Psalm 106:9-10
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The psalm uses poetic language, personifying the Red Sea as something that can be "rebuked" and forced to retreat, highlighting God's absolute authority over nature. This imagery emphasizes that the miraculous crossing wasn't just about dry land appearing, but about creation itself responding to God's command.
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm recounts the people of Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated rebellion and God's faithfulness despite their ungratefulness. Just after escaping Egypt, the psalmist highlights their immediate unfaithfulness at the Red Sea, but immediately contrasts this with God's powerful intervention to save them. The verse describes God's mighty act of parting the sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground like a path through a desert, an event that secured their escape from Pharaoh's army.
Imagine the immense power of the sea, a force of nature that shapes coastlines and swallows ships. Now, imagine that same sea being rebuked and obeying.
This verse paints a powerful picture of God's sovereignty. The psalmist uses the word "rebuked" for the Red Sea, a word often used for scolding or reprimanding a person.
Nature's Obedience
This isn't just poetic language; it highlights that the created order is not independent of God. The sea, with all its might, is subject to its Creator.
The Israelites were facing an impossible situation: a vast, angry sea ahead and a pursuing army behind. How could they possibly cross?
The psalmist uses a striking comparison to describe the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea: 'he led them through the deep as through a desert.' This wasn't just dry land; it was a prepared path.
Ask a follow-up
A Prepared Passage
The imagery of a desert or wilderness walk suggests ease and unobstructed movement, which is incredible given they were walking through the seabed.
Understand the original words
ga'al · Hebrew Verb
The act of buying back or delivering someone from slavery, debt, or captivity. Biblically, it emphasizes the cost of the deliverance and the transition from bondage to freedom by God's intervention.
This verse powerfully recalls the miraculous Exodus from Egypt. The image of God 'rebuking' the sea highlights His absolute authority over creation, turning a terrifying obstacle into a safe passage for His people, demonstrating His power and faithfulness even when they were at their most vulnerable.
~1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Following the ten plagues, God's people were finally allowed to leave Egypt after 400 years of slavery. This marked the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.
~1446 BC
Pursuit by the Egyptian Army
Pharaoh's army, along with chariots and soldiers, pursued the Israelites, catching up to them at the Red Sea. The people were terrified, trapped between the pursuing army and the impassable sea.
~1446 BC— this verse
Parting of the Red Sea
God intervened directly, rebuking the Red Sea with a strong east wind. The waters parted, creating a dry path for the Israelites to cross, while the Egyptian army was destroyed when the waters returned.
~1446 BC - 1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the Sinai desert before entering the Promised Land, a period marked by both God's provision and their frequent disobedience.
This passage directly recounts the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, providing the historical event that Psalm 106:9 reflects upon.
Isaiah 50:2This verse uses similar imagery of God rebuking the waters, showing a consistent poetic theme of God's sovereign power over the seas across different biblical texts.
Isaiah 63:12-13These verses echo the imagery of leading people through deep waters like a 'horse in the wilderness,' drawing a direct parallel to the experience described in Psalm 106:9.
Nehemiah 9:11This prayer recounts God's deliverance of Israel, specifically mentioning His creation of a path through the sea and a dry way through mighty waters, mirroring the Psalm's narrative.
1 Corinthians 10:1-2The Apostle Paul explicitly uses the crossing of the Red Sea as a foundational event for believers, likening it to baptism and highlighting its spiritual significance beyond the historical moment.
wesleyPsalms 106:9: "He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness."
106:9 Led them - As securely as if they had walked upon the dry land.
clarkePsalms 106:9: "He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness."
He rebuked the Red Sea - In the descriptions of the psalmist every thing has life. The sea is an animated being, behaves itself proudly, is rebuked, and retires in confusion.
The psalm uses poetic language, personifying the Red Sea as something that can be "rebuked" and forced to retreat, highlighting God's absolute authority over nature. This imagery emphasizes that the miraculous crossing wasn't just about dry land appearing, but about creation itself responding to God's command.
This psalm recounts the people of Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated rebellion and God's faithfulness despite their ungratefulness. Just after escaping Egypt, the psalmist highlights their immediate unfaithfulness at the Red Sea, but immediately contrasts this with God's powerful intervention to save them. The verse describes God's mighty act of parting the sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground like a path through a desert, an event that secured their escape from Pharaoh's army.
This psalm recounts the people of Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated rebellion and God's faithfulness despite their ungratefulness. Just after escaping Egypt, the psalmist highlights their immediate unfaithfulness at the Red Sea, but immediately contrasts this with God's powerful intervention to save them. The verse describes God's mighty act of parting the sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground like a path through a desert, an event that secured their escape from Pharaoh's army.
"He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy." — The psalm uses poetic language, personifying the Red Sea as something that can be "rebuked" and forced to retreat, highlighting God's absolute authority over nature. This imagery emphasizes that the…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
