Exodus 15:9
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
Study Note
Study Note
The enemy's boast — 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them' — is placed in the mouth of the Egyptians immediately before the Sea of Reeds closes over them. The five boastful 'I will' statements build to a climax of confident violence that makes the immediate divine response (15:10: 'thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them') all the more devastating in its brevity. Literary scholars have noted this as a masterpiece of dramatic irony: the most elaborate speech in the Song of Moses belongs to the enemy, making his complete annihilation the more humiliating. The motif of the boasting enemy whose plans are reversed by a single divine act runs through Psalms 2, 46, and 76.
Other Translations
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
The enemy said, I pursue, I overtake; I apportion spoil; Filled is my soul with them; I draw out my sword; My hand destroyeth them: --
Egypt said, I will go after them, I will overtake, I will make division of their goods: my desire will have its way with them; my sword will be uncovered, my hand will send destruction on them.
Cross References
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