Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Exodus 14:25

וַיָּ֗סַר אֵ֚ת אֹפַ֣ן מַרְכְּבֹתָ֔יו וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֖הוּ בִּכְבֵדֻ֑ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מִצְרַ֗יִם אָנ֙וּסָה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֣י יְהוָ֔ה נִלְחָ֥ם לָהֶ֖ם בְּמִצְרָֽיִם (פ)

And He took off their chariot wheels, and made them to drive heavily; so that the Egyptians said: ‘Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.’

Rashi on Exodus

‎ויסר את אפן מרכבותיו AND HE REMOVED THEIR CHARIOT WHEELS — Through the power of the fire of the pillar of fire the wheels were burnt and the chariots were thus dragged along and those who were sitting in them were thrown about and their limbs were all put out of joint (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:25).
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Sforno on Exodus

ויסר את אופן, by means of the column of fire.
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Rashbam on Exodus

ויסר את אופן מרכבותיו, when the Egyptians saw that they were in a state of confusion, they tried to turn around the wheels of their chariots in order to flee; they found themselves unable to do this but all they could do with their utmost efforts was to turn around their chariots with difficulty seeing that those trying to turn around conflicted with those behind them still pressing forward. The reason they did all this was because they had come to the realisation אנוסה מפני ישראל כי ה' נלחם להם , that it was time to flee seeing that G’d Himself was fighting against them on behalf of the Israelites.
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Tur HaArokh

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Rabbeinu Bahya

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Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael

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Chizkuni

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Rashi on Exodus

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Sforno on Exodus

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Rashi on Exodus

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Sforno on Exodus

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