Henry Ainsworth on Psalms 114

PSAL. CXIV.

WHen Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Iakob from the people of a barbarous speech; Iudah was for his sanctuary, Israel his dominions. The sea saw, and fled: the Iarden turned about backward. The Mountains leaped like Rams: the hills like younglings of the flocke. What alied thee, O sea, that thou fleddest; O Iarden, that thou turnedst about backward? O mountaines, that ye leaped like Rams: ye hils, like younglings of the flocke?

At the presence of the Lord tremble thou earth; at the presence of the God of Iakob. That turneth the rocke to a lake of waters, the flint to a fountaine of waters.

Annotations. BArbarous speech] or, speaking barbarously, of a strange, rude, uncouth language. This word is here onely used, and meaneth all speech that was not understood of Gods people; which hee that speakath, is called of the Apostle, a Barbarian, that is, a stranger, 1 Cor. 14. 11. even as here also the Chaldee turneth it. Spiritually it meaneth such as speake against the faith, the language of Canaan, Isa. 19. 18. Vers. 2. Iudah] that is, the congregation of that tribe, which was most principall, Num. [illegible: 1 word]. 3. and 7. 12. and 10. 14. was] or became; and it is of the feminine gender, to signifie the Congregation, usually named a daughter, as Ps. 9. 15. his sanctuary] sanctity, or sanctification, which God had sanctified to dwell among them, Levit. 19. 2. and 20. 7, 26. and 26. 11, 12. 2 Cor. 6. 16. The Chaldee explaineth it thus, The Church of the house of Iudah was united to his holinesse, Israel to his dominions. dominions] or dominations (seigniories) ruling over the tribes by his lawes and spirit. Vers. 3. The sea] the red sea, thorow which Israel passed, Exod. 14. 21. Psal. 77. 17. and 78. 13. and 66. 6. and 136. 13. the Iarden] the great river in the land of Canaan, Ios. 3. Psal. 66. 6. Vers. 4. The mountaines] Sinai, Horeb, and other hills in the wildernesse quaked, Exod. 19. 18. Hab. 3. 6, 10. Psal. 68. 9. So leaping is used also in Psal. 29. 6. The Chaldee paraphraseth, When hee gave his law to his people, the mountaines leaped, &c. younglings] Hebr. sonnes; meaning Lambs: so vers. 6. Vers. 5. What ailed thee] or, what was to thee? Vers. 7. At the presence] or, At the face, or Before the Lord. For these phrases are used indifferently; as milliphnei, at the presence, 1 Chron. 16. 33. is liphnei, before, Psal. 96. 13. So Milliphnei, before, or from the face, 1 Chro. 19. 18. for which in 2 Sam. 10. 18. is Miphnei, before. tromble thou] with paine as a woman in travell; see Psal. 29. 8. It is an answer to the former question, and therefore may also be turned, the earth trembled, (as the like is observed in Psal. 22. 9.) and so the Greeke here translateth, the earth was shaken. Vers. 8. the flint] that is, hard flinty rocke, as is explained, Deut. 8. 15. Compare Isa. 41. 18.