Unknown
Psalm 114
Unknown
Scripture (KJV)
1When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
Summary
Psalm 114 is a short, vivid Hallel psalm that celebrates the exodus with dramatic personification. When Israel came out of Egypt, Judah became God’s sanctuary and Israel His dominion. In response, the sea fled and Jordan was driven back, the mountains skipped like rams and the little hills like lambs. The psalmist playfully interrogates creation: “What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest?” The answer is the presence of the Lord, before whom the earth must tremble. The closing verse recalls God’s provision in the wilderness—turning the rock into a standing water and flint into a fountain of waters.
The major themes are the exodus, God’s presence, creation’s response, deliverance, and provision. The psalm presents the Lord as so holy and powerful that inanimate creation obeys Him in fear and joy. Practically, it teaches that the same God who parted sea and river and brought water from rock still makes a way for His people. The great lesson is that the earth trembles at the presence of the God who delivers.
Key Themes
A Prayer from Psalm 114
Lord, when Israel went out of Egypt, Judah was Your sanctuary and Israel Your dominion. The sea saw it and fled; Jordan was driven back; the mountains skipped like rams and the little hills like lambs. What ailed the sea that it fled, the Jordan that it was driven back, the mountains that they skipped? It was Your presence, the presence of the God of Jacob. Make me to tremble at Your presence as the earth does. Turn my rock into standing water and my flint into a fountain of waters. Deliver me from every Egypt, part every sea before me, and let Your presence transform what is hard into what flows with life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- 1What “sea” in my life needs to flee at the presence of the Lord?
- 2How does creation’s response to God challenge my own responsiveness?
- 3Where has God turned my “rock into a standing water” in the past?
- 4How can I cultivate a holy trembling at the presence of the Lord?
Related Psalms
Psalm 113
“Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.”
Psalm 113 is the first of the “Hallel” psalms (113-118) sung at Passover and other Jewish festivals.
Read morePsalm 115
“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”
Psalm 115 is a communal hymn that refuses to take glory for itself, directing all praise to the name of the Lord for His mercy and truth.
Read morePsalm 116
“I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.”
Psalm 116 is a personal thanksgiving psalm in which the worshipper declares, “I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Read morePsalm 78
“Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.”
A long historical psalm teaching Israel to remember and not rebel.
Read morePsalm 136
“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 136 is the great liturgical psalm of thanksgiving, built on a single refrain repeated twenty-six times: "for his mercy endureth for ever.
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