Psalms 114:5
What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
Original Language Analysis
מַה
H4100
מַה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
1 of 8
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
הַ֭יָּם
What ailed thee O thou sea
H3220
הַ֭יָּם
What ailed thee O thou sea
Strong's:
H3220
Word #:
3 of 8
a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the mediterranean sea; sometimes a large river, or an artif
כִּ֣י
H3588
כִּ֣י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
4 of 8
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
תָנ֑וּס
that thou fleddest
H5127
תָנ֑וּס
that thou fleddest
Strong's:
H5127
Word #:
5 of 8
to flit, i.e., vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
Historical Context
Psalm 114 belongs to the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113-118), sung at Passover commemorating the Exodus. Jewish families recited these psalms annually, remembering God's deliverance from Egypt. The psalm's compressed narrative moves from Egypt (v.
- to Canaan (v.
- in two verses, treating the entire Exodus-Conquest as one unified act of redemption.
The historical events—Red Sea crossing (c. 1446 BC) and Jordan crossing forty years later—were Israel's foundational salvation history, the Old Testament equivalent of Christ's death and resurrection for the church.
Questions for Reflection
- How do the twin miracles of Red Sea and Jordan crossing demonstrate that God finishes what He starts in redemption?
- In what ways does all creation still respond to the presence of God, even when humans ignore Him?
- What modern equivalents might there be to these 'fleeing waters' moments when God's power becomes undeniable in your life?
Analysis & Commentary
What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? The psalmist personifies creation itself, interrogating the Red Sea that parted before Israel (Exodus 14). The Hebrew verb nus (נוּס, to flee) depicts not mere movement but terrified retreat. The rhetorical question anticipates an answer given in verses 7-8: creation flees before the presence of the LORD.
Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Similarly addresses the Jordan River's miraculous stoppage (Joshua 3:14-17), allowing Israel to enter Canaan. The passive construction emphasizes the water's involuntary response to divine power. These twin miracles—Red Sea at the Exodus, Jordan at the Conquest—bookend Israel's wilderness journey, demonstrating Yahweh's sovereignty over nature and history.
The interrogative form creates dramatic tension. Why would seas and rivers behave contrary to nature? The answer establishes that nature itself recognizes and submits to Israel's God, who commands both history's tide and water's flow.