7 From before the Lord be afraid, O earth, From before the God of Jacob,
Didst Thou not rend the heavens? Thou didst come down, From thy presence did mountains flow, (As fire kindleth stubble -- Fire causeth water to boil,) To make known Thy name to Thine adversaries, From Thy presence do nations tremble. In Thy doing fearful things -- we expect not, Thou didst come down, From Thy presence did mountains flow.
Lightened have His lightnings the world, The earth hath seen, and is pained. Hills, like wax, melted before Jehovah, Before the Lord of all the earth.
Hear, I pray you, that which Jehovah is saying: `Rise -- strive thou with the mountains, And cause thou the hills to hear thy voice.' Hear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones -- foundations of earth! For a strife `is' to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 114
Commentary on Psalms 114 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 114
Ps 114:1-8. The writer briefly and beautifully celebrates God's former care of His people, to whose benefit nature was miraculously made to contribute.
1-4. of strange language—(compare Ps 81:5).
4. skipped … rams—(Ps 29:6), describes the waving of mountain forests, poetically representing the motion of the mountains. The poetical description of the effect of God's presence on the sea and Jordan alludes to the history (Ex 14:21; Jos 3:14-17). Judah is put as a parallel to Israel, because of the destined, as well as real, prominence of that tribe.
5-8. The questions place the implied answers in a more striking form.
7. at the presence of—literally, "from before," as if affrighted by the wonderful display of God's power. Well may such a God be trusted, and great should be His praise.