Esodo 15. Esame letterario, composizione, interpretazione

The paper examines Ex 15:1-18, a song that poetically celebrates the crossing of the Sea of Reeds by God’s people, an event previously narrated historically. The song is examined from the point of view of structure, philology, composition and style, and of its actual perspective. The composition consists of two proclamations of faith and/or God’s praise (vv. 1-3 and 11) enclosing the crossing of the Sea (vv. 1-12) and the guidance of the chosen people toward the Promised Land (vv. 13-18), respectively. A correct analysis of the verb forms is essential for a proper evaluation of the song perspective. The analysis of yiqtol - jussive (vv. 1-2, 9, 12, 16, 17, 18), or indicative in the axis of the past (v. 5, 14, 15) and in the axis of the future (vv. 6, 7) - is especially important. Further, the chiastic order of the foreign peoples, i.e., a) Philistines, b) Edomites and Moabites, a’) Canaanites, and the way they are mentioned indicate that the perspective of the song is the guidance through Transjordan before the entrance into the Promised Land, a situation similar to the one outlined in Josh 2:9-11. While the actual crossing is datable around the end of the XIIIth cent. B.C., the composition of the song is later, around the XIth cent.