Psalms 114:2-8

2 Y'hudah became [God's] sanctuary, Isra'el his domain.

3 The sea saw this and fled; the Yarden turned back;

4 the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young sheep.

5 Why is it, sea, that you flee? Why, Yarden, do you turn back?

6 Why, mountains, do you skip like rams; and you hills like young sheep?

7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Ya'akov,

8 who turned the rock into a pool of water, flint into flowing spring.

Psalms 114:2-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 114

The title of this psalm in the Arabic version is "hallelujah", as in some preceding ones; it is part of the great "Hallel" sung at the passover, and with great propriety; since the subject matter of it is the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt, typical of our spiritual redemption by Christ; and of the effectual calling of God's elect out of a state of nature into a state of grace; and particularly of the conversion of the Gentiles, and the bringing of them from Paganism to Christianity: the inscription of the Syriac version is,

``a psalm without a name, out of the ancient writing; concerning Moses, who sung praise at the sea; but unto us the calling of the Gospel, by which we become a new people; spiritual to God, who is incarnate; to Jesus Christ, who redeemed us by his blood from the curse of the Scripture (the law), and hath cleansed us from sin by his Spirit.''