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NOTES for Psa 114:1-8

Printable version
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
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This Psalm can confidently be called “a concise guide for the evangelist.” How else can one put into words the fact that a person can make an idol and worship it, but a piece of wood, iron, or gold will never hear him? God, who became man, shared everything with us, even death—He hears us, sees us, and embraces us. He speaks with us and enters into communion with us. He loves us. He acts in the world despite our resistance. And the person to whom God has granted eternal life will glorify his Savior.

Other notes

 
For Psa 114:1-8
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
Hide
This psalm describes very accurately the pattern of behavior of a person upon whom troubles rain down from every side...  Read more

This psalm describes very accurately the pattern of behavior of a person upon whom troubles rain down from every side. It is precisely this behavior that draws the greatest criticism from unbelievers: “Where is this God of yours? You keep asking and asking Him, yet look at what is happening in the world.” And indeed, when we ourselves go through terrible, tragic events, we very often approach God with accusations. How could He have allowed this?

But the path proposed in the Psalm is radically different from our prosecutorial habit of prayer. “The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He helped me.” A simple-hearted person is not someone who meekly and humbly accepts what is happening, because the Lord Himself asked us to hate many such things rather than accept them. Nor is it someone who, while accusing God of mortal sins and human deeds, is confident that he will put everything right himself. A simple-hearted person is not someone who meekly and humbly accepts what is happening, because the Lord Himself asked us to hate many things rather than accept them. It is beyond human strength to defend oneself against most afflictions. Only God can help us, but only if we ourselves acknowledge the need for His intervention in our affairs.

Hide
 
For Psa 114:1-8
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
Hide
The psalm mentions illnesses compared with the torments of hell, but it begins with an acknowledgment of the joy being experienced...  Read more

The psalm mentions illnesses compared with the torments of hell, but it begins with an acknowledgment of the joy being experienced. Many troubles and hardships have befallen the psalmist, but the joy inseparable from truly walking before God rises above and overcomes them all.

It is easy to speak this way when looking on from the outside, but try rejoicing when misfortunes fall upon you yourself!.. Anyone might object in this way on hearing optimistic appeals from people whose high spirits look more like frivolity. But here we clearly hear the voice of someone who knows what he is talking about. Behind these words stands the real experience of a faith utterly unlike credulity. No, such hope in God is more like a solid foundation. And so whatever is built upon it can stand firm even amid storms.

Hide
 
For Psa 114:1-2
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
Hide
The call to praise the Lord is addressed to all nations, and the motivation for the call is the acknowledgment of the greatness and eternity...  Read more

The call to praise the Lord is addressed to all nations, and the motivation for the call is the acknowledgment of the greatness and eternity of His mercy and truth. Here we see that the device of semantic rhyme used in many psalms, when one thought is stated in two ways, once again helps us see that mercy and truth are inseparable in God.

But mercy is directed toward us, while the psalmist addresses the call to glorify the Lord to all nations. This means that we are no longer only our people, our group, our close community; we are all people. The Lord's mercy extends to all, and He wants to reveal His truth to all.

The shortest and most concise psalm, yet filled to the limit.

Hide
 
For Psa 114:1-115:10
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
Hide
The solemn song that offers praise and thanksgiving to the Lord begins with repentance, and its penitential...  Read more

The solemn song that offers praise and thanksgiving to the Lord begins with repentance, and its penitential confession concerns the condemnation of people. The words about every person being a liar are called rash, and sin against a person proves comparable to sin against God, for a rash judgment is false, and who is called the father of lies if not His adversary? Unexpectedly, we understand that the “faith in humanity” proclaimed for a time by secular humanists may be inseparable from faith in God. More than that, it is possible only on the foundation of faith in God; only in this way can hope in the human person be born — sinful, disfigured by evil, yet continuing to be the crown of Creation, continuing to bear within the image and likeness of God, and capable of setting out on the path of holiness.

What can be given to the Lord in return for all His blessings? The lines that follow about taking the cup of salvation sound as an answer to this question. When we receive God’s gifts, and above all the salvation that comes from Him, and when we turn to Him, we do not merely receive something or desire to receive something from Him. It is precisely in this way that we become able to express our gratitude to Him.

Hide
 
For Psa 114:1-115:10
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
Hide
In simple and sincere words, the author of Psalm 114 expresses his joy at God's help. In his prayer, the experience of trusting in the Creator's mercy reaches its fullness—an experience without which human life turns to darkness...  Read more

In simple and sincere words, the author of Psalm 114 expresses his joy at God's help. In his prayer, the experience of trusting in the Creator's mercy reaches its fullness—an experience without which human life turns to darkness. It is highly significant that in precisely such a prayer of thanksgiving the psalmist grasps what is most important about God: the revelation of His mercy and righteousness. In this revelation, the human soul finds rest—that wondrous rest which nothing in the world can give it. The closing words of the psalm speak of another exceptionally important matter: the experience of trust and the revelation of mercy that bring peace to the human soul can become a step enabling a person to continue ascending the path of drawing near to God, to “walk before His face” again and again.

Hide
 
For Psa 114:1-115:10
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
Hide
In simple and sincere words, the author of Psalm 114 expresses his joy at God's help. In his prayer, the experience of trusting in the Creator's mercy reaches its fullness—an experience without which human life turns to darkness...  Read more

In simple and sincere words, the author of Psalm 114 expresses his joy at God's help. In his prayer, the experience of trusting in the Creator's mercy reaches its fullness—an experience without which human life turns to darkness. It is highly significant that in precisely such a prayer of thanksgiving the psalmist grasps what is most important about God: the revelation of His mercy and righteousness. In this revelation, the human soul finds rest—that wondrous rest which nothing in the world can give it. The closing words of the psalm speak of another exceptionally important matter: the experience of trust and the revelation of mercy that bring peace to the human soul can become a step enabling a person to continue ascending the path of drawing near to God, to “walk before His face” again and again.

Hide
 
For Psa 114:1-115:10
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
Hide
The solemn song that offers praise and thanksgiving to the Lord begins with repentance, and its penitential...  Read more

The solemn song that offers praise and thanksgiving to the Lord begins with repentance, and its penitential confession concerns the condemnation of people. The words about every person being a liar are called rash, and sin against a person proves comparable to sin against God, for a rash judgment is false, and who is called the father of lies if not His adversary? Unexpectedly, we understand that the “faith in humanity” proclaimed for a time by secular humanists may be inseparable from faith in God. More than that, it is possible only on the foundation of faith in God; only in this way can hope in the human person be born — sinful, disfigured by evil, yet continuing to be the crown of Creation, continuing to bear within the image and likeness of God, and capable of setting out on the path of holiness.

What can be given to the Lord in return for all His blessings? The lines that follow about taking the cup of salvation sound as an answer to this question. When we receive God’s gifts, and above all the salvation that comes from Him, and when we turn to Him, we do not merely receive something or desire to receive something from Him. It is precisely in this way that we become able to express our gratitude to Him.

Hide
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