Exodus 15:6
ESV
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
NIV
Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.
NASB
Your right hand, Lord, is majestic in power; Your right hand, Lord, destroys the enemy.
CSB
Lord, your right hand is glorious in power. Lord, your right hand shattered the enemy.
NLT
'Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power. Your right hand, O Lord, smashes the enemy.
KJV
Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
NKJV
“Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
What does Exodus 15:6 mean?
Most human beings are naturally right-handed. In the Old Testament, the "right hand" is often used as a metaphor for someone's greatest strength. God has just demonstrated His incredible power by rescuing Israel from slavery (Exodus 1:11–14). Powerful miracles (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10, 24; 10:14, 23; 12:29–32) eventually convinced Egypt to release their slaves (Exodus 12:33). When Egypt changed their opinion (Exodus 14:5–9), God rescued His people with a supernatural intervention (Exodus 14:21–28). Moses and the rest of Israel are celebrating this spectacular crossing of the sea.To "shatter" something implies complete destruction. In English, the word suggests something being broken into many pieces. The Hebrew root word, rā'ats, is only used here and in Judges 10:8. The same idea, using slightly different Hebrew terms, is seen elsewhere in the Old Testament (Psalm 2:9; Isaiah 27:9; Jeremiah 48:12). God's power did not just barely overcome Egypt's chariots and horsemen—they were utterly and easily wiped out.
Exodus 15:1–18 is Moses' song of celebration. Israel has just been saved from an attacking Egyptian army (Exodus 14:5–9). God miraculously parted the waters of the sea so His people could cross safely; the pursuing soldiers were all drowned (Exodus 14:21–29). In this song, Moses recounts this amazing series of events. He also looks ahead to Israel's conquest of the Promised Land (Genesis 13:12, 14–16).
Israel celebrates the supernatural event which eliminated the Egyptian army. God's power parted the waters of the Red Sea for the Hebrews to cross, then collapsed the same waters over the pursuing soldiers (Exodus 14:21–29). Moses, his sister Miriam, and the other Israelites praise the Lord for His works. They anticipate that this event will strike fear into the hearts of the wicked Canaanite nations (Deuteronomy 9:4). Yet, when the only water they find is undrinkable, the Israelites complain and criticize Moses. God provides a means to purify the water. He then provides a clear message about obedience and leads the people to a well-watered oasis.
