Psalm 114 6

Psalm 114:6 kjv

Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

Psalm 114:6 nkjv

O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs?

Psalm 114:6 niv

Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs?

Psalm 114:6 esv

O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?

Psalm 114:6 nlt

Why, mountains, did you skip like rams?
Why, hills, like lambs?

Psalm 114 verses

Psalm 114 6 Meaning

Psalm 114:6 poetically interrogates the very mountains and hills, asking why they exhibited such vibrant, uncontrollable leaping motions as described in the preceding verses. This rhetorical question serves to emphasize the overwhelming power of God’s presence, which caused these inanimate objects to behave as if they were living creatures—bounding with either reverential awe, seismic upheaval, or an inexplicable, joyful tremor in response to the divine manifestation during the Exodus. It highlights the absolute sovereignty of the Lord over all creation.

Psalm 114 6 Context

Psalm 114 is a magnificent "Psalm of Ascent" (Shir Hama'alot), traditionally sung by Jewish pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem for the great festivals. The Psalm powerfully recounts the formative moments of Israel’s national history: the Exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea and Jordan, followed by their entrance into the Promised Land. The preceding verses (114:3-5) establish the core imagery: the sea fleeing, the Jordan turning back, and the mountains and hills themselves quaking and leaping. This sets the stage for the rhetorical question in verse 6, which directly addresses these natural elements, inquiring as to the cause of their extraordinary behavior. The question then anticipates and builds to the resounding answer in verse 7, attributing all these phenomena to the "presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob," thus placing the focus firmly on God's omnipotence and unique sovereignty over creation.

Psalm 114 6 Word analysis

• You mountains, (הָרִים - harim): This plural noun refers to large land elevations. The direct address "You" is a poetic personification (prosopopoeia), treating these inanimate geological features as conscious entities capable of understanding and responding. This enhances the dramatic impact and highlights the idea that even the most immense and steadfast elements of creation are not inert in the face of God's presence.
• that you skip (תִּרְקְדוּן - tirqᵉdûn): From the root רָקַד (raqad), meaning to skip, leap, or dance. This verb conveys dynamic, often joyful or uncontrolled, rhythmic movement. Here, it vividly describes the seismic activity and a more metaphorical, awe-struck agitation. It contrasts with passive existence, suggesting a spontaneous, animated response, much like living beings expressing overwhelming emotion or excitement. This forceful action points to the tremendous, palpable power of God’s presence.
• like rams; (כְּאֵילִים - kᵉ'êlîm): A ram (ʾayil) is an adult male sheep, renowned for its strength, and its characteristic leaping or bounding motion, especially when startled, playful, or during combat. The simile suggests a powerful, perhaps robust or vigorous, type of jumping. It implies a substantial, impactful movement from the mountains, intensifying the sense of awe and the grand scale of their reaction.
• you hills, (גְּבָעוֹת - gᵉbâʿôṯ): This plural noun refers to smaller elevations than mountains, yet still prominent features of the landscape. Addressed directly, they too are personified, further broadening the scope of nature’s cosmic response to God beyond just the mightiest peaks to encompass all natural high places.
• like lambs? (כִּבְנֵי־צֹאן - kîbənê-ṣōn): Literally "like sons of a flock," which clearly refers to young sheep or lambs. Lambs are well-known for their innocent, lively, and often seemingly spontaneous and light-footed skips, jumps, and bounces, conveying a sense of playful agility, exhilaration, or perhaps frantic innocence. The distinct comparison between "rams" for mountains and "lambs" for hills might suggest the relative size and impact of their movements, or simply highlight different facets of agitated, yet vital, "dancing." This vivid imagery collectively underscores the profound and undeniable impact of God's presence on all aspects of the natural world, causing even the steadfast earth to appear as frolicking animals.
• Words-group analysis: "You mountains, that you skip like rams; you hills, like lambs?"
  • This entire line uses powerful prosopopoeia (personification) to bring the landscape to life. Mountains and hills, symbols of permanence, are depicted acting like agile, living creatures. This contrast emphasizes the extraordinary nature of God’s power that could induce such impossible behavior.
  • The rhetorical question intensifies the dramatic effect. By asking an unanswerable question of inanimate objects, the psalmist compels the listener to consider the incomprehensible reason for such phenomena, building anticipation for the ultimate divine answer in the subsequent verse (114:7). It implies that only a supreme power could cause such cosmic disturbances.
  • The paired similes of "rams" and "lambs" convey related yet nuanced images of vigorous, responsive movement. Rams suggest powerful, perhaps deliberate leaps; lambs suggest nimble, buoyant, or even frantic bounding. Together, they create a comprehensive picture of natural upheaval that is both awe-inspiring and deeply inexplicable without divine agency. This imagery serves as a direct theological polemic against pagan beliefs where natural forces were worshipped as gods; instead, they are shown to be subservient creatures responding to their one true Creator.

Psalm 114 6 Bonus section

The inclusion of distinct similes (rams and lambs) might suggest a range of responses from the earth—from the more powerful, imposing movements of the mountains like mature rams, to the lighter, perhaps more playful or innocent, agitation of the hills like young lambs. The psalmist here leverages poetic imagery to describe geological events (like seismic activity during God's manifestation at Sinai) in a way that resonates with Israel's lived experience with animal husbandry. The overall Psalm's message reinforces God's historical intervention for His people, transforming seemingly unmovable nature into an active participant in His divine drama, serving as a perpetual reminder of His enduring might and covenant faithfulness.

Psalm 114 6 Commentary

Psalm 114:6 is a pivotal rhetorical question within a psalm that brilliantly celebrates God’s unmatched power displayed during the Exodus. Having described the sea fleeing, the Jordan receding, and the very mountains and hills quaking in the preceding verses, the psalmist now directly challenges creation, asking why it exhibited such an astonishing, animalistic "skipping" motion. This vivid personification serves not as mere poetic embellishment but as a profound theological assertion: nature itself is not independent or divine (as in various pagan cosmologies) but is entirely subordinate to the sovereign God. The frantic, joyous, or awe-struck "skipping" vividly portrays creation's overwhelming and undeniable response to the tangible manifestation of divine power at the Red Sea and Sinai. It underscores that such an earth-shattering tremor and transformation could only originate from the majestic presence of the Lord. The question compels reflection on God's unique authority over His creation, laying the foundation for the psalm's triumphant climax which attributes all these phenomena to the "presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob."