The mountains skipped like rams, [and] the little hills like lambs.
The mountains {H2022} skipped {H7540} like rams {H352}, and the little hills {H1389} like lambs {H1121}{H6629}.
the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young sheep.
the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.
The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.
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Judges 5:4
LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. -
Judges 5:5
The mountains melted from before the LORD, [even] that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. -
Exodus 19:18
And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. -
Exodus 20:18
¶ And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw [it], they removed, and stood afar off. -
Habakkuk 3:6
He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways [are] everlasting. -
Jeremiah 4:23
I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light. -
Jeremiah 4:24
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
Context of Psalms 114:4
Psalm 114 is a magnificent psalm of praise, celebrating God's awe-inspiring deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The entire psalm uses vivid poetic imagery to describe the profound impact of God's presence and power during the Exodus and the subsequent journey to the Promised Land. Verses 1-3 set the stage with the departure from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the Jordan's turning back. Verse 4, "The mountains skipped like rams, [and] the little hills like lambs," vividly portrays the reaction of the natural world, specifically the land itself, to the presence of the Almighty God.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew word for "skipped" (רָקַד - raqad) implies a vigorous leaping, dancing, or trembling. It's a word that conveys energetic motion. The comparison to "rams" (אֵילִים - elim) and "lambs" (בְּנֵי־צֹאן - b'ney tzon, literally "sons of flocks") adds a layer of vivid imagery. Rams, known for their strength and head-butting, symbolize the powerful, majestic mountains. Lambs, representing youth and gentleness, depict the smaller hills. This contrast underscores that all of creation, from the grandest to the humblest, responds to the divine presence.
Practical Application and Reflection
Psalms 114:4 invites us to reflect on the nature of the God we worship. If the inanimate elements of the earth respond so profoundly to His presence, how much more should we, as His image-bearers, respond with awe, reverence, and worship? This verse reminds us that God's power is not limited by natural laws; He is the one who established and can transcend them. It fosters a deep sense of trust in a God who can command mountains and seas, assuring us that He is more than capable of handling any challenge we face. It encourages us to cultivate a spirit of wonder and adoration for the Lord, whose might is beyond human comprehension, yet whose faithfulness is steadfast, as demonstrated in His mighty acts of deliverance throughout history.