Psalm 114:1
ESV
When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
NIV
When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
NASB
When Israel went forth from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of a foreign language,
CSB
When Israel came out of Egypt— the house of Jacob from a people who spoke a foreign language —
NLT
When the Israelites escaped from Egypt — when the family of Jacob left that foreign land —
KJV
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
NKJV
When Israel went out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
What does Psalm 114:1 mean?
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 114; verse-level content coming soon!Psalm 114:1–4 recalls Israel's rescue from a long period of suffering under another nation: Egypt. The psalmist hints at the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), the drying of the Jordan river (Joshua 3:13), and the earthquakes at Sinai (Exodus 19:18).
The psalm begins by recalling the Israelites' departure from Egypt (Exodus 12:41). Jacob was the father of all the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 32:28) Israel's alienation is emphasized by mentioning the foreign language of Egypt. As part of their exodus journey, Israel saw sea waters part (Exodus 14:21). The Jordan River opened for the Israelites when they entered Canaan (Joshua 3:13). God delivered His messages to them, in part, while in the presence of earthquakes (Exodus 19:18).