Psalms 114:1

1 Alleluia. In the going out of Israel from Egypt; of the house of Jacob from the heathen people. (Alleluia. When Israel went out from Egypt, yea, the house of Jacob from a people with a strange language;)

Psalms 114:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 114:1

When Israel went out of Egypt
The people of Israel in a body, publicly, openly, and not by stealth; freely and willingly, not forced and drove out; though urged by the Egyptians to go, through the hand of God upon them; and so went out with the mighty hand and outstretched arm of the Lord, and with great riches, and in health, not one feeble or sick among them.

The house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
or barbarous; as every language was reckoned by the Jews but their own; the Egyptian language they did not understand; see ( Psalms 81:5 ) ( Genesis 42:23 ) , no doubt many of them learned it during their long stay there, but in general they retained their own language. This was an emblem of the Lord's people in effectual calling, coming out of bondage into liberty, out of darkness into light, out of superstition, and idolatry and profaneness, to the service of the true God in righteousness and true holiness; and from a people of a strange language to those that speak the language of Canaan, a pure language, in which they can understated one another when they converse together, either about experience or doctrine; and the manner of their coming out is much the same, by strength of hand, by the power of divine grace, yet willingly and cheerfully, with great riches, the riches of grace, and a title to the riches of glory, and with much spiritual strength; for, though weak in themselves, yet are strong in Christ.

Psalms 114:1 In-Context

1 Alleluia. In the going out of Israel from Egypt; of the house of Jacob from the heathen people. (Alleluia. When Israel went out from Egypt, yea, the house of Jacob from a people with a strange language;)
2 Judah was made the hallowing of him; Israel the power of him. (Judah was made the Lord's sanctuary; and Israel was made his dominion.)
3 The sea saw, and fled; Jordan was turned aback. (The Red Sea, or the Sea of Reeds, saw it, and fled away; the Jordan River turned back, or backed away.)
4 Mountains full out joyed as rams; and little hills as the lambs of sheep. (The mountains rejoiced like rams; and the little hills like the lambs of sheep.)
5 Thou sea, what was to thee, for thou fleddest; and thou, Jordan, for thou were turned aback? (O Red Sea/O Sea of Reeds, what happened to thee, that thou fleddest away? and O Jordan, why hast thou turned back?)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.