Psalms 114:3
The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 114:3
The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's striking here is how the sea and the river are described as having seen something and then reacted with human-like emotion and action. The Psalm personifies these natural elements, making them witnesses that "fled" and "turned back," not just passively parted, but actively retreating in awe of God's presence with His people. This intense personification emphasizes that even the most powerful forces of nature recognize and respond to their Creator.
This psalm recounts the miraculous exodus of Israel from Egypt, emphasizing God's power over nature. The text personifies the Red Sea and the Jordan River, showing them recoiling in awe and obedience at God's presence as His people passed through. This miraculous parting of waters, occurring at the departure from Egypt and later at the entry into the Promised Land, sets the stage for the powerful declaration of God's sovereignty over all creation.
This psalm uses the dramatic parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan River during the Exodus and entry into Canaan as powerful metaphors for how God's presence and power can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
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c. 1446 BC— this verse
Exodus from Egypt
Under God's mighty hand, the Israelites leave Egypt after centuries of slavery, marking the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
Parting of the Red Sea
A powerful east wind parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. This event is a pivotal moment of divine intervention and liberation.
c. 1406 BC
Crossing the Jordan River
As the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land, the Jordan River's waters are miraculously stopped, allowing them to cross into Canaan.
This passage describes the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, directly preceding the events of Psalm 114 and illustrating the 'sea fleeing' at God's presence.
Joshua 3:13-17This passage details the Jordan River stopping its flow when the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into its waters, mirroring the 'Jordan driven back' and showing God's power over natural barriers.
Habakkuk 3:10This verse also speaks of water bodies reacting to God's presence, stating 'the deep utters its voice; it lifts its waves on high,' showing a consistent theme of nature's response to the Almighty.
Jeremiah 5:22This verse speaks of the sea being humbled by God's power, saying, 'Shall you not then tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass,' reinforcing the idea of nature obeying God's commands.
poolePsalms 114:3: "The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back."
Saw it, to wit, this glorious work of God in bringing his people out of Egypt.
ellicottPsalms 114:3: "The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back."
(3) Fled. —The Authorised Version weakens the effect by rendering “it was driven back.” (See Joshua 3:16 .) The scene presented is of the “descending stream” (the words employed seem to have a special reference to that peculiar and most significant name of the “Jordan”) not parted asunder, as we generally fancy, but, as the psalm expresses it, “turned backwards” (Stanley, Jewish Church, i. 229).
What's striking here is how the sea and the river are described as having seen something and then reacted with human-like emotion and action. The Psalm personifies these natural elements, making them witnesses that "fled" and "turned back," not just passively parted, but actively retreating in awe of God's presence with His people. This intense personification emphasizes that even the most powerful forces of nature recognize and respond to their Creator.
This psalm recounts the miraculous exodus of Israel from Egypt, emphasizing God's power over nature. The text personifies the Red Sea and the Jordan River, showing them recoiling in awe and obedience at God's presence as His people passed through. This miraculous parting of waters, occurring at the departure from Egypt and later at the entry into the Promised Land, sets the stage for the powerful declaration of God's sovereignty over all creation.
This psalm recounts the miraculous exodus of Israel from Egypt, emphasizing God's power over nature. The text personifies the Red Sea and the Jordan River, showing them recoiling in awe and obedience at God's presence as His people passed through. This miraculous parting of waters, occurring at the departure from Egypt and later at the entry into the Promised Land, sets the stage for the powerful declaration of God's sovereignty over all creation.
"The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back." — What's striking here is how the sea and the river are described as having seen something and then reacted with human-like emotion and action. The Psalm personifies these natural elements, making th…
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