Psalms 114:1-3
When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "from a people of strange language" highlights not just a linguistic barrier, but implies that the Egyptians were seen as "barbarians" whose speech and ways were utterly foreign and perhaps even scorned by the Israelites and their God. This emphasizes the radical separation God ordained for His people, setting them apart from the surrounding cultures.
This psalm opens by immediately recalling the foundational event of Israel's liberation from Egyptian bondage, a time when the descendants of Jacob departed from a foreign, unintelligible culture. This dramatic exodus, with all its ensuing miracles and divine intervention, serves as the powerful backdrop for the rest of the psalm. The verse sets the stage for a recounting of God's mighty acts, emphasizing His power and sovereignty displayed in bringing His people out of oppression.
Think of the greatest move you've ever made. Now imagine that move involved a whole nation, escaping from slavery under a superpower. That was the Exodus.
This verse isn't just setting a scene; it's declaring a foundational event. "When Israel went out from Egypt" is the starting point for so much of God's relationship with His people. It wasn't simply a physical departure, but a complete reorientation—leaving behind bondage for a promised future.
Imagine the sounds, the words, the very way people communicate around you suddenly becoming foreign. This wasn't just a linguistic challenge; it was a marker of deep separation.
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The phrase "from a people of strange language" points to more than just different dialects. It signifies a profound cultural and spiritual divide between Israel and the Egyptians.
Understand the original words
Yisra’el · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, chosen by God to be His people. It signifies a relationship of election, promise, and divine identity.
Mitsrayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
A historical, geographic, and symbolic site of oppression and bondage for God's people. In biblical typology, it often represents the world, sin, and the domain from which God delivers His people.
Ya’aqov · Hebrew Proper Noun
The name given to the patriarch who would become the father of the twelve tribes. Referring to the "house of Jacob" emphasizes the genealogical and covenantal descent of the nation of God.
qodesh · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting a place set apart, consecrated, and holy for the presence and worship of God. It signifies where God manifests His holiness and where He rules as King.
memshalah · Hebrew Noun
The authority, sovereignty, and administrative rule exerted by a king or ruler. When applied to God, it refers to His supreme reign over His creation and His covenant people.
~1876 BC
Joseph's Family Moves to Egypt
Jacob and his family, totaling about 70 people, move to Egypt during a famine, settling in the land of Goshen. This marks the beginning of their sojourn in Egypt.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Exodus from Egypt
Under Moses' leadership, the Israelites, now a large nation, leave Egypt after God's miraculous intervention, including the ten plagues. This event is the foundational act of liberation celebrated in this psalm.
c. 1446 BC
Crossing the Red Sea
As the Egyptians pursue them, God parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. The pursuing army is then drowned when the waters return.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Mount Sinai
Shortly after the Exodus, God establishes His covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, giving them the Ten Commandments and the Law. This event solidifies their identity as a nation under God.
c. 1406 BC
Entering the Promised Land
After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites, led by Joshua, cross the Jordan River and begin their conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land.
This passage describes the mass exodus itself, highlighting the sheer number of people, including mixed groups, who left Egypt, underscoring the 'going out' mentioned in Psalm 114:1.
Joshua 24:12Joshua reminds the Israelites that God sent hornets ahead of them to drive out the Canaanites, echoing the miraculous divine intervention implied in their departure from Egypt.
Jeremiah 5:15This verse speaks of a distant nation with a strange language that God will bring against Judah, directly paralleling the description of the Egyptians in Psalm 114:1 as a 'people of strange language'.
Acts 7:45-46Stephen's speech recounts how the tabernacle was brought into the 'house of their enemies' (referring to the Canaanites), which carries echoes of God bringing His people out from a foreign land into His presence.
Hebrews 11:29This verse speaks of the Israelites passing through the Red Sea as on dry land, a pivotal event during the Exodus that demonstrates God's power in delivering them from Egypt, as Psalm 114 begins to celebrate.
poolePsalms 114:1: "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;"
THE ARGUMENT This Psalm is a solemn commemoration of Israel’s deliverance out of Egypt; and probably it was to be sung, amongst others, at the celebration of the passover. The psalmist, rehearsing God’s delivering the Israelites out of Egypt, exhorteth all creatures to praise him. Which was a great aggravation of their captivity and misery. Compare Jeremiah 5:15 .
ellicottPsalms 114:1: "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;"
(1) When Israel went out. —LXX., in “ the Exodus of Israel.” A people of strange language.—LXX., rightly, “a barbarous people.” Since the Hebrew word, like the Greek, implies a certain scorn or ridicule, which ancient races generally had for those speaking another language. To this day the Russians call the Germans “dumb.”
The phrase "from a people of strange language" highlights not just a linguistic barrier, but implies that the Egyptians were seen as "barbarians" whose speech and ways were utterly foreign and perhaps even scorned by the Israelites and their God. This emphasizes the radical separation God ordained for His people, setting them apart from the surrounding cultures.
This psalm opens by immediately recalling the foundational event of Israel's liberation from Egyptian bondage, a time when the descendants of Jacob departed from a foreign, unintelligible culture. This dramatic exodus, with all its ensuing miracles and divine intervention, serves as the powerful backdrop for the rest of the psalm. The verse sets the stage for a recounting of God's mighty acts, emphasizing His power and sovereignty displayed in bringing His people out of oppression.
This psalm opens by immediately recalling the foundational event of Israel's liberation from Egyptian bondage, a time when the descendants of Jacob departed from a foreign, unintelligible culture. This dramatic exodus, with all its ensuing miracles and divine intervention, serves as the powerful backdrop for the rest of the psalm. The verse sets the stage for a recounting of God's mighty acts, emphasizing His power and sovereignty displayed in bringing His people out of oppression.
"When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back." — The phrase "from a people of strange language" highlights not just a linguistic barrier, but implies that the Egyptians were seen as "barbarians" whose speech and ways were utterly foreign and perhap…
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