The Meaning of Exodus 14:5 Explained

Exodus 14:5

KJV: And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

YLT: And it is declared to the king of Egypt that the people hath fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants is turned against the people, and they say, 'What is this we have done? that we have sent Israel away from our service.'

Darby: And it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his bondmen was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from our service?

ASV: And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people, and they said, What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it was told  the king  of Egypt  that the people  fled:  and the heart  of Pharaoh  and of his servants  was turned  against the people,  and they said,  Why have we done  this, that we have let Israel  go  from serving  us? 

What does Exodus 14:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 14:1-9 - The People Are Led Out And Pursued
There were two routes to Canaan, the nearest through the land of the Philistines; but to take that would have exposed the Hebrews to the very sights that so dismayed the twelve spies. See Numbers 33:1-56. They might have had to fight every mile of advance. This would have been too great an ordeal for their young faith. So God, like the mother eagle, bore them on His wings. The Angel who conducted the march in the cloud chariot, led them about. Thus God deals with us still, tempering the wind to the shorn lamb. Patience and faith are still severely tested by the circuitous and laborious route, but when in the afterwards we understand God's reasons, we are satisfied. There are many lessons learned on the wilderness route. How often God leads us into what seem to be impossible positions, that in our absolute extremity there may be room for Him to work. All is love. See Psalms 136:1-26. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 14

1  God instructs the Israelites in their journey
5  Pharaoh pursues after them
10  The Israelites murmur
13  Moses comforts them
15  God instructs Moses
19  The cloud removes behind the camp
21  The Israelites pass through the Red sea, which drowns the Egyptians

What do the individual words in Exodus 14:5 mean?

And it was told the king of Egypt that had fled the people and was turned the heart of Pharaoh and his servants against the people and they said what [is] this [that] have we done that we have let go - Israel from serving us
וַיֻּגַּד֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח הָעָ֑ם וַ֠יֵּהָפֵךְ לְבַ֨ב פַּרְעֹ֤ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ אֶל־ הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמרוּ֙ מַה־ זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־ שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעָבְדֵֽנוּ

וַיֻּגַּד֙  And  it  was  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לְמֶ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
בָרַ֖ח  had  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַח 
Sense: to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away.
הָעָ֑ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וַ֠יֵּהָפֵךְ  and  was  turned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָפַךְ  
Sense: to turn, overthrow, overturn.
לְבַ֨ב  the  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
פַּרְעֹ֤ה  of  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
וַעֲבָדָיו֙  and  his  servants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֶל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וַיֹּֽאמרוּ֙  and  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
זֹּ֣את  [is]  this  [that] 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
עָשִׂ֔ינוּ  have  we  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ  we  have  let  go 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מֵעָבְדֵֽנוּ  from  serving  us 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.