Psalms 114:3-6

114:3 The sea looked and fled; ¹ 

the Jordan River ²  turned back. ³ 

114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs. ⁴ 

114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?

Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?

114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,

like lambs, O hills?

Exodus 14:21

14:21 Moses stretched out his hand toward the sea, and the Lord drove the sea apart ⁵  by a strong east wind all that night, and he made the sea into dry land, and the water was divided.

Joshua 3:15-16

3:15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface ⁶  of the water – (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time) ⁷  – 3:16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. ⁸  It piled up far upstream ⁹  at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). ¹⁰  The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. ¹¹ 

Habakkuk 3:8-10

3:8 Is the Lord mad at the rivers?

Are you angry with the rivers?

Are you enraged at the sea? ¹² 

Is this why ¹³  you climb into your horse-drawn chariots, ¹⁴ 

your victorious chariots? ¹⁵ 

3:9 Your bow is ready for action; ¹⁶ 

you commission your arrows. ¹⁷  Selah.

You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface. ¹⁸ 

3:10 When the mountains see you, they shake.

The torrential downpour sweeps through. ¹⁹ 

The great deep ²⁰  shouts out;

it lifts its hands high. ²¹ 

Habakkuk 3:15

3:15 But you trample on the sea with your horses,

on the surging, raging waters. ²² 

[114:3]  ¹ sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).

[114:3]  ² 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.

[114:3]  ³ sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Jordan River (Josh 3:13, 16).

[114:4]  ⁴ 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).

[14:21]  ⁵ tn Or “drove the sea back” (NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV). The verb is simply the Hiphil of הָלַךְ (halakh, “to walk, go”). The context requires that it be interpreted along the lines of “go back, go apart.”

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “dipped into the edge.”

[3:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest.”

[3:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “the waters descending from above stood still.”

[3:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “they stood in one pile very far away.”

[3:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the [waters] descending toward the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) were completely cut off.”

[3:16]  ¹¹ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[3:8]  ¹² sn The following context suggests these questions should be answered, “Yes.” The rivers and the sea, symbolizing here the hostile nations (v. 12), are objects of the Lord’s anger (vv. 10, 15).

[3:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “so that.” Here כִּי (ki) is resultative. See the note on the phrase “make it” in 2:18.

[3:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “you mount your horses.” As the next line makes clear, the Lord is pictured here as a charioteer, not a cavalryman. Note NRSV here, “when you drove your horses, // your chariots to victory.”

[3:8]  ¹⁵ tn Or “chariots of deliverance.”

[3:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[into] nakedness your bow is laid bare.”

[3:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “sworn in are the arrow-shafts with a word.” The passive participle of שָׁבַע (shava’), “swear an oath,” also occurs in Ezek 21:23 ET (21:28 HT) referencing those who have sworn allegiance. Here the Lord’s arrows are personified and viewed as having received a commission which they have vowed to uphold. In Jer 47:6-7 the Lord’s sword is given such a charge. In the Ugaritic myths Baal’s weapons are formally assigned the task of killing the sea god Yam.

[3:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “[with] rivers you split open the earth.” A literal rendering like “You split the earth with rivers” (so NIV, NRSV) suggests geological activity to the modern reader, but in the present context of a violent thunderstorm, the idea of streams swollen to torrents by downpours better fits the imagery.

[3:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “a heavy rain of waters passes by.” Perhaps the flash floods produced by the downpour are in view here.

[3:10]  ²⁰ sn The great deep, which is to be equated with the sea (vv. 8, 15), is a symbol of chaos and represents the Lord’s enemies.

[3:10]  ²¹ sn Lifting the hands here suggests panic and is accompanied by a cry for mercy (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19). The forces of chaos cannot withstand the Lord’s power revealed in the storm.

[3:15]  ²² tn Heb “the foaming of the mighty [or “many”] waters.”