'He put darkness between you': A version of the Deliverance at the Sea Narrative in Exodus 14:20 and Joshua 24:7.

This article focuses on a textual analysis of Exodus 14:19-20, arguing that the passage preserves a variant tradition in which YHWH uses supernatural darkness alone—without a cloud—to separate the Israelite and Egyptian armies at the sea. The author supports this claim by highlighting textual difficulties in Exodus 14:19-20 and noting that a similar darkness-only account appears in Joshua 24:6-7, suggesting it is not merely a compressed retelling but a distinct variant. The discussion addresses linguistic distinctions between "cloud" and "darkness," the problematic coexistence of a cloud of fire and darkness in the Hebrew text, and the smoothing of these tensions in the Septuagint translation. The article further explores the theological significance of YHWH’s use of darkness as a weapon to effect a decisive separation from oppression, linking this motif to broader ancient Near Eastern storm-god imagery and biblical themes of deliverance.