65:7 You calm the raging seas 1
and their roaring waves,
as well as the commotion made by the nations. 2
89:6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings, 3
89:9 You rule over the proud sea. 4
When its waves surge, 5 you calm them.
114:3 The sea looked and fled; 6
the Jordan River 7 turned back. 8
114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs. 9
114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?
Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?
38:11 when I said, ‘To here you may come 10
and no farther, 11
here your proud waves will be confined’? 12
5:22 “You should fear me!” says the Lord.
“You should tremble in awe before me! 13
I made the sand to be a boundary for the sea,
a permanent barrier that it can never cross.
Its waves may roll, but they can never prevail.
They may roar, but they can never cross beyond that boundary.” 14
1 tn Heb “the roar of the seas.”
2 sn The raging seas…the commotion made by the nations. The raging seas symbolize the turbulent nations of the earth (see Ps 46:2-3, 6; Isa 17:12).
3 tn Heb “sons of gods”; or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the Hebrew text, it is likely that the final mem (ם) is actually enclitic rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8. The phrase בְנֵי אֵלִים (vÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 29:1. Since the “sons of gods/God” are here associated with “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones,” the heavenly assembly (comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings) appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is called “the sons of El.” The OT apparently uses the Canaanite phrase, applying it to the supernatural beings that surround the
4 tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”
5 tn Heb “rise up.”
6 sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).
7 tn Heb “the Jordan” (also in v. 5). The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
8 sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Jordan River (Josh 3:13, 16).
9 sn The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. This may recall the theophany at Sinai when the mountain shook before God’s presence (Exod 19:18).
10 tn The imperfect verb receives the permission nuance here.
11 tn The text has תֹסִיף (tosif, “and you may not add”), which is often used idiomatically (as in verbal hendiadys constructions).
12 tn The MT literally says, “here he will put on the pride of your waves.” The verb has no expressed subject and so is made a passive voice. But there has to be some object for the verb “put,” such as “limit” or “boundary”; the translations “confined; halted; stopped” all serve to paraphrase such an idea. The LXX has “broken” at this point, suggesting the verse might have been confused – but “breaking the pride” of the waves would mean controlling them. Some commentators have followed this, exchanging the verb in v. 11 with this one.
13 tn Heb “Should you not fear me? Should you not tremble in awe before me?” The rhetorical questions expect the answer explicit in the translation.
14 tn Heb “it.” The referent is made explicit to avoid any possible confusion.
15 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
16 tn Or “a squall.”
17 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
18 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
19 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
20 sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23-30. When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.
21 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.