God's powerful intervention in history is captured through the stormy image of Him walking upon raging waters. This dramatic scene serves as a double symbol, reflecting both the memory of past salvation and the promise of future victory over the enemies of Israel.
The imagery involves a forceful trampling and marching [מצודת ציון]. The primary approach among commentators views this scene as a direct reference to the splitting of the Red Sea. In this setting, heavenly horses represent the clouds upon which God rides to battle and destroy His enemies [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא], or they serve as an extension of His divine chariots [רד״ק]. However, other perspectives suggest these horses are not God's at all. Instead, they symbolize massive enemy armies, as heavy and numerous as the sand of the sea [רש״י], or specifically point to Pharaoh's horses, which God personally lured into the depths to drown them [אברבנאל].
The waters themselves are described in a few different ways. Most commentators agree that the imagery points to a great mound or heap, recalling how the sea stood upright and piled high when it was split [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, the description captures the chaotic nature of the sea, portraying it as raging, noisy, and boiling [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A more literal reading suggests the waters simply turned to mud and clay [אבן עזרא].
These different details shape two main ways to understand the event. The first approach focuses on the past. It highlights how God safely guided the Israelites through the sea while intentionally casting the Egyptians into the depths, brilliantly turning the enemy's own pursuit into the cause of their downfall [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].
The second approach shifts the focus to the future, specifically the battles at the end of days. In this view, the raging waters are not physically split as they were in ancient times. Rather, they serve as a metaphor for the nations of the world gathering for the final war of Gog and Magog. These nations will roar and surge like a storm, attempting to swallow Israel, but God will ultimately defeat them [מלבי״ם].
Finally, another viewpoint reads the scene as a warning of a future siege and drought. Here, God directs the rain clouds away from the land and out over the sea. As the earth dries up and turns to mere mud, the prophet expresses the nation's deep sadness over the lack of rain [אבן עזרא].