TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
Complete Jewish Bible
When Isra'el came out of Egypt, the house of Ya'akov from a people of foreign speech,
Berean Standard Bible
When Israel departed from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
American Standard Version
When Israel went forth out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
World English Bible Messianic
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign language;
Geneva Bible (1599)
When Israel went out of Egypt, and the house of Iaakob from the barbarous people,
Young's Literal Translation
In the going out of Israel from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a strange people,
In the KJVVerse 15,824 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 114 verses 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.
The psalmist is here remembering the days of old, the years of the right hand of the Most High, and the wonders which their fathers told them of (Jdg 6:13), for time, as it does not wear out the guilt of sin, so it should not wear out the sense of mercy. Let it never be forgotten,
I. That God brought Israel out of the house of bondage with a high hand and a stretched-out arm: Israel went out of Egypt, Psa 114:1. They did not steal out clandestinely, nor were they driven out, but fairly went out, marched out with all the marks of honour; they went out from a barbarous people, that had used them barbarously, from a people of a strange language, Psa 81:5. The Israelites, it seems, preserved their own language pure among them, and cared not for learning the language of their oppressors. By this distinction from them they kept up an earnest of their deliverance.
II. That he himself framed their civil and sacred constitution (Psa 114:2): Judah and Israel were his sanctuary, his dominion. When he delivered them out of the hand of their oppressors it was that they might serve him both in holiness and in righteousness, in the duties of religious worship and in obedience to the moral law, in their whole conversation. Let my people go, that they may serve me. In order to this, 1. He set up his sanctuary among them, in which he gave them the special tokens of his presence with them and promised to receive their homage and tribute. Happy are the people that have God's sanctuary among them (see Exo 25:8, Eze 37:26), much more those that, like Judah here, are his sanctuaries, his living temples, on whom Holiness to the Lord is written. 2. He set up his dominion among them, was himself their lawgiver and their judge, and their government was a theocracy: The Lord was their King. All the world is God's dominion, but Israel was so in a peculiar manner. What is God's sanctuary must be his dominion. Those only have the privileges of his house that submit to the laws of it; and for this end Christ has redeemed us that he might bring us into God's service and engage us for ever in it.
III. That the Red Sea was divided before them at their coming out of Egypt, both for their rescue and the ruin of their enemies; and the river Jordan, when they entered into Canaan, for their honour, and the confusion and terror of their enemies (Psa 114:3): The sea saw it, saw there that Judah was God's sanctuary, and Israel his dominion, and therefore fled; for nothing could be more awful. It was this that drove Jordan back, and was an invincible dam to his streams; God was at the head of that people, and therefore they must give way to them, must make room for them, they must retire, contrary to their nature, when God speaks the word. To illustrate this the psalmist asks, in a poetical strain (Psa 114:5), What ailed thee, O thou sea! that thou fleddest? And furnishes the sea with an answer (Psa 114:7); it was at the presence of the Lord. This is designed to express, 1. The reality of the miracle, that it was not by any power of nature, or from any natural cause, but it was at the presence of the Lord, who gave the word. 2. The mercy of the miracle: What ailed thee? Was it in a frolic? Was it only to amuse men? No; it was at the presence of the God of Jacob; it was in kindness to the Israel of God, for the salvation of that chosen people, that God was thus displeased against the rivers, and his wrath was against the sea, as the prophet speaks, Hab 3:8-13; Isa 51:10; Isa 63:11, etc. 3. The wonder and surprise of the miracle. Who would have thought of such a thing? Shall the course of nature be changed, and its fundamental laws dispensed with, to serve a turn for God's Israel? Well may the dukes of Edom be amazed and the mighty men of Moab tremble, Exo 15:15. 4. The honour hereby put upon Israel, who are taught to triumph over the sea, and Jordan, as unable to stand before them. Note, There is no sea, no Jordan, so deep, so broad, but, when God's time shall come for the redemption of his people, it shall be divided and driven back if it stand in their way. Apply this, (1.) To the planting of the Christian church in the world. What ailed Satan and the powers of darkness, that they trembled and truckled as they did? Mar 1:34. What ailed the heathen oracles, that they were silenced, struck dumb, struck dead? What ailed their idolatries and witchcrafts, that they died away before the gospel, and melted like snow before the sun? What ailed the persecutors and opposers of the gospel, that they gave up their cause, hid their guilty heads, and called to rocks and mountains for shelter? Rev 6:15. It was at the presence of the Lord, and that power which went along with the gospel. (2.) To the work of grace in the heart. What turns the stream in a regenerate soul? What ails the lusts and corruptions, that they fly back, that the prejudices are removed and the whole man has become new? It is at the presence of God's Spirit that imaginations are cast down, Co2 10:5.
