Midnight Praises
Morning Praises
The First Hoos Lobsh
The Lobsh (interpretation/commentary) of the First Hoos, a poetic summary that retells the Red Sea crossing in concise, meditative verses. It distills the Song of Moses into its core images and concludes with intercessions.
With the split, the waters of the sea split, And the very deep, became a walkway.
The Lobsh opens by marveling at the impossible made possible - the deep sea floor became a road. The repetition of "split" emphasizes the miraculous nature of the event. What was deadly (deep water) became a means of salvation (a walkway). This pattern repeats throughout salvation history - the Cross, which was an instrument of death, became the path to life.
A hidden earth, was shone upon by the sun, and the untrodden road, was walked upon.
The sea floor had never seen sunlight since creation - now it was illuminated. A path that no human had ever walked was suddenly a highway for an entire nation. This imagery speaks to how God reveals what has been hidden and opens ways that never existed before. In Christ, mysteries hidden from the foundation of the world were revealed (Ephesians 3:9).
The flowing water, stood still, by a miraculous, act of wonder.
Water's nature is to flow - yet it stood still at God's command. The Creator is not bound by the laws He created. This verse invites awe and wonder, reminding us that the God we worship is above nature itself. The Coptic tradition preserves this sense of wonder in every liturgy - we witness bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pharaoh and his chariots, were drowned, and the children of Israel, crossed the sea.
The contrast is stark and deliberate - the same event that drowned the oppressor saved the oppressed. The same waters, the same moment, two opposite outcomes. This is the pattern of God's justice: deliverance for those who trust Him, judgment for those who oppose Him. In baptism, our old nature drowns while our new nature crosses over to freedom.
And in front of them was, Moses the prophet praising, until he brought them, to the wilderness of Sinai.
Moses led from the front with praise, not just strategy. The leader's primary role was worship. He brought them not to a palace or a city but to the wilderness - the place of encounter with God. The Coptic Church understands the wilderness as a place of spiritual formation, which is why monasticism (born in the Egyptian desert) holds such a central place in our tradition.
And they were praising God, with this new psalmody, saying "Let us sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously."
"New psalmody" - the Song of Moses was the first hymn, something never done before. Every genuine encounter with God produces new praise. The Coptic Church, while preserving ancient hymns, understands that worship should always feel fresh because the God we praise is ever-living and ever-active.
Through the prayers of, Moses the archprophet, O Lord grant us, the forgiveness of our sins.
The Lobsh transitions from narrative to intercession. Moses is called "archprophet" - the chief of prophets - because he spoke with God face to face (Exodus 33:11). We ask for his prayers not because we worship him but because we believe the saints intercede for us before God's throne. Moses who interceded for Israel at the Red Sea continues to intercede for God's people.
Through the intercessions, of the Mother of God Saint Mary, O Lord grant us, the forgiveness of our sins.
The Virgin Mary's intercession is invoked in virtually every Coptic prayer. She is called "Mother of God" (Theotokos) - the title affirmed at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD), which the Coptic Church championed through St. Cyril of Alexandria. Her intercession is considered the most powerful of all the saints because of her unique closeness to Christ.
We worship You O Christ, with Your good Father, and the Holy Spirit, for You have (risen) and saved us.
The Lobsh concludes with a Trinitarian doxology that makes clear: worship belongs to God alone - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The parenthetical "risen" changes based on the liturgical season ("come and saved us" during Advent, "been born and saved us" at Christmas, "risen and saved us" after Pascha). This adaptability shows how the same hymn breathes with the life of the Church calendar.
Reflection
The Lobsh (Coptic for 'interpretation' or 'explanation') of the First Hoos is a poetic commentary that distills the Red Sea crossing into concise, meditative verses. It follows the First Canticle and transitions from scriptural narrative into intercessory prayer through Moses and the Theotokos.
Biblical Origin
While not a direct biblical text, the Lobsh is a Coptic liturgical composition that retells Exodus 14-15 in condensed poetic form. Its imagery draws on the Septuagint account of the sea splitting, the deep becoming dry land, and Moses leading Israel through the wilderness to Sinai. The closing refrain echoes Exodus 15:1 directly.
Theological Meaning
- The Lobsh contemplates the reversal of nature as a sign of God's absolute sovereignty over creation. Water standing still, the sea floor illuminated by sunlight, an untrodden path suddenly walked upon - these are not merely miracles but revelations that the Creator is not bound by the laws He established. St. Ephrem the Syrian, honored in the Coptic tradition, taught that nature obeys its Maker more readily than humanity does.
- The contrast between Pharaoh drowning and Israel crossing in the same waters teaches the doctrine of divine justice - the same event simultaneously judges the oppressor and saves the oppressed. This dual action of the same waters is the typological basis for the Coptic understanding of baptism, where the old self dies and the new self is born in a single moment.
- The transition from narrative to intercession ('Through the prayers of Moses the archprophet') reveals the Coptic conviction that sacred history is not a closed past but a living reality. Moses who interceded for Israel at the Red Sea continues to intercede before God's throne. The Lobsh teaches that remembering God's past deliverance is itself an act of faith in His present power.
Liturgical Significance
The Lobsh serves as a bridge between the scriptural canticle and the congregation's personal prayer. By condensing the First Hoos into brief images and then moving into intercession, it helps the worshipper internalize the theology of the Exodus and carry it into petition. The inclusion of the Theotokos and the seasonal doxology ('risen/come/been born and saved us') connects the Old Testament deliverance to Christ's saving work in the present liturgical season.
Spiritual Application
The Lobsh cultivates wonder and gratitude by slowing the worshipper down to marvel at what God has done. It transforms the memory of deliverance into present-tense trust, teaching the faithful to approach their own impossible circumstances with the confidence that the God who made the deep a walkway can open a path through any trial.
The Lobsh of the First Hoos distills the Red Sea miracle into meditative poetry, transforming historical deliverance into living intercession and connecting the Exodus to Christ's ongoing salvation.