, dear devoted monk, as you emerge from Egypt, the waters are parted, allowing your passage. “He made the waters stand like a wall.” In the original Hebrew, it does not say “like a wall,” but rather “like a heap.”
He provides an overview of the miraculous events, highlighting one that stands out above the others. The miracle over the sea is particularly extraordinary, as it reveals the divine intervention. The Almighty, who governs all creation, caused the waters, which naturally flow downhill, to stand still in place, encapsulating it as if wrapped in a protective covering, simply by His spoken command. The Prophet skillfully used the metaphor of bellows, which are designed to hold moisture effectively, to illustrate the divided sea, thereby demonstrating the might of the Divine Word.
The sea will be parted, allowing them to pass through. This refers to the Red Sea as described in the book of Exodus, where events are recounted succinctly, not in chronological detail but as they came to the author’s mind. His goal was not to document history but to highlight the ingratitude of the Israelites. He aimed to emphasize something more remarkable than anything else. The waters are likened to a barrier. "And the waters, it is said, were as a wall at his right hand and at his side." He established the waters, raising the banks on either side. The waves appeared as if they were fur, suggesting that they surged in a way reminiscent of that soft texture.
In this passage, the prophet emphasizes the immense power of the Miracle Worker. When it was necessary for the waters to part so that the people could pass, instead of drying the sea, He chose to separate it into two distinct sections, almost as if honoring its essence. This act is described as being ‘divided.’ Subsequently, He gathered the waters on both sides as if wrapping them in a garment, creating a dry path for the people. After the people had crossed successfully, He restored the waters to their original position.
He remarked that the descendants of Ephraim had strayed into ungodliness because they had overlooked the marvelous deeds of the Lord, and he continues to address them. In this context, he thoughtfully refers back to their forefathers, the initial ancestors of the Israelites, to highlight that their disobedience and wickedness can be traced back to the very beginning. First, he recalls the wonders performed in Egypt prior to the exodus. He cites Taneos, the principal city, to provide clarity on these miraculous events. He then recounts the parting of the sea, describing how the waters were halted and rose up like towering mountains. Furthermore, he shares that after the Israelites crossed the sea, God Himself guided them, as if taking them by the hand, through the wilderness.
Acknowledging the challenges of traversing arid, hot, and sandy terrain, He shielded them from the sun's heat with a cloud during the day and illuminated their path with a pillar of fire at night. This signified God's profound mercy. However, the most remarkable evidence of grace was that God had embraced the Israelites under His care, assuring them of His guidance until they reached their heavenly inheritance. Thus, Paul sees in this cloud a precursor to baptism, while the journey through the sea represents a path not to mere earthly existence but to eternal salvation (1 Cor. 10:2).
This psalm composed by David, rich in prophetic insight, was entrusted to Asaph, the leader of the singers, for the purpose of enlightening all regarding the countless blessings of God Almighty bestowed upon the ungrateful people of Israel. It serves as both a rebuke for their ingratitude and a lesson to others, inspiring gratitude for the profound and indescribable compassion of God, particularly as manifested through Christ our Lord, who is believed in by those who follow His name. In this psalm, the prophet David conveys a message that echoes Christ’s voice to the believers, urging them to pay heed to the teachings of the Gospel.
While the messages within this psalm were initially applicable to the Jewish people, they now resonate with the faithful followers of Christ: the old covenant prefigures the new. The Savior seeks from His followers a careful attention, warning them to avoid the fate of the earlier Jewish nation that did not heed God's commands. He encourages a diligent study of the Gospel’s teachings and an earnest listening to the prophetic messages (as noted by Chrysostom and Theodoret). Although the Israelites were formidable, they faltered during the trials of Christ’s Passion due to their disbelief. Particularly unfaithful was the tribe of Ephraim, which succumbed to the idol worship of the golden calf, leading the other tribes into similar sin. In response to this betrayal, God stripped them of their bravery: despite their skills in archery, they became timid and retreated in times of conflict. Consequently, they were exiled and dispersed among the Gentiles. Yet, despite their complete surrender to earthly wisdom and refusal to repent, God showed mercy to the Jews. In His boundless compassion, He chose not to eradicate the entire nation during their wandering in the wilderness, but instead spared them. Humanity is bound by flesh and susceptible to sin and decay, and the Spirit, having departed from man, awaits eventual return at the time of the second coming.
In the area of Taneos, where the palace of the Pharaohs resided, Moses carried out the judgments. Theodoret.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS