By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.
29. By faith they passed, etc. It is certain, that many in that multitude were unbelieving; but the Lord granted to the faith of a few, that the whole multitude should pass through the Red Sea dryshod. But in doing the same thing, there was a great difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians; while the former passed through safely, the latter coming after them were drowned.
The apostle, having given us a more general account of the grace of faith, now proceeds to set before us some illustrious examples of it in the Old Testament times, and these may be divided into two classes: - 1. Those whose names are mentioned, and the particular exercise and actings of whose faith are specified. 2.
Commenting on Hebrews 11:4-31
By faith the harlot Rahab,.... The Targum on Jos 2:1 calls her , "a woman, that kept a victualling house": this paraphrase is taken notice of by Jarchi and Kimchi on the place, who interpret it, "a seller of food": and even the Hebrew word is so explained by a considerable Jewish writer (p); and this may rather seem to be the sense of the...