Psalms 114:4

"The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back."

Key Reflection

In Psalms 114:4, the image of the sea "fleeing" and the Jordan River being "driven back" is a powerful metaphor for the miraculous events that occurred during Israel's exodus from Egypt. This imagery draws on the cultural context where water sources were often seen as divine entities. The sudden movement of these natural forces underscores the overwhelming presence and power of God, setting the stage for Israel’s miraculous deliverance and highlighting the sovereignty of Yahweh over nature itself.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The mountains skipped like rams -As flocks in their gambols. They seemed to move from place to place; everything seemed to be unsettled, and acknowledged the presence of the Omnipotent One. The word rendered “skipped” means to leap for joy; to dance. See the notes atPsalms 29:6. The reference here is to the agitations and commotions of the peaks of Sinai, when God came down to deliver the law.Exodus 19:16-18. And the little hills like lambs -Hebrew, Like the sons of the flock. The reference here is to the less prominent eminences of Sinai.

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