Whatever the command "Wade in the water!" means, the speaker really wants it to happen, and for children too, since it is repeated several times. The warning/notification "God's a-gonna trouble the water" also happens repeatedly.
Two primary interpretations:
"Wade in the water" means escape from slavery (which might require literally wading in the water to save one's skin). A modern day version is to advocate for Black civil rights. "God's agonna trouble the water" means there could be negative consequences of this.
"Wade in the water" means the escape of the Israelites from the Egyptians via the Red Sea in the book of Exodus. "God's agonna trouble the water" means once the Israelites have escaped and the Egyptians have followed God will make the sea fallback and destroy the Egyptians.
The line "Look over yonder, what do I see? The Holy Ghost a-comin' on me" has a common meaning referring to death that inevitably ends a human life, eventually meeting with God (The Holy Ghost/Spirit being one of the Holy Trinity making up the divine). Another commonality is "band dressed in red" can mean potentially bloody or lethal consequences for whatever wading in the water is and when God troubles the water.
Each primary interpretation has different symbolism for the concepts in the song:
First interpretation.
Children = black children.
Host in White = lynch mobs or the Ku Klux Klan out for blood (or take back their property).
Israelites = white people who support slavery or oppose Black civil rights, or anyone who supports White supremacy.
Are the Israelites the Chosen People? No.
Israelite leader dressed in white = leader of lynch mob or Ku Klux Klan (Israelites are Semites, not Black).
Band dressed in red that Moses led = Anyone who fights toward being redeemed.
Being redeemed = Escape from slavery or improvement in Black civil rights.
Follow me down to Jordan's stream = an exhortation to the listener to take steps or help others toward being redeemed.
Second interpretation.
Children = israelite children.
Host in white = Egyptians.
Israelites = Egyptians (Egyptians are Arabs, might be visually similar to Semites to the naive observer).
Are the Israelites the Chosen People? Yes (although deeper analysis beyond this song indicates they aren't the only ones).
Israelite leader dressed in white = Pharoah (leader of figurative Israelites).
Band dressed in red that Moses led = Israelites. Moses has association with red (e.g. blood smeared on doorposts for the passover).
Being redeemed = Making the way to the Promised Land.
Follow me down to Jordan's stream = the river Jordan is the eastern border of the land promised to the Israelites, so maybe directionally this means going to the Promised Land.
Whatever the command "Wade in the water!" means, the speaker really wants it to happen, and for children too, since it is repeated several times. The warning/notification "God's a-gonna trouble the water" also happens repeatedly.
Two primary interpretations:
The line "Look over yonder, what do I see? The Holy Ghost a-comin' on me" has a common meaning referring to death that inevitably ends a human life, eventually meeting with God (The Holy Ghost/Spirit being one of the Holy Trinity making up the divine). Another commonality is "band dressed in red" can mean potentially bloody or lethal consequences for whatever wading in the water is and when God troubles the water.
Each primary interpretation has different symbolism for the concepts in the song:
First interpretation. Children = black children. Host in White = lynch mobs or the Ku Klux Klan out for blood (or take back their property). Israelites = white people who support slavery or oppose Black civil rights, or anyone who supports White supremacy. Are the Israelites the Chosen People? No. Israelite leader dressed in white = leader of lynch mob or Ku Klux Klan (Israelites are Semites, not Black). Band dressed in red that Moses led = Anyone who fights toward being redeemed. Being redeemed = Escape from slavery or improvement in Black civil rights. Follow me down to Jordan's stream = an exhortation to the listener to take steps or help others toward being redeemed.
Second interpretation. Children = israelite children. Host in white = Egyptians. Israelites = Egyptians (Egyptians are Arabs, might be visually similar to Semites to the naive observer). Are the Israelites the Chosen People? Yes (although deeper analysis beyond this song indicates they aren't the only ones). Israelite leader dressed in white = Pharoah (leader of figurative Israelites). Band dressed in red that Moses led = Israelites. Moses has association with red (e.g. blood smeared on doorposts for the passover). Being redeemed = Making the way to the Promised Land. Follow me down to Jordan's stream = the river Jordan is the eastern border of the land promised to the Israelites, so maybe directionally this means going to the Promised Land.
[Edit: try to fix bullet points losing clarity]