Narrative and Poetry at the Sea: Literary Genre and Theological Function in Exodus 14–15

Abstract

This article examines the literary and theological relationship between Exodus 14 and Exodus 15, arguing that the two chapters form a deliberate canonical pairing in which narrative prose and poetic hymnody function complementarily to communicate Israel’s salvation at the Sea. While Exodus 14 presents the event through linear narrative focused on historical causality and divine intervention, Exodus 15 rearticulates the same deliverance through poetic intensification, parallelism, and liturgical confession. The study demonstrates that genre decisively shapes message, tone, and function: prose secures salvation as remembered history, whereas poetry interprets that history as theological proclamation and communal worship. Through close literary analysis, including selected evidence from the Hebrew text, this article shows how Exodus 14 emphasizes deliverance as an accomplished act of YHWH in time, while Exodus 15 foregrounds the revelation of YHWH’s identity as warrior, incomparable deity, and eternal king. The juxtaposition of these chapters illustrates a biblical pedagogy in which faith is grounded in historical memory and sustained through poetic confession. The study underscores the importance of genre-sensitive interpretation and highlights the formative role of biblical poetry in shaping Israel’s theological imagination and worship.