Did the Israelites Walk or Swim? (Heb 11:29)

The ESV reads, “By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land.” Was it dry land, or was it on dry ground? How do you hear it? I can only hear “as if it were.”

Several translations use “as” (NIV). The NRSV and NET are even more confusing; they say “as if.” As if it were dry? What does that mean? Was it really wet, and the people pretended it was dry?

You can see other translations aware of the problem. NLT and CSB write “as though they were on dry ground.” The NJB (New Jerusalem Bible) interestingly has, “They crossed the Red Sea as easily as dry land.”

ὡς is actually a very flexible word. BDAG lists nine categories of meanings. Only two are relevant to our verse.

“1. a comparative particle, marking the manner in which someth. proceeds, as, like.” The important point to note here is that BDAG means “as, like” in the sense of “οὕτως=‘so, in such a way’.” This is certainly what our text means.

“2. a conjunction marking a point of comparison, as.” An example would be, “οἱ δίκαιοι ἐκλάμψουσιν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος the righteous will shine out as the sun (shines) Mt 13:43.” This is what I am hearing with “as if.” The righteous shine like the sun shines. But the righteous are not actually the sun.

The point the author to the Hebrews is making is that the children of Israel did cross the Red Sea, and the manner in which they crossed was not by swimming but by walking on ground that was dry. They crossed the Red Sea in the same manner in which you cross any dry land. They walked.

“As” doesn’t communicate that, at least to me.”

This is one of those biblical stories where familiarity has probably lessened the impact of the historical event. I remember watching a cartoon depiction that actually did a good job of helping me understand what it must have been like for the waters to part and for the soggy ground to be dry enough to walk on. Could the Israelites see the fish swimming in the walls of water on either side?

As is always the case in biblical interpretation, it is important to put ourselves into the historical event. I'm hoping to see a re-enactment of this when I get to heaven.