Psalm 114 Study Notes
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114:1 This psalm resembles Ps 29, which celebrates God’s revelation. Israel here refers to the twelve tribes, not just the northern kingdom.
114:2 The reference to Judah as a sanctuary seems anachronistic since the central sanctuary was not established until the Davidic kingship, but this could simply mean that Judah was God’s metaphorical “holy place.” The reference to Israel as the Lord’s political domain indicates the psalmist had Israel’s election as the Lord’s people in view.
114:3 The sea looked and fled draws on mythological imagery to describe the parting of the Red Sea (Ex 14:21-22; 15:4-12). The course reversal of the Jordan River occurred when Joshua and the people entered Canaan (Jos 3-5). See Ps 66:6 for a similar combination of the Red Sea and Jordan events.
114:4 The mountains skipped refers to the shaking of Mount Sinai (Ex 19:16). The cosmos responds to God’s presence (Ps 29:2,8; Is 40:4; 64:1; Hab 3:6-7; Zch 14:4).
114:5-8 Introducing a rhetorical question, the psalmist reflected on the might and majesty of the Lord who caused such phenomena.