Chapter Nineteen

Chapter 19. Fifth comparison: the passage of the Hebrews through the Red Sea and the destruction of the Egyptians in it.

The nineteenth chapter contains a new parallel between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The former miraculously crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land to continue their glorious wandering in the wilderness; the latter found for themselves an extraordinary death in that same sea.

Wisdom 19:1. And over the ungodly, unmerciful wrath continued to the end, for he foresaw their future deeds also. Wisdom 19:2. That they, having allowed them to depart and hastily sent them away, would repent and pursue them. Wisdom 19:3. For while they were still grieving and lamenting over the graves of their dead, they formed another senseless plan, and those whom they had sent away with pleading they pursued as fugitives. 19:1–3. These verses indicate the reason for the final punishment that came upon the Egyptians, their drowning in the Red Sea. After the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt, when the chief guilt of the Egyptians before God, the oppression of his people (Wis 18:4), ceased to exist, God’s wrath continued to weigh upon the Egyptians: “for he foresaw their future deeds.” Namely, that the Egyptians, having freed the Hebrews, even urging them to leave their country more quickly (Exod 12:33), would then repent of this and, as after fugitives, would send a pursuit after them. This “senseless plan” arose among the Egyptians when they “were still grieving and lamenting over graves,” – a circumstance showing that even the fresh feeling of deep sorrow over the dead firstborn could not restrain the selfish calculations and malice of the Egyptians.

Wisdom 19:4. For fate drew them toward that end which they deserved, and it brought about forgetfulness of what had occurred, so that they might complete the punishment that was lacking to their torments. 19:4. It might have seemed inexplicable how the Egyptians, after all the plagues and not yet finished mourning the stricken firstborn, could again begin pursuing the Hebrews. In explanation of this, the writer says: “Fate drew them toward that end… it brought about forgetfulness of what had occurred.” Undoubtedly, here is expressed the same thought as in the corresponding place in the book of Exodus: “God hardened the heart of Pharaoh” (Exod 14:4); only this thought about God’s hardening of the hearts of the Egyptians, as the immediate cause of the resumption of the pursuit of the Hebrews, the writer expresses in the language of Greek philosophy: ανάγκη εΐλχε, “fate drew.” As in the one way, so in the other method of expression, equally the thought is admitted that divinity acts upon human will with the presupposition of the relative freedom of that will. Only with this latter presupposition could one say that the Egyptians “deserved” the fate that came upon them, could one place upon them responsibility and indicate the aim of the final calamity in that “so that they might complete the punishment that was lacking to their torments.” Thus the expression “fate drew,” completely foreign to biblical language, expresses however a biblical thought.

Wisdom 19:5. And so that your people might accomplish a glorious journey, while they found for themselves an extraordinary death. Wisdom 19:6. For all creation was once again transformed in its nature from above, obeying your special commands, so that your children might be preserved unharmed. 19:6. Having pointed out in the preceding verse that the pursuit of the Hebrews led to the fact that “your people might accomplish a glorious journey” (verse 5), meaning the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, the writer now focuses attention on this miracle and defines its essence. “…All creation was once again transformed in its nature from above, obeying your special commands…” In these words the writer gives a stricter understanding of miracle than in chapter 16, verse 24. There he spoke only of a change in the degree of action of the forces of nature (the “quickening” and “quieting” of nature); here he speaks of a transformation of nature in its essential properties (“creation… in its nature”). This transformation he places in parallel with a new creation (“once again transformed from above”) and by this expresses the thought that the immediate action of Divine will in miracle is just as necessary as in the creative act.

Wisdom 19:7. A cloud appeared overshadowing the camp, and where water had previously stood, dry ground was revealed; from the Red Sea a way with no obstacles appeared, and from the wild abyss a green valley. Wisdom 19:8. Covered by your hand, they passed through it as one nation, seeing divine wonders. 19:7–8. Description of the miracle of the Hebrews’ crossing of the Red Sea.

Wisdom 19:9. They grazed like horses and leaped like lambs, praising you, Lord, their Deliverer. Wisdom 19:10. For they still remembered what had happened during their stay there: how the earth, instead of producing other animals, brought forth gnats, and the river, instead of fish, spewed forth a multitude of frogs. 19:9–10. Filled with joy after crossing the Red Sea, the Hebrews are compared to horses leaping and lambs grazing at liberty (similar comparison: Ps 113:6). This feeling of joy, besides the miracle just occurred, was aroused also by memories of events in Egypt (Exod 7:26-28).

Wisdom 19:11. And later they saw a new kind of bird when, impelled by desire, they asked for food to please their taste. 19:11. Cf. Wis 16:2. The mention of quails the writer made only to show that the joy of the Hebrews was firm. It was not only aroused by the present event and nourished by memories of the past, but was also supported by manifestations of God’s help in the future. One may suppose that the writer intentionally strengthens the thought of the welfare of the Hebrews in order to obtain a stronger contrast with the Egyptians, to whose punishment he then turns.

Wisdom 19:12. For in consolation for them, quails flew up from the sea, and punishments came upon the sinners not without signs attending them, caused by lightning. They justly suffered for their own malice. 19:12. From verse twelve the writer turns to the Egyptians, calling them simply “sinners” who “were punished not without signs attending them, caused by lightning.” These words refer to the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea and correspond to Exod 14:24-25 verse. A similar description of the crossing of the Red Sea with thunder and lightning we find in other places in Holy Scripture: for example, Ps 76:18-21.

Wisdom 19:13. For they harbored a greater hatred against foreigners: some did not receive unknown travelers, but these enslaved beneficent aliens. Wisdom 19:14. And not only this, but there will yet be judgment upon them because they received foreigners with hostility. Wisdom 19:15. With joy they received them, and, having granted them equal rights, later oppressed them with terrible labors. Wisdom 19:16. Therefore they were struck with blindness, like those once at the door of the righteous one, when, enveloped in dense darkness, they sought each one the entrance to his door. 19:13–16. The writer compares the conduct of the Egyptians toward the Hebrews with that found in the Bible (Gen 19 chapter) of the inhabitants of the city of Sodom toward foreigners. The comparison is not in favor of the Egyptians, and a fearful judgment is announced to them in the future. The Sodomites refused to receive strangers whom they did not know at all; the Egyptians showed a greater hatred toward foreigners: they enslaved those who came to them, whom they were familiar with as people of virtue (that is, the Hebrews). The first displayed simply hostility, while the second also displayed treachery: having received the Hebrews with joy and granted them rights, they later began to oppress them with labor. Therefore the Egyptians were punished like the Sodomites: “they were struck with blindness, like those once at the door of the righteous one” (that is, Lot, see Gen 19). By blindness the Egyptians means either the three-day darkness (Wis 17:2), or that, as if blinded, they saw no imminent danger and rushed after the Hebrews along the sea floor. But this was not the last punishment of the Egyptians: “there will yet be judgment upon them.” Here the writer probably expresses his messianic expectation that the Hebrews will judge all nations (cf. Wis 3:8).

Wisdom 19:17. The very elements changed their natures, as the sounds in a harp change their character while remaining the same notes; this can be discerned by careful observation of what happened. 19:17–21. In this final section of chapter 19, the writer once again returns to meditation on the miraculous intervention of God in the course of events at the time of the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery and concludes the book with praise to Jehovah, who magnified his people. 19:17. The mention of miracle in verse 17 gives the writer the occasion again (as in verse 6) to express his profound metaphysical view on the nature of miracle. “Through careful observation of what happened,” that is, the miracles that occurred, “one can discern,” he says, that in a miracle “the very elements changed their natures, as the sounds in a harp change their character while remaining the same notes.” The writer calls elements those considered at that time as the primary simple substances of the world or elements: water, earth, fire, and air. The miracle is expressed in the fact that the properties and actions of the elements change, yet their essence remains one and the same. In the following verses 18–20, the writer indicated examples of such change.

Wisdom 19:18. For land animals transformed into water creatures, and creatures that swim in water came out onto land. 19:18. The meaning of the verse by itself is clear. Difficulty only appears in identifying which events the writer had in mind when he said that “land animals transformed into water creatures and creatures that swim in water came out onto land.” By the more probable opinion, the first half of the verse refers to the Hebrews when, with their herds of cattle, they crossed the Red Sea floor, and water stood as walls on both sides; the other half refers to the second plague, the appearance on land of a large quantity of frogs from the waters. Of course, strictly speaking, in neither of the indicated cases was there a transformation of land animals into water creatures and vice versa, but this does not prove that the writer did not have these events in mind. In the latter part of his book this is not the only example of when he sacrifices historical accuracy in order to carry out a certain idea.

Wisdom 19:19. Fire in water retained its power, and water lost its extinguishing property. Wisdom 19:20. Conversely, flame did not harm the bodies of perishable creatures roaming about, and did not melt the heavenly food of easy-meltable snow-like substance. Wisdom 19:21. Thus, Lord, you in all things magnified and glorified your people, and did not abandon them, but were present with them at all times and in all places. 19:19–21. Cf. Wis 16:17-23. Lecturer at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, candidate of theology, P. S. Tychinin.