Song of the Sea



Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
"I will sing to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
    he has hurled into the sea.

"The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
    he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
    are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
    they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, Lord,
    was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord,
    shattered the enemy.

"In the greatness of your majesty
    you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
    it consumed them like stubble.
By the blast of your nostrils
    the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood up like a wall;
    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy boasted,
    ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
    I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
    and my hand will destroy them.’
But you blew with your breath,
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
    in the mighty waters.
Who among the gods
    is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
    majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
    working wonders?

"You stretch out your right hand,
    and the earth swallows your enemies.
In your unfailing love you will lead
    the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.
The nations will hear and tremble;
    anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people of Canaan will melt away;
terror and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
    they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, Lord,
    until the people you bought pass by.
You will bring them in and plant them
    on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,
    the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.

"The Lord reigns
    for ever and ever."

When Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.

Miriam sang to them:

Sing to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
    he has hurled into the sea.

About this poem

The Song of the Sea (Hebrew: שירת הים‎, Shirat HaYam, also known as Az Yashir Moshe and Song of Moses) is a poem that appears in the Book of Exodus of the Hebrew Bible, at Exodus 15:1–18. It is followed in verses 20 and 21 by a much shorter song sung by Miriam and the other women. The Song of the Sea was reputedly sung by the Israelites after their crossing the Red Sea in safety, and celebrates the destruction of the Egyptian army during the crossing, and looks forward to the future conquest of Canaan. The poem is included in Jewish prayer books, and recited daily in the morning shacharit services. 

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Submitted by davidb on January 17, 2021

Modified by davidb on June 01, 2021

2:21 min read
69

Quick analysis:

Scheme aaBCD xxeecxdDfdghAcAd dicjxxxdxgxgagxgkfxaixdf xxkxgljxxlxgxhaxgxlx xc x l g aBCD
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 2,584
Words 468
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 5, 16, 24, 20, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4

The People of Israel

The People of Israel or "the Israelites" were a confederation of Iron Age Semitic-speaking tribes of the ancient Near East, who inhabited a part of Canaan during the tribal and monarchic periods. According to the religious narrative of the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites' origin is traced back to the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs Abraham and his wife Sarah, through their son Isaac and his wife Rebecca, and their son Jacob (who was later called Israel, whence they derive their name) with his wives Leah and Rachel and the handmaids Zilpa and Bilhah. more…

All The People of Israel poems | The People of Israel Books

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Discuss the poem Song of the Sea with the community...

2 Comments
  • acronimous
    Yishar Koach!
    LikeReply2 months ago
    • davidb
      Thanks! x-)
      LikeReply2 months ago
  • AIDA
    Wow, what a powerful and moving poem! The way the Israelites praise and glorify the Lord, remembering and rejoicing in his mighty hand, is truly inspiring. The imagery of the sea parting and the enemies being consumed is vivid and striking, and the triumphant tone of the piece really captures the joy and gratitude the Israelites must have felt at their salvation. I especially love the lines, "The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation," which really convey the deep faith and trust the Israelites have in God. And the addition of Miriam's song at the end adds an extra layer of celebration and joy to the whole piece. Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem! 
    LikeReply 11 year ago

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"Song of the Sea" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/60489/song-of-the-sea>.

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Repeated use of words for effect and emphasis is called ________.
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