Psalm 106:9-11
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The psalmist uses the powerful word "rebuked" for God's action at the Red Sea, personifying it as if the sea itself had acted wrongly and deserved a scolding. This highlights that God's control over nature is so absolute, it responds to His spoken word as a disobedient child would to a parent. The comparison of the passage to walking "through the depths as through a desert" emphasizes the astonishing ease and safety God provided, turning a terrifying obstacle into a smooth, dry path.
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. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalm is recounting Israel's history of disobedience, starting with their ancestors' rebellion at the Red Sea shortly after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Despite God's powerful intervention to save them, they quickly forgot His wonders and murmured against Him. This verse highlights the astonishing power God displayed by parting the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to cross on dry ground as if it were a desert path.
Have you ever felt like you were facing an impossible obstacle, something as vast and terrifying as the sea? This psalm reminds us that God's power extends even to the most formidable forces of nature.
The psalm poetically describes God's action at the Red Sea, not just as a physical parting of waters, but as a direct command. The language used – 'He rebuked' – gives the impression that God is speaking to the sea as if it were a disobedient child or an unruly creature.
This isn't just flowery language; it highlights a profound theological truth: God is sovereign over all creation. When God speaks, even the natural world – the seas, the winds, the earth – must obey. This 'rebuke' wasn't a gentle suggestion; it was an authoritative command that forced the sea to yield and become dry land, allowing His people to pass safely.
It shows that when God acts on behalf of His people, He demonstrates His supreme authority over everything.
Imagine walking through what was just moments ago a terrifying, watery abyss. The psalm draws a stark comparison that makes this miraculous event even more astounding.
The verse captures the incredible safety and ease with which God led His people through the parted Red Sea: 'he led them through the deep as through a desert.'
The imagery of a 'desert' or 'wilderness' here isn't necessarily about a barren, difficult place. Instead, it emphasizes a dry, level, and unobstructed path. Think of a wide, open plain where one could walk without hindrance. God transformed a treacherous, watery chasm into a safe, walkable road.
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This highlights God's ability to create a way where there seems to be no way. He didn't just remove the obstacle; He provided a pathway that was as secure and easy as walking through a familiar, open landscape. It was a demonstration of His protective care for His people.
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.
tsarar · Hebrew Noun
Refers to those who oppose God and His people, often acting as enemies of the covenant. In Scripture, these are often judged by God for their hostility toward the righteous.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Israelites Flee Egypt
Following God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt through the ten plagues, the Israelites, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, began their exodus.
c. 1446 BC
Parting of the Red Sea
As the Egyptian army pursued them, God miraculously parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. The pursuing Egyptians were then drowned when the waters returned.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites journeyed through the Sinai Peninsula wilderness for 40 years. This period was marked by both God's provision and the people's frequent rebellion.
c. 1000 BC - 400 BC
Composition of the Psalms
The Book of Psalms was compiled over centuries, with many psalms reflecting on Israel's history, including the Exodus, as a reminder of God's faithfulness and power.
This passage directly describes the event in Psalm 106:9, detailing how God sent a strong wind to divide the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground.
Isaiah 50:2This verse echoes the powerful imagery of God 'rebuking' the waters, stating 'I make the sea a dry land' and 'the rivers dry up,' showing this is a consistent theme of God's dominion over nature.
Isaiah 63:12-13This prophecy parallels the Psalm's description by referencing God leading His people through the waters like a horse in the desert, emphasizing the miraculous and effortless nature of their passage.
Nehemiah 9:11This passage recounts the same event, highlighting God's power over the Red Sea and explicitly mentioning He 'made a way through the sea, through mighty waters,' reinforcing the miracle described in Psalm 106:9.
1 Corinthians 10:1The Apostle Paul uses the crossing of the Red Sea as a foundational example of God's people passing through water, linking it to baptism and spiritual deliverance, thus underscoring its symbolic significance beyond the historical event.
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 psalmist uses the powerful word "rebuked" for God's action at the Red Sea, personifying it as if the sea itself had acted wrongly and deserved a scolding. This highlights that God's control over nature is so absolute, it responds to His spoken word as a disobedient child would to a parent. The comparison of the passage to walking "through the depths as through a desert" emphasizes the astonishing ease and safety God provided, turning a terrifying obstacle into a smooth, dry path.
The psalm is recounting Israel's history of disobedience, starting with their ancestors' rebellion at the Red Sea shortly after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Despite God's powerful intervention to save them, they quickly forgot His wonders and murmured against Him. This verse highlights the astonishing power God displayed by parting the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to cross on dry ground as if it were a desert path.
The psalm is recounting Israel's history of disobedience, starting with their ancestors' rebellion at the Red Sea shortly after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Despite God's powerful intervention to save them, they quickly forgot His wonders and murmured against Him. This verse highlights the astonishing power God displayed by parting the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to cross on dry ground as if it were a desert path.
"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. And the waters covered their adversar…" — The psalmist uses the powerful word "rebuked" for God's action at the Red Sea, personifying it as if the sea itself had acted wrongly and deserved a scolding. This highlights that God's control over…
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Last reviewed October 2026
