Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 114 (MT) / Psalm 113 (LXX) is a short Exodus-celebration psalm — the second-psalm of the Egyptian Hallel, sung between the first and second Passover-seder cups. Verses 3–6 deploy striking personification: the Red Sea fled, the Jordan turned back, the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. The psalm's LXX-Vulgate tradition joins Ps 114 and 115 as a single psalm (LXX Ps 113), creating a numbering-discrepancy that persists through Ps 147.
Notable Variants
114 is the second Egyptian Hallel psalm; 114:3–6 sea-flees / Jordan-turns-back / mountains-skip personification; the LXX-tradition merging Ps 114+115 as single LXX Ps 113.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 114 = LXX Ps 113:1–8 (LXX merges Ps 114 and 115 as single psalm). 8 verses. Second Egyptian Hallel psalm.
When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign speech —
'When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language' tracks MT. EXODUS-OPENING.
Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion.
'Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion' tracks MT.
The sea looked and fled; the Jordan turned back.
'The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back' tracks MT. SEA-FLEES / JORDAN-TURNS-BACK. Red Sea (Ex 14) and Jordan (Josh 3) crossings personified — waters-retreat-at-YHWH's-presence. Ps 77:16 ('when the waters saw you, O God … they were afraid') shares the vocabulary.
The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young sheep.
'The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs' tracks MT. MOUNTAINS-SKIP-LIKE-RAMS — Sinai-theophany (Ex 19:18) imagery. The image recurs at Habakkuk 3:6.
What is wrong with you, Sea, that you flee? Jordan, that you turn back?
'What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?' tracks MT. RHETORICAL-QUESTION to the personified-waters.
Mountains, why do you skip like rams? Hills, like young sheep?
'O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?' tracks MT.
Tremble, O earth, before the Lord, before the God of Jacob —
'Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob' tracks MT. EARTH-TREMBLES.
who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a flowing spring.
'Who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water' tracks MT. ROCK-TO-WATER — Massah-Meribah. 1 Cor 10:4's Christological rock.