Psalms 93:3
The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
Original Language Analysis
יִשְׂא֖וּ
have lifted up
H5375
יִשְׂא֖וּ
have lifted up
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
1 of 9
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
נְהָר֣וֹת
The floods
H5104
נְהָר֣וֹת
The floods
Strong's:
H5104
Word #:
2 of 9
a stream (including the sea; expectation the nile, euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity
יְֽהוָ֗ה
O LORD
H3068
יְֽהוָ֗ה
O LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 9
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
יִשְׂא֖וּ
have lifted up
H5375
יִשְׂא֖וּ
have lifted up
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
4 of 9
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
נְהָר֣וֹת
The floods
H5104
נְהָר֣וֹת
The floods
Strong's:
H5104
Word #:
5 of 9
a stream (including the sea; expectation the nile, euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity
יִשְׂא֖וּ
have lifted up
H5375
יִשְׂא֖וּ
have lifted up
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
7 of 9
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
Cross References
Psalms 96:11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.Psalms 18:4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.Revelation 17:15And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.Isaiah 55:12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.Revelation 12:15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.Jonah 2:3For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern creation myths often featured gods battling sea monsters or chaos waters. This psalm subverts that mythology by showing Yahweh's easy supremacy over such forces.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'floods' or overwhelming circumstances in your life feel like chaos threatening to overtake you?
- How does recognizing that God is sovereign even over chaos change how you respond to life's turbulent times?
Analysis & Commentary
The repetition of 'floods have lifted up' creates urgency and intensity, depicting chaotic waters (nahar—rivers/floods) as threatening forces. In Hebrew cosmology, uncontrolled waters symbolize chaos, evil, and opposition to God's order. The threefold repetition ('lifted up... lifted up... lifted up their waves') emphasizes both the magnitude of chaos and the psalmist's rhetorical intensity. Yet even this threatening imagery serves to magnify God's superior power in the next verse.