Psalm 114:1 kjv
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
Psalm 114:1 nkjv
When Israel went out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Psalm 114:1 niv
When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
Psalm 114:1 esv
When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Psalm 114:1 nlt
When the Israelites escaped from Egypt ?
when the family of Jacob left that foreign land ?
Psalm 114 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 12:41 | "And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt." | God's precise timing of liberation |
| Ex 13:3 | "And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage..." | Command to remember the Exodus |
| Ex 19:4 | "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself." | God's carrying Israel out |
| Deut 4:34 | "Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders..." | Uniqueness of God's act in forming Israel |
| Deut 7:8 | "But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand..." | God's love and covenant faithfulness |
| Neh 9:9-11 | "And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea... And didst divide the sea before them..." | Recalling God's power and compassion |
| Ps 78:12-16 | "Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt... He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through..." | Poetic recounting of Exodus miracles |
| Ps 81:10 | "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." | God as the deliverer who provides |
| Ps 105:37-38 | "He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes... Egypt was glad when they departed..." | Details of prosperous, strong departure |
| Isa 11:15-16 | "And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea... And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt." | Prophecy of new, spiritual Exodus |
| Isa 43:16 | "Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;" | God's power over creation for His people |
| Jer 31:32 | "...not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt..." | The old covenant foundational to the Exodus |
| Hos 11:1 | "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt." | God's fatherly love in the Exodus |
| Acts 7:36 | "He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years." | Stephen's sermon acknowledging Moses' role |
| Heb 3:16 | "For who, when they had heard, did provoke? howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses." | The Exodus generation's unbelief as a warning |
| Heb 11:27 | "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." | Moses' faith leading the Exodus |
| Rev 15:3 | "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty..." | Celebration of God's ultimate salvation |
| 1 Cor 10:1 | "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;" | Typology of the Exodus for Christians |
| Gal 5:1 | "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." | Spiritual freedom from sin/law analogous to Exodus |
| Col 1:13 | "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" | Deliverance from spiritual bondage |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" | Christian identity as "chosen" parallels Israel's |
| Jud 1:5 | "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." | Reminder of deliverance and subsequent judgment |
Psalm 114 verses
Psalm 114 1 Meaning
Psalm 114:1 vividly commences a song of praise to the Almighty God, commemorating the momentous departure of the nation of Israel from their enslavement in Egypt. This verse establishes the foundational act of God's liberation, highlighting the distinct identity of "Israel" and "the house of Jacob" as God's chosen people, contrasting them with the alien and idolatrous "people of strange language"—Egypt. It underscores the miraculous divine intervention that set His people free from oppression and an incomprehensible foreign culture.
Psalm 114 1 Context
Psalm 114 is one of the "Egyptian Hallel" psalms (Psalms 113-118), traditionally recited during Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These psalms recount God's redemptive work, specifically focusing on the Exodus from Egypt. Verse 1 immediately sets the historical and theological stage, introducing the core event: God's deliverance of His people. The entire psalm then vividly portrays creation itself responding to the presence of God during this epoch-making event (sea fleeing, mountains skipping). It's a celebratory, exultant psalm, designed to remind God's people of His incomparable power and faithfulness, rooted in their national origin story.
Psalm 114 1 Word analysis
When Israel went out:
- Hebrew:
בְּצֵאת(bə·ṣêt) - Literally, "in the going out of" or "when going out". This infinitive construct implies a definitive, active, and complete action. It's not a mere happening but a decisive movement. - Significance: It marks a foundational historical pivot, the genesis of Israel as a distinct nation from a multitude of individuals. It's the moment God took His people for Himself.
- Echoes divine initiative in Exodus (e.g., Ex 3:10, 6:6-7), where God declares, "I will bring you out."
- Hebrew:
of Egypt:
- Hebrew:
מִמִּצְרָיִם(mim·miṣ·ra·yim) - "from Egypt." - Significance: Egypt symbolizes a place of profound oppression, polytheism, and worldly power set against God. The liberation is not just physical but also spiritual, a severance from an idolatrous system. This exodus is an eternal standard for all who seek deliverance from spiritual bondage.
- Hebrew:
the house of Jacob:
- Hebrew:
בֵּית יַעֲקֹב(bêṯ ya·ʿă·qōḇ) - "House of Jacob." - Significance: This phrase runs parallel to "Israel," creating a synonymous parallelism common in Hebrew poetry. It emphasizes the familial, ancestral connection, linking the liberated people back to their patriarch, Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel), reinforcing their identity as descendants of the covenant fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). It underscores their collective, generational identity as God's chosen lineage.
- Hebrew:
from a people:
- Hebrew:
מֵעַם(mê·ʿam) - "from a people." - Significance: Contrasts "the house of Jacob" with an undefined, foreign "people," highlighting the distinction God makes between His chosen and others. This implies God's selective, covenantal grace.
- Hebrew:
of strange language:
- Hebrew:
לֹעֵז(lō·ʿēz) - "of strange language" or "barbarous speech." This word denotes incomprehensibility, a foreign, unintelligible tongue. - Significance: It highlights the utter cultural and religious alien-ness of the Egyptians to the Israelites, emphasizing the vast chasm between the worshiper of the true God and those who did not know Him. This linguistic difference represents the deep spiritual and cultural divide, intensifying the miraculous nature of God’s act in delivering His people from such an alien environment. It also implicitly highlights God's unique relationship with Israel, communicating clearly to them, unlike the confused communication with the pagans (cf. Isa 28:11-12).
- Hebrew:
Psalm 114 1 Bonus section
Psalm 114:1, especially in the context of the Hallel psalms, served as a foundational theological statement for Israel, informing their understanding of YHWH as the one true God who delivers, contrasting sharply with the impotent gods of Egypt. The emphasis on "strange language" could be seen as a subtle polemic, suggesting that the gods of such a people were themselves incomprehensible or powerless against the God who commands even creation (as shown in the following verses of the psalm). For believers, it stands as an archetype of liberation: freedom from sin's bondage (Egypt), through Christ's redemption (the new Exodus), into His kingdom.
Psalm 114 1 Commentary
Psalm 114:1 functions as the thesis statement for the entire psalm, succinctly recalling the pivotal moment of the Exodus. It's a deliberate and potent reminder that the Lord Himself intervened to emancipate His chosen people from an overwhelming, oppressive foreign power that spoke a "strange language," symbolic of its alien spiritual landscape. The parallel phrases "Israel" and "the house of Jacob" underline the dual aspects of their identity: as a newly formed, divinely recognized nation (Israel) and as a cohesive, divinely covenanted family line (the house of Jacob). This separation was absolute and initiated solely by God's power and purpose. The "strange language" metaphorically broadens the context beyond mere speech, encapsulating the entire alien culture, religion, and system of the Egyptians. This act of divine deliverance underscores God's sovereignty over nations, His unwavering commitment to His covenant people, and His ability to distinguish them and bring them out of any form of spiritual or physical bondage. The Psalm doesn't start with why God acted, but that He acted decisively.