Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 114:2

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 114:2. Judah was his sanctuary — He set up his true worship among the Jews, and took them for his peculiar people.

And Israel his dominion. — These words are a proof, were there none other, that this Psalm was composed after the days of David, and after the division of the tribes, for then the distinction of Israel and Judah took place.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 113-114 When hope seems gone

Psalms 113:0 to 118 form a collection called the Hallel. Israelites sang the Hallel at various annual festivals, the most important of which was the Passover. They sang Psalms 113:0 and 114 before eating the meal, and Psalms 115:0 to 118 after (cf. Matthew 26:30).

From east to west, now and for ever, God is worthy to be worshipped by those who serve him (113:1-4). Although he is enthroned in the highest place, he is concerned about his creatures on earth (5-6). He helps those who are downtrodden and gives new life and purpose to those who have given up all hope (7-9).
The merciful salvation of God was seen in the events of the exodus. God released his people from the humiliating slavery of Egypt and gave them new life by dwelling among them (114:1-2). In the course of doing this, he divided the Red Sea, stopped the flow of the Jordan River and sent an earthquake on Mount Sinai (3-4). All was the work of God alone. Not only did he rescue them from their hopeless situation in Egypt, but he also looked after them throughout their journey to Canaan (5-8).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“When Israel went forth out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea saw it and fled; The Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs. What ailest thee, O thou sea, that thou fleest? Thou Jordan that thou turnest back? Ye mountains that ye skip like rams; Ye little hills like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.”

“Israel went forth out of Egypt… Jacob from a people of strange language” Note here that the name “Jacob” here is used as the name of all of Israel.

“Judah… Israel” “Judah and Israel here do not refer to the two parts of the divided kingdom; after the return, Judah was regarded as the outstanding tribe; and Israel was still the common name for the whole nation.”Ibid.

“Judah became his sanctuary… Israel his dominion” It is incorrect to make the word “when” in Psalms 114:1 mean that the nation of Israel became God’s sanctuary and dominion at a point in time, “when” they came out of Egypt. Some have made that very mistake. The chosen people, as God’s sanctuary and dominion, date back to the patriarchs, as the very names “Judah,” and “Israel” most certainly indicate.

“The sea saw it and fled, the Jordan was driven back” These are obvious references to the Red Sea crossing and to the crossing of the Jordan river on dry land at the very time when the Jordan was at flood stage! No greater wonders ever occurred in the history of God’s dealings with Israel.

It is not necessary to comment upon those marvelous events here, because we devoted many pages to full discussions of both events in Vol. 2 of my Commentaries on the Pentateuch (exodus), pp. 190-198, and in the commentary on Joshua, pp. 31-34.

“The mountains skipped like rams; the little hills like lambs” This is a metaphorical reference to the wonders that occurred at Sinai where God delivered to Israel the Decalogue, ratified with them the covenant, and gave instructions for the construction of the tabernacle.

“What ailest thee, O thou sea?… thou Jordan?… ye mountains?… ye little hills?” Here, in a figure of speech called `apostrophe,’ the psalmist addresses the sea, the Jordan, the mountains and hills, “Inquiring of them for what reason they had forsaken their nature and had done such strange things.”The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-C, p. 56.

“Thou fleest… thou turnest back… ye skip like rams, etc.” The use of the present tense throughout this passage suggests that the psalmist is addressing the sea, the Jordan, the mountains and the hills as if they were present, and as if he could actually see them doing such amazing things contrary to nature.

The answer to the question, “What ailest thee?” is not stated as bluntly as the question; but it is here, nevertheless. That answer, stated in the Psalms 114:7, is, “All those mighty wonders are due to the presence of God.”

“Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob” Here indeed is the answer as to why the mountains skipped, the little hills frolicked like lambs, the Red Sea fled before Israel, and why the Jordan river at flood stage suddenly presented Israel with a dry-land crossing. It was all due to the presence of God. All nature obeys His voice. He spoke, and great wonders ensued.

“Who turned the rock into a pool of water” This, of course, is a remembrance of the waters of Meribah. This is discussed fully in my commentary on Exodus, pp. 230-233. Twice at Meribah and once at Marah, the water problem was solved for Israel by three of God’s most marvelous miracles.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Judah was his sanctuary - His home; his abode; his sacred dwelling-place. Judah was the principal or leading tribe, recognized as the tribe where power was to be concentrated, and from which the Messiah was to proceed Genesis 49:8-12; and hence, the name was early used to denote the entire people, and ultimately, as modified in the word Jews, became the common name of the nation.

And Israel his dominion - The nation that he ruled; the nation that had his law; the nation that he governed by his presence - or, of which he was the recognized king. There can be no doubt that the reference here is to God, but it is remarkable that the name “God” is not used. Perhaps the reason may be that this psalm was designed to be employed in connection with the preceding one, and as that consists entirely of the praises of God, it was not necessary to repeat the name when his praise was to be continued under another form, and in connection with another line of thought.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 114:1-8

Now Psalms 114:1-8 is a little psalm that calls the deliverance of the... recalls the deliverance of the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt.

When Israel went out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from the people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled ( Psalms 114:1-3 ):

That is, the Red Sea, which parted for them.

Jordan was driven back ( Psalms 114:3 ).

The waters of Jordan were stopped that they might come in the land.

The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs ( Psalms 114:4 ).

There were earthquakes, actually. The walls of Jericho destroyed by earthquakes and so forth. "The mountains skipping like rams, the little hills like lambs." And then the psalmist now recalling the sea and the Jordan, the mountains, he said,

What ailed you, O thou sea, that you fled? thou Jordan, that you were driven back? Ye mountains, that you skipped like rams; and you little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into the fountain of waters ( Psalms 114:5-8 ).

A reference to the flinty rock that Moses struck from which God gave them water in the wilderness. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He dwelt among them and ruled over them. The names Judah and Israel are in poetic parallelism here and refer to the same group, namely, the nation of Israel. Judah was its leading tribe.

The writer personified the Red Sea as seeing the Israelites coming and fleeing from them by parting its waters. Later when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, the Jordan River backed up as far as the town of Adam, farther north in the Jordan Valley, to let them cross. The mountains around Sinai quaked when God came down on Mt. Horeb to meet with His people.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. God’s deliverance at the Exodus 114:1-6

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 114

As mentioned previously, the Israelites sang this song at Passover. This was appropriate since it describes God delivering the nation in the Exodus, which event has cosmic implications. It is another psalm of descriptive praise.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Judah was his sanctuary,.... Meaning not the tribe of Judah only, though that in many things had the preeminence; the kingdom belonging to it, the chief ruler being out of it, especially the Messiah; its standard was pitched and moved first; it offered first to the service of the Lord; and the Jews have a tradition, mentioned by Jarchi and Kimchi, that this tribe, with its prince at the head of it, went into the Red sea first; the others fearing, but afterwards followed, encouraged by their example: but rather all the tribes are meant, the whole body of the people; for this is not to be understood of the tabernacle or temple in the tribe of Judah, sometimes called a sanctuary; for neither of these were in being when Israel came out of Egypt; but it may be rendered, "Judah was his holiness" u, or was holiness to the Lord, the Lord's holy people; see Jeremiah 2:2, not all internally holy; for there were many that came out of Egypt that were unholy, rebellious, and disobedient, and whose carcasses fell in the wilderness; but externally, when brought out of Egypt they were separated from all other people, and in this sense sanctified, and became a holy and special people, chosen by the Lord to be so; with whom, he made a covenant, and to whom he gave holy laws and righteous statutes: and in this they were typical of those who are effectually called by grace with an holy calling, and unto holiness; have principles of grace and holiness wrought in them, and have Holiness to the Lord written upon them; they have the sanctification of the Spirit, and Christ is made sanctification to them; and they are the Lord's sanctuary, in which he dwells.

And Israel his dominion: for, though all the world is his kingdom and his government, yet the people of Israel were in a very particular and remarkable manner his dominion; from the time of their coming out of Egypt to their having a king, their government was properly a theocracy; God was their King, and by him they were immediately ruled and governed, and had a body of laws given them from him, and were under his immediate care and protection, Exodus 19:5. In this they were typical of the saints called by grace, who are then translated from the power of Satan into the kingdom of Christ; whom they acknowledge to be their Lord and King, and whose laws, commands, and ordinances, they willingly observe; the people of God are often represented as a kingdom, and Christ as King of saints; the Targum is

"the congregation of the house of Judah was united to his holiness, and Israel to his power.''

u לקדשו "sanctificatio ejus", Pagninus, Vatablus; "sanctitas ejus", Gejerus, Michaelis.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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 (Judges 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,Psalms 114:1; Psalms 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,Psalms 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 (Psalms 114:2; Psalms 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 Exodus 25:8; Ezekiel 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 (Psalms 114:3; Psalms 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 (Psalms 114:5; Psalms 114:5), What ailed thee, O thou sea! that thou fleddest? And furnishes the sea with an answer (Psalms 114:7; Psalms 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, Habakkuk 3:8-13; Isaiah 51:10; Isaiah 63:11, c. 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,Exodus 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? Mark 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? Revelation 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,2 Corinthians 10:5.

      IV. That the earth shook and trembled when God came down on Mount Sinai to give the law (Psalms 114:4; Psalms 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 (Psalms 114:7; Psalms 114:7), since it has lain under a curse for man's sin. See Psalms 104:32; Isaiah 64:3; Isaiah 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 (Psalms 114:8; Psalms 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 (Exodus 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,1 Corinthians 10:4. For he is a fountain of living waters to his Israel, from whom they receive grace for grace.