IV. That the earth shook and trembled when God came down on Mount Sinai to give the law (Psa 114:4): The mountains skipped like rams, and then the little hills might well be excused if they skipped like lambs, either when they are frightened or when they sport themselves. The same power that fixed the fluid waters and made them stand still shook the stable mountains and made them tremble for all the powers of nature are under the check of the God of nature. Mountains and hills are, before God, but like rams and lambs; even the bulkiest and the most rocky are as manageable by him as they are by the shepherd. The trembling of the mountains before the Lord may shame the stupidity and obduracy of the children of men, who are not moved at the discoveries of his glory. The psalmist asks the mountains and hills what ailed them to skip thus; and he answers for them, as for the seas, it was at the presence of the Lord, before whom, not only those mountains, but the earth itself, may well tremble (Psa 114:7), since it has lain under a curse for man's sin. See Psa 104:32; Isa 64:3, Isa 64:4. He that made the hills and mountains to skip thus can, when he pleases, dissipate the strength and spirit of the proudest of his enemies and make them tremble.
V. That God supplied them with water out of the rock, which followed them through the dry and sandy deserts. Well may the earth and all its inhabitants tremble before that God who turned the rock into a standing water (Psa 114:8), and what cannot he do who did that? The same almighty power that turned waters into a rock to be a wall to Israel (Exo 14:22) turned the rock into waters to be a well to Israel: as they were protected, so they were provided for, by miracles, standing miracles; for such was the standing water, that fountain of waters into which the rock, the flinty rock, was turned, and that rock was Christ, Co1 10:4. For he is a fountain of living waters to his Israel, from whom they receive grace for grace.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–8. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 114
"When Israel came out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from among the strange people" [Psalm 114:1], "Judah was His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion" [Psalm 114:2]; "the sea saw that and fled, Jordan was driven back" [Psalm 114:3]. Think not that past deeds are related unto us, but rather that the future is predicted; since, while those miracles also were going on in that people, things present indeed were happening, but not without an intimation of things future....Some things he has related differently to what we have learned and read there: that he might not truly be thought to be repeating past acts rather than to be prophesying future things. For in the first place, we read not that the Jordan was driven back, but that it stood still on the side nearest the source of its streams, while the people were passing through; next, we read not of the mountains and hills skipping: all which he has added, and repeated. For after saying, "The sea saw that, and fled; Jordan was driven back:" he added, "The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like young sheep" [Psalm 114:4]: and then asks, "What ails you, O thou sea, that you fled, and thou, Jordan, that you were driven back?" [Psalm 114:5]. "You mountains, that you skipped like rams; and you little hills, like young sheep?" [Psalm 114:6].
