Psalms 114:4

4 The mountains turned playful and skipped like rams, the hills frolicked like spring lambs.

Psalms 114:4 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 114:4

The mountains skipped like rams
The mountains of Sinai and Horeb quaked and moved at the presence of the Lord, when he descended thereon to give the law; these saw his glory and trembled, ( Exodus 19:18 ) ( Psalms 68:8 ) ( Habakkuk 3:6 Habakkuk 3:10 ) .

And the little hills like lambs;
very beautiful are the larger mountains of Sinai and Horeb compared to rams, and the motion of them to their skipping; and the little hills adjacent to them to lambs: these may represent the greater and lesser governors in the Roman empire at the time when such large conversions were made in it as before observed; and which skipped, and trembled, and fled, and were moved out of their places at the downfall of Paganism and progress of Christianity, ( Revelation 6:14 ) and also may be an emblem of the difficulties which lie like mountains and hills in the way of a sinner's conversion and effectual calling, which yet give way to and are surmounted by the efficacious grace of God; all mountains become a plain before him, and when he works none can let.

Psalms 114:4 In-Context

2 Judah became holy land for him, Israel the place of holy rule.
3 Sea took one look and ran the other way; River Jordan turned around and ran off.
4 The mountains turned playful and skipped like rams, the hills frolicked like spring lambs.
5 What's wrong with you, Sea, that you ran away? and you, River Jordan, that you turned and ran off?
6 And mountains, why did you skip like rams? and you, hills, frolic like spring lambs?
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.