Exodus 15:20–21
Miriam takes a tambourine, and the women go out with tambourines and dancing
Study it word by word20Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
21And Miriam answered them, “Sing to YHWH, for he is highly exalted; horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.”
In its context
18YHWH will reign forever and ever.”
19For when the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, YHWH brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea.
…
22Then Moses led Israel onward from the Sea of Reeds, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
23They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah, because it was bitter; that is why it was named Marah.
Its words in the original
- תִּקַּחtikach· take
Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).
- מִרְיָםmiryam· Miriam
Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess; also a woman of the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:17).
- נְּבִיאָהnevia· prophetess
Prophetess: a woman who speaks on behalf of God.
- אֲחוֹתachot· sister
Sister; also a female relative, or a woman of the same people.
- אַהֲרֹןaharon· Aaron
Aaron, the older brother of Moses, his spokesman before Pharaoh and the first high priest of Israel.
- תֹּףtof· tambourine
Tambourine: a small hand drum.
- יָדָyada· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- תֵּצֶאןָtetsena· go out, bring out
Go out, come out. In the causative form, "make go out", "bring out", "lead out", "produce".
- נָּשִׁיםnashim· woman, wife
Woman; with a possessive ("his woman"), wife. In Hebrew it is "ishah", which sounds like "ish", man.
- מְחֹלֹתmecholot· dance
Dance in a ring.
- תַּעַןtaan· answer
Answer, reply; also speak up, testify, or sing in response.
- שִׁירוּshiru· sing
Sing; singer.
- יהוָהyhva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- גָאֹהgao· rise up, be exalted
Rise up, grow tall; be majestic, be highly exalted.
- סוּסsus· horse
Horse.
- רֹכְבrochv· ride
Ride an animal or a chariot; in the causative form, set someone on a mount.
- רָמָהrama· deceive; throw
Deceive, betray; also throw, shoot.
- יָּםyam· sea, west
Sea, or any great body of water (also a lake). Since the Mediterranean lies west of Israel, the word also means "west".