Biblical Parallels Index – Shemot 15/0

Biblical Parallels Index – Shemot 15

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Overview

This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.

Songs in Tanakh

The Song of the Sea (שירת הים) is one of several songs in Tanakh. Others include the song of Ha'azinu, Devorah and Channah's songs, and David's song. Is there a common denominator between the events which led to the singing and composing of each of these songs?

Tools

• See Makbilot BaMikra for a list and links to several songs in Tanakh.

Articles

• Haazinu: The Five Songs in Tanach, by R. Menachem Leibtag, differentiates between the three Biblical songs that describe ideal situations of redemption and triumph, and two that conclude periods that fall short of expectations.  Specifically, R. Leibtag focuses on the contrast between the "Song of the Sea" which should have ushered in the conquest, but did not, and "Ha'azinu" a song tailored to a generation which did not live up to its ideal.
• See Beshalach: The Song at the Sea, by R. Michael Hattin, for comparison and contrast of Biblical songs, with a focus on the similarities and differences between "שירת הים" (the Song of the Sea) and "שירת דבורה" (the Song of Deborah).  R. Hattin identifies the unique theme of "שירת הים" as being Hashem’s “saving might,” both in the present and eschatologically.
• See אך חבל כל אדם: עיונים בשירה המקראית, by Dr. Victor Kellner, for analysis of the unique religious goals of Biblical poetry and how these relate to its aesthetic features, with a focus on Tehillim.
• See מלחמה ושירה, by R. Yehuda Shaviv, for analysis and contrast of the elements of Shirat HaYam, Shirat Devorah, and Shirat David, and discussion of why there was no similar song after the defeat of Amalek. He proposes that perhaps songs are only composed after a total defeat or after the undoing of a prolonged subjugation, neither of which occurred with regards to Amalek.

Israelites’ Complaints

Shemot 14:10-14 describes the first many complaints of the Israelites in the desert.¹ Other complaints can be found in Shemot 15:22-25, Shemot 16:2-4, Shemot 17:1-7, Bemidbar 11:5-6, Bemidbar 14:2-3, Bemidbar 20:1-6, and Bemidbar 21:4-7.

Tools

• Use Makbilot BaMikra to find links to the many verses which speak of the nation's various complaints, including descriptions of the events in Tehillim.

Articles and Lectures

• Listen to Sefer Bemidbar: From Doubt to Debate, by Atara Snowbell, for an insightful analysis and close reading of the evolution of the Israelites’ complaints from Shemot 15 through Bemidbar 21, reflecting their increasing faith and independence.
• See מסע בעקבות תלונות עם ישראל במדבר, by Dr. Brachi Elitzur, for a nuanced comparison and contrast of the complaints in the desert along six different parameters: the situation that prompted the complaint, the way that the Torah describes the people and their complaint, the content of their request, the way that the nation relates to Egypt, and the consequences of the complaint. 

¹ It is noteworthy that in this complaint, the people use the word “מצרים” five times in verses 11-12, highlighting how large Egypt looms in their minds -- either as a source of fear or security or both. Similarly, Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the word “פרעה” is the second most frequently appearing word in the chapter, appearing 11 times.