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalm 114:1 serves as a majestic and evocative overture to a powerful hymn, immediately transporting the worshiper to the foundational event of Israel's national identity: their miraculous liberation from Egyptian bondage. This verse concisely encapsulates the pivotal moment when God's chosen people, identified as "Israel" and "the house of Jacob," departed from a foreign land and a "people of strange language," thereby setting the stage for the dramatic display of divine power and sovereignty that unfolds throughout the psalm. It profoundly establishes the theological truth of God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant and His unparalleled ability to deliver His people from seemingly insurmountable circumstances.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 114:1 masterfully employs several effective literary devices to convey its powerful message. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, where "Israel" is directly paralleled by "the house of Jacob," and "Egypt" is implicitly paralleled by "a people of strange language." This technique not only reinforces the identity of the delivered people and the nature of their oppressors but also adds poetic emphasis and rhetorical clarity, enhancing the psalm's impact. The phrase "the house of Jacob" also functions as a powerful form of Metonymy or Synecdoche, where "house" stands for the entire lineage, family, or nation descended from Jacob, encapsulating the collective identity of God's people. Furthermore, "a people of strange language" serves as a vivid Metaphor or Synecdoche for the entire foreign, oppressive, and idolatrous Egyptian culture and system, using a single striking characteristic (language) to represent the totality of the alien and hostile environment. This vivid imagery immediately establishes the profound context of miraculous liberation from a truly foreign and formidable power.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 114:1 powerfully connects to the broader biblical narrative of God's ongoing redemptive work, establishing the Exodus as the foundational act of salvation in the Old Testament. This verse demonstrates God's absolute sovereignty over history, nations, and even the natural world, all for the sake of His covenant people. This initial act of deliverance from a "strange language" and an oppressive power serves as a quintessential type, foreshadowing all subsequent acts of salvation throughout Scripture. It serves as a timeless reminder to believers across generations that God is utterly faithful to His promises and possesses the omnipotent power to free His people from any form of bondage, whether physical, spiritual, or systemic. The psalm's opening verse thus stands as an enduring declaration of God's transformative power to alter circumstances and establish His people in freedom, distinct identity, and intimate communion with Him.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 114:1 offers profound and enduring insights for contemporary believers, serving as a powerful call to remember and trust in God's unfailing power and faithfulness. Just as ancient Israel was commanded to recall the defining moment of their Exodus, we too are profoundly encouraged to reflect on God's past interventions—not only in the grand narrative of salvation history but also in our personal lives. This verse provides immense assurance that no "strange language" of cultural pressure, no oppressive system, and no personal bondage is too great for God to overcome. It inspires unwavering confidence that the very same God who miraculously parted the Red Sea and delivered His people from a mighty empire remains active and fully able to deliver us today from our spiritual "Egypts"—whether they manifest as the slavery of sin, the paralysis of fear, the grip of addiction, or the depths of despair. Furthermore, it serves as a potent reminder of our distinct identity as God's redeemed people, called to live set apart from the "strange language" of worldly values and systems, embracing our freedom and belonging to the "house of God" through our union with Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of Psalm 114 being part of the "Hallel" psalms?
Answer: Psalm 114 is an integral part of the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113-118), a revered collection of psalms traditionally sung during major Jewish festivals, most notably Passover, Pentecost (Shavuot), and Sukkot (Tabernacles). Their inclusion in the Passover liturgy is particularly significant, underscoring their central role in commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, which is the foundational event of Israel's identity and salvation history. Singing these psalms during Passover allowed generations of Jews to relive and internalize the miraculous deliverance, fostering a deep sense of gratitude, national identity, and unwavering trust in God's enduring faithfulness. The Hallel psalms collectively celebrate God's transcendent sovereignty over creation and history, His compassionate care for the humble and oppressed, and His mighty acts of redemption, making them profoundly appropriate for festivals that recall His saving power and covenant faithfulness.
Who are the "people of strange language" mentioned in this verse?
Answer: The "people of strange language" refers specifically to the Egyptians. This evocative phrase (in Hebrew, ʿam loʿez) emphasizes not only the literal linguistic barrier between the Israelites and their enslavers but also, more profoundly, the vast cultural, religious, and spiritual differences that separated them. The Egyptians worshipped a complex pantheon of gods and practiced customs that were utterly alien and often abhorrent to the monotheistic Israelites. This stark distinction highlights the complete foreignness and inherently oppressive nature of the environment from which God miraculously delivered His people. The "strange language" thus serves as a powerful symbol for the entire alien system of idolatry, spiritual darkness, and physical bondage from which God's people were supernaturally set free, underscoring the depth and totality of their liberation as meticulously described in Exodus 12 and subsequent chapters.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 114:1, by vividly recalling Israel's foundational liberation from Egyptian bondage, powerfully foreshadows the far greater spiritual Exodus accomplished through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Just as ancient Israel was delivered from a "people of strange language" and the physical slavery of Egypt, humanity is delivered from the "strange language" and oppressive dominion of sin and death through Christ's redemptive sacrifice. Jesus is the ultimate Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, perfectly fulfilling the Passover sacrifice (1 Corinthians 5:7). His sacrificial death on the cross and triumphant resurrection constitute the new and definitive Exodus, freeing all who believe from the slavery of sin and transferring them from the domain of darkness into the glorious kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Believers, like the "house of Jacob" of old, are granted a radical new identity in Christ, becoming a "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession" (1 Peter 2:9), called out of the "strange language" of the world's corrupt systems and values to follow their true Deliverer into the spiritual promised land of eternal life and intimate communion with God.