¹ tn Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.

¹ tn Heb “the roar of the seas.”

¹ tn Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”

¹ tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”

¹ tn Heb “and like the sand of the seas winged birds.”

² tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. Salt+Sea+AND+book%3A19&tab=notes" ver="">23] waves.”

¹ tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in vv. Salt+Sea+AND+book%3A19&tab=notes" ver="">9, 22). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.

² tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in v. Salt+Sea+AND+book%3A19&tab=notes" ver="">15). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.

¹ sn He turned the sea into dry land. The psalmist alludes to Israel’s crossing the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).

² sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.

³ tn The words “of the sea” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹ tn Heb “this [is] the sea, great and broad of hands [i.e., “sides” or “shores”].”

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

³ tn Heb “heart of the seas.” The plural may be used for emphasis, pointing to the deepest sea. Note that the next verse uses a singular pronoun (“its waters,” “its swelling”) in referring back to the plural noun.

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 tc Heb “and [the] distant sea.” The plural adjective is problematic after the singular form “sea.” One could emend יָם (yam, “sea”) to יָמִים (yamim, “seas”), or emend the plural form רְחֹקִים (rÿkhoqim, “far”) to the singular רָחֹק (rakhoq). In this case the final mem (ם) could be treated as dittographic; note the mem on the beginning of the first word in v. Salt+Sea+AND+book%3A19&tab=notes" ver="">6.

¹ tn The waters of the Red Sea are here personified; they are portrayed as seeing God and fearing him.

¹ tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).

² tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.

¹ sn Verses Salt+Sea+AND+book%3A19&tab=notes" ver="">16-18 depict the Lord coming in the storm to battle his enemies and subdue the sea. There is no record of such a storm in the historical account of the Red Sea crossing. The language the psalmist uses here is stereotypical and originates in Canaanite myth, where the storm god Baal subdues the sea in his quest for kingship. The psalmist has employed the stereotypical imagery to portray the exodus vividly and at the same time affirm that it is not Baal who subdues the sea, but Yahweh.