In this week’s study from Tehillim / Psalms 114:1-8, the psalm opens saying, א בְּצֵאת יִשְֹרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם לֹעֵז: 114:1 When Israel went forth from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language (NASB) Israel being taken out of Egypt is described as being taken from a people of strange language. What does it mean that the Egyptian language is strange? The Psalm continues saying, ב הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ יִשְֹרָאֵל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו: 114:2 Judah became His sanctuary, Israel, His dominion. (NASB) The Aramaic Targum states, א במיפק ישראל ממצרים בית יעקב מעמי ברבראי׃ ב הוות כנישתא דבית יהודה אחידא לקדישיה לקודשיה ישראל לשליטוי׃ 114:1 When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from barbarian peoples 114:2 The company of the house of Judah became property of his Holy One, Israel of his rulers. (EMC) The strange language is described by the rabbis as being taking from a barbarian people. The psalm continues saying, ג הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנֹס הַיַּרְדֵּן יִסֹּב לְאָחוֹר: ד הֶהָרִים רָקְדוּ כְאֵילִים גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי-צֹאן: ה מַה-לְּךָ הַיָּם כִּי תָנוּס הַיַּרְדֵּן תִּסֹּב לְאָחוֹר: ו הֶהָרִים תִּרְקְדוּ כְאֵילִים גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי-צֹאן: 114:3 The sea looked and fled; The Jordan turned back. 114:4 The mountains skipped like rams, The hills, like lambs. 114:5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? 114:6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? (NASB) Read more here:
HTML: Tehillim 114 Part 1 and 2
PDF: Tehillim 114-Part1
