The verse highlights that Israel left not just Egypt, but specifically "a people of strange language." This isn't just about communication barriers; it points to the profound cultural and religious alienation Israel experienced, emphasizing their complete otherness from the Egyptians. This detail underscores how astonishing God's intervention was, rescuing His people from a society so fundamentally foreign.
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 mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm opens by recalling the momentous departure of Israel from Egypt, a liberation that set them apart from a foreign people and their unfamiliar tongue. It sets the stage for a powerful remembrance of God's intervention, framing the Exodus not just as an escape but as a divine act that will be celebrated and reflect on God's ongoing faithfulness to His people.
Psalm 114 kicks off with a powerful image: Israel leaving Egypt. But what does this 'going out' truly represent?
The Hebrew phrase for 'when Israel went out' isn't just about the physical act of departing. It encompasses the entire event of the Exodus – the journey from slavery to freedom, from Egypt to the Promised Land.
This wasn't a simple move; it was a divine rescue. It's the whole story of God's intervention, His powerful acts, and His faithfulness in bringing His people out of bondage. Think of it as the grand narrative of liberation, not just a single moment.
This foundational event shapes everything that follows for Israel, setting the stage for their identity as God's chosen people.
Israel left Egypt, a 'people of strange language.' What's the significance of this detail?
The phrase 'people of strange language' points to the profound cultural and spiritual gulf between Israel and the Egyptians. It signifies more than just different words; it implies a foreignness, an 'otherness.'
The Egyptians spoke a 'barbarian tongue' from the Hebrew perspective, highlighting their alien status. This wasn't just about communication; it was about a worldview, a religious system, and a way of life completely distinct from God's people.
Leaving this 'strange language' meant stepping out of a culture that didn't acknowledge the one true God, moving towards a people and a land where God's name would be hallowed.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
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.
c. 1876 BC
Jacob's family moves to Egypt
Jacob and his family, around 70 people, move to Egypt seeking refuge and sustenance during a famine, settling in the land of Goshen.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously leads the Israelites, now a vast nation, out of nearly 400 years of slavery in Egypt under Moses' leadership, fulfilling His covenant promises.
c. 1446 BC
Parting of the Red Sea
As the Egyptian army pursues them, the Red Sea is miraculously parted, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land, and then closing to destroy their pursuers.
c. 1446 BC
Receiving the Law at Mount Sinai
Shortly after the Exodus, God gives the Ten Commandments and the Law to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, formalizing His covenant with them.
This passage describes the actual departure of Israel from Egypt, providing the historical context for the Psalmist's remembrance in Psalm 114:1. It highlights the vast number of people and even mixed crowds ('a mixed crowd also went up with them') who left Egypt, emphasizing the magnitude of the event.
Genesis 42:23This verse directly references the inability of Joseph's brothers to understand the Egyptian language when they first encountered him. It supports the idea presented in Psalm 114:1 that the Egyptians spoke a 'strange language' incomprehensible to the Israelites.
Jeremiah 5:15The prophet Jeremiah quotes God saying He will bring a nation from afar against Judah, and it will be a nation of an 'inscrutable speech and unintelligible tongue.' This echoes the sentiment of a foreign and potentially threatening language, drawing a parallel between the threat of nations in Jeremiah's time and the 'people of strange language' Israel left behind.
Acts 7:45Stephen recounts the history of Israel, mentioning that Joshua brought the tabernacle into the land with them, implying continuous divine presence. This connects to the idea of God's active deliverance and presence with Israel, even as they transitioned from Egypt, as celebrated in Psalm 114.
Isaiah 11:11-12This prophecy speaks of God's second gathering of His people, not just from Egypt, but from all nations. It draws a clear parallel between the Exodus from Egypt and a future, even greater, redemption, underscoring the significance of the Exodus as a foundational redemptive event.
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 verse highlights that Israel left not just Egypt, but specifically "a people of strange language." This isn't just about communication barriers; it points to the profound cultural and religious alienation Israel experienced, emphasizing their complete otherness from the Egyptians. This detail underscores how astonishing God's intervention was, rescuing His people from a society so fundamentally foreign.
This psalm opens by recalling the momentous departure of Israel from Egypt, a liberation that set them apart from a foreign people and their unfamiliar tongue. It sets the stage for a powerful remembrance of God's intervention, framing the Exodus not just as an escape but as a divine act that will be celebrated and reflect on God's ongoing faithfulness to His people.
This psalm opens by recalling the momentous departure of Israel from Egypt, a liberation that set them apart from a foreign people and their unfamiliar tongue. It sets the stage for a powerful remembrance of God's intervention, framing the Exodus not just as an escape but as a divine act that will be celebrated and reflect on God's ongoing faithfulness to His people.
"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 mountains skipped like rams,…" — The verse highlights that Israel left not just Egypt, but specifically "a people of strange language." This isn't just about communication barriers; it points to the profound cultural and religious a…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
