📖 Biblical Definition
The Red Sea Crossing is the great Exodus miracle in which the LORD divided the sea before Israel and drowned Pharaoh’s pursuing army behind them (Exodus 14). Moses stretched out his rod; the LORD drove back the waters by a strong east wind all night; Israel walked through on dry ground with walls of water on either hand; the Egyptian chariots followed and were swallowed at dawn. Miriam led the women in the song of the sea: "The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea" (Exodus 15). Paul makes the typology explicit: "all our fathers... were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). The crossing is the Old Testament’s great picture of redemption.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Red Sea — the sea God divided for Israel; tomb of Pharaoh's army.
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With the sea before them and Egypt behind, Israel cried out. Moses stretched forth his rod; a strong east wind drove the sea back all that night, and the people went over on dry ground. When the Egyptians pursued, the waters returned and covered them.
📖 Key Scripture
Exodus 14:13 — "Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day."
Exodus 14:14 — "The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
Exodus 14:21 — "The LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind… and made the sea dry land."
1 Corinthians 10:2 — "They were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The crossing is downsized to a marsh wading or wind-tide effect, evacuating the miracle.
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Skeptical scholarship locates the crossing at a shallow reedy lake and explains the parting as an unusually strong wind blowing back a few inches of water. The deliverance is then deflated to a fortunate weather event.
Scripture describes walls of water on either hand, an army drowned, and a song of triumph on the far shore. Paul sees in it the pattern of baptism: passing through judgment waters under the cloud, leaving the old slavery dead behind.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Yasha (save) and yam (sea) frame the deliverance.
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H3220 — yam — sea
H5488 — suph — reed, end — Yam Suph (Red Sea)
H3444 — yeshuah — salvation, deliverance
Usage
"'Stand still and see' is sometimes the order before the march."
"God divided a sea so His people could walk through judgment dry-shod."
"Pharaoh's army drowned in the same waters Israel crossed."