Commentary - Exodus 15:20-21

Bird's-eye view

This short passage provides the glorious, feminine coda to the Song of the Sea. Having just heard the magnificent anthem of Moses and the sons of Israel, a song celebrating Yahweh's triumph over the gods of Egypt, we now see the celebration spill over to the women of Israel, led by Miriam. This is not a separate, disconnected event; it is the responsive second stanza, the enthusiastic affirmation of the whole congregation. Miriam, identified here as a prophetess and the sister of Aaron, leads the women in a jubilant procession of music and dance. Her song is a concise, potent summary of the main theme: God is to be praised for His utter victory over His enemies. This scene establishes a vital biblical principle: God's mighty acts of salvation are not meant to be analyzed in quiet, dispassionate contemplation alone. They are meant to be celebrated with exuberant, physical, and corporate joy. It is a picture of worship that engages the whole person and the whole community, men and women in their distinct roles, united in praise.

This moment is foundational for understanding the nature of godly celebration. It is not frivolous or chaotic; it is structured and led. It is not self-centered; it is centered on the character and actions of God. And it is not incidental to the faith; it is an essential response to the gospel. Just as Miriam led the women in celebrating the first exodus, the saints in glory sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, celebrating the final exodus accomplished by Christ. This passage, therefore, is a permanent summons to the people of God to rejoice, to sing, to dance, and to exult in the God who hurls the horse and rider into the sea.

Outline

Context In Exodus

These two verses form the conclusion to the celebration of the Red Sea crossing. Chapter 14 details the miraculous event itself: the parting of the waters, Israel's safe passage on dry ground, and the subsequent annihilation of Pharaoh's pursuing army. Chapter 15, verses 1 through 19, contain the "Song of Moses," a powerful, poetic recounting of God's victory and a prophecy of His future triumphs in bringing His people to their promised inheritance. The song is sung by Moses and the "sons of Israel." The scene with Miriam and the women in verses 20 and 21 is the immediate aftermath and the fitting conclusion to this great worship service on the shores of the sea. It demonstrates the unity of the entire congregation in this foundational moment of their redemption. Immediately following this peak of celebration, chapter 15 transitions to the grumbling of the people at the bitter waters of Marah (Exod 15:22-27), providing a stark and immediate contrast between the heights of faith-filled worship and the depths of faithless complaint.

Key Issues

Worship on the Far Shore

The deliverance at the Red Sea is the archetypal salvation event of the Old Testament. It is Israel's baptism, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10. They went down into the water under the cloud, and they came up on the other side a new nation, redeemed from bondage. The response to this mighty act of God is not quiet reflection, but loud, corporate, joyous worship. The Song of Moses lays out the theology of the event, the doctrine of what God has done. But doctrine that does not erupt into doxology is dead doctrine. Theology that you can't sing and dance to is the theology of the scribes, not the theology of the redeemed.

What we see here with Miriam and the women is the necessary and beautiful overflow of right doctrine. The men, led by Moses, have sung the truth. Now the women, led by Miriam, respond to that truth with uninhibited, physical celebration. This is not two separate worship services, one for the men and one for the women. It is one unified act of praise, with men and women participating according to their created natures and God-given roles. Moses leads the whole congregation with the authoritative word of the song, and Miriam leads the women in their responsive, amplifying chorus of celebration. This pattern is essential. Godly worship is orderly, it is joyful, and it involves the whole community giving glory to God for His salvation.

Verse by Verse Commentary

20 And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.

The focus shifts from Moses and the men to Miriam and the women. She is identified in three ways: by her name, her office, and her family. She is Miriam the prophetess. A prophet or prophetess is one who speaks God's word. This does not mean she held a teaching office over the men of Israel; the pattern of male headship was established from the beginning. But like other prophetesses in Scripture, such as Deborah or Huldah, God used her to deliver His message at a key moment. Here, her prophetic gift is expressed in leading the people in a right response to God's revelation in the exodus. She is also called Aaron's sister, which, of course, also makes her Moses' sister. This grounds her role within the leadership family of Israel. She is not a freelancer. Her authority is recognized and contextualized.

She took a tambourine, a simple percussion instrument, and led all the women out. This was not a spontaneous, chaotic free-for-all. It was a procession, a led movement. Miriam is out front, and the women follow her lead. Their worship includes both music (tambourines) and physical expression (dancing). This is not a sensual, worldly dance, but a dance of pure, unadulterated joy and victory before the Lord, much like David would later dance before the ark. It is the body's way of saying what the mouth is singing. God saved us with a mighty physical intervention, and we respond with our physical bodies in praise.

21 And Miriam answered them, “Sing to Yahweh, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.”

Miriam "answered them." Who is "them?" It most likely refers back to Moses and the men. Their long song has concluded, and now Miriam provides the antiphonal response, the great Amen to what has been sung. She calls everyone to action: "Sing to Yahweh." Worship is a command, an exhortation. It is something we are to stir one another up to do.

And the reason for the song is the ground of all true worship: God's character revealed in His actions. We sing because He is highly exalted. His triumph over Egypt has demonstrated His supreme glory. The second line is the summary statement of that triumph, a direct quote from the opening of Moses' song (Exod 15:1). The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea. This is the gospel in miniature. The entire military might of the most powerful nation on earth, the pinnacle of human pride and rebellion represented by the horse and rider, was effortlessly disposed of by Yahweh. He did not just defeat them; He threw them away like a man throwing a stone into the water. This is the foundation of their freedom and the fuel for their praise. Miriam's short, punchy, memorable chorus drives the central point home. This is what we are celebrating. This is why we dance.

Application

We live in an age that is often suspicious of exuberant joy in worship. We tend to be self-conscious, buttoned-down, and more concerned with what the person in the next pew might think than with giving God the glory He is due. This passage from Exodus is a strong rebuke to our tepid and passionless piety. God's salvation is not a small thing, and it does not call for a small response. The drowning of the Egyptian army was a violent, terrifying, and glorious event. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, of which the exodus was a type, is infinitely more so. In Christ, our Pharaoh, Satan, has been defeated. Our bondage to sin has been broken. The sea of God's wrath, which should have consumed us, has instead consumed our enemies. We have been brought through to the other side, not by our own strength, but by the mighty hand and outstretched arm of God.

Does our worship reflect this reality? Do we sing like a people who have been rescued from certain death? This passage calls us to recover a holy and celebratory joy. This doesn't mean every church must have tambourines and dancing; these are circumstances of worship, not required elements. But it does mean that our hearts should be bursting with the kind of joy that might lead to tambourines and dancing. It means our singing should be robust and full-throated. It means our men should lead with theological strength and conviction, like Moses, and our women should be encouraged to beautify and amplify that worship with their unique gifts, like Miriam. We must not be afraid to celebrate. The horse and His rider, sin, death, and the devil, have been hurled into the sea. Sing to the Lord.