Psalm 114:8
ESV
who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.
NIV
who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.
NASB
Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of water.
CSB
who turned the rock into a pool, the flint into a spring.
NLT
He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock.
KJV
Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
NKJV
Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.
What does Psalm 114:8 mean?
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 114; verse-level content coming soon!Psalm 114:5–8 asks symbolic questions to show the power of God. During the exodus from Egypt (Psalm 114:1), natural waters receded (Exodus 14:21; Joshua 3:13) and the earth shook (Exodus 19:18). As if they could answer, the psalmist asