17 pages • 34-minute read
Go Down, Moses
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Symbols & Motifs
Moses
Moses is one of the key figures of the Torah, which eventually became the Old Testament. In the Torah, he is the principle protagonist of the story of Exodus—a Jewish leader who successfully fought to free the Jewish people from their enslavement in Egypt with the direct intercession of God.
In the lyric, Moses symbolizes moral righteousness and the hope that it is possible to stand up against immoral and brutal oppression. In confronting the Pharaoh, Moses was the mouthpiece and hand of God. Because of this, Moses in the spiritual shows that the quest for freedom is sanctioned by God, who demands, “let my people go.”
Moses is also a stand-in for abolitionists urging the US government to put an end to the institution of slavery. The comparison gives their message higher authority—like Moses remonstrating with Pharaoh, they work from a moral obligation, while those who maintain the system of enslavement are offending God.
The Lighted Candle
As the closing stanzas encourage enslaved people to maintain hope and to pursue freedom, the speaker assures listeners that “you won’t get lost in the wilderness / With a lighted candle in your breast” (Lines 19-20). Practically, the lighted candle is a navigational tool for those fleeing by night to the free states of the North; the image reflects the hope of safe travel along the Underground Railroad.
The symbol of a lighted candle also draws on Christian imagery. In the Bible, the lighted candle often represents God’s illuminating truth that inspires and consoles. The light affirms God’s continuing presence and guidance, which enslaved people should rely on. Of course, a candle flame is fragile, which shows how small hope can seem during perilous times. But, the song argues, God’s light cannot be extinguished even in what appears to be the darkest of times.
The Parting of the Red Sea
In 1861, when “Go Down, Moses” was first published, freedom from slavery in the South meant escaping northward—a physically demanding and dangerous journey in which success was far from assured.
To bolster the resolve of enslaved people considering making this trek, the song offers the example of the seemingly impossible escape of the enslaved Israelites from Egypt. The two central stanzas recreate the “dark and dismal night” (Line 9) that marked the crossing of the Red Sea, recounted in Exodus 14, to reassure listeners that God helped those fleeing slavery in the past and will do so again. In Exodus, the fleeing Israelites were trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea. Just as all seemed lost, Moses, under God’s guidance, “stretch[ed] out [his] rod” (Line 14) and parted the Red Sea to give the Israelites a clear path to freedom. Once the Israelites got to the other side, God sent the waters back to drown their pursuers.
The parting of the Red Sea shows that the journey to the North is difficult but not impossible and argues for the importance of never giving up hope. Just as God acted through Moses, so He will never abandon the cause of people enslaved in the US: Soon, they will sing “a song of triumph” (Line 18).
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