DEATH OF THE FIRST-BORN.

151

victim of the Passage of the Lord, when He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and saving our houses.'

The people bowed their heads and adored, and did as Moses commanded.

9. The death of the first-born of Egypt.

And it came to pass at midnight, the Lord slew every first-born in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharao who sat on his throne, to the first-born

of the captive woman that was in the prison. And Pharao arose in the night, and all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house wherein there lay not one dead. And Pharao calling Moses and Aaron in the night, said, "Arise and go forth from among my people, you and the children of Israel: go sacrifice to the Lord as you say; your sheep and herds take along with you as you demanded, and bless me before you go." And the Egyptians pressed the people to go forth out of the land speedily, saying, "We shall all die." The people therefore took dough before it was leavened, and tying it in their cloaks they put it on their shoulders; they did also as the Lord had commanded, and asked of the Egyptians vessels of silver and gold, and raiment, and thus they stripped the Egyptians. The abode which the children of Israel made in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years, on the expiration of which the whole army of the Lord went out on the same day out of Egypt.

§ 10. Pharao and his host are drowned in the Red Sea.

Besides the children of Israel there went up also a mixed multitude with them, and their first halting place was Succoth. Instead of proceeding along the beaten track to Palæstine by which Jacob had come down into Egypt, the Lord led them not by the way of the Philistines which is the direct way, thinking lest perhaps they would repent if they should see wars rise up against them, and would return to Egypt. From Succoth they proceeded to Etham, Moses taking with

DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT,

153

him the bones of Joseph, as he had made the children. of Israel promise him on his death-bed. The Lord also went before them to show the way, in a pillar of cloud by day, and by night in a pillar of fire. From Etham they were commanded to turn still more into the wilderness, and to encamp on the sea-side, over against Baalzephon, that Pharao might say, "They are straitened in the land, the desert hath shut them in," and so be tempted to follow after them. And thus

it turned out: Pharao repented that he had let them go, and said, "What meant we, that we let Israel go from serving us ?" So he made ready his chariot and horsemen, and followed after them, and came in sight of them in Pihahiroth before Baalzephon. When the children of Israel saw the chariots and horsemen of Pharao, they feared exceedingly, and said to Moses, "Were there no graves in Egypt, that thou hast brought us out to die in the wilderness? Was not this

the word we said to thee in Egypt, 'depart from us that we may serve the Egyptians? for it would have been better to have served them than to die here.' Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand still and see the great wonders the Lord will do for you this day; for the Egyptians whom you see now, you shall see no more for ever.'

It was night by the time that the Egyptian army came up to the encampment of Israel, and the pillar of the cloud that was before Israel, now moved its place and stood between the two armies, so that they could not come near each other. To the children of Israel it gave light in the night, while it was all darkness to the Egyptians, and prevented their seeing the people in pursuit of whom they were come.

Moses now sent word to all the people to be ready to march, and stretching forth his hand over the sea, the Lord brought a strong and burning wind that blew all the night, so that the sea was divided, and a passage left open on the dry ground, the waters forming a wall on the right hand and on the left. Through this passage, thus opened, the people passed during the night; and early in the morning, as soon as it was light, the Egyptian army seeing that they were gone, followed after them into the sea. When they were fairly entered into the path through the sea, the Lord looked from the pillar of the cloud and troubled their host, and the Egyptians in their terror began to cry out, "Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord fighteth for them against us."

Moses now, at the command of God, stretched forth

PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA.

155

his rod over the sea, and the waters returned to their place, and covered the whole army of the Egyptians, so that not so much as one of them remained; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the sea shore.

PHARAO AND HIS HOST DROWNED IN THE RED SEA.

§ 11. The Canticle of Triumph sung by Moses.

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this canticle unto the Lord :

EXPLANATION OF THE TYPE OF THE RED SEA.--The passage of the Red Sea is referred to by St. Paul, as a type of the Sacrament of Baptism :-" For I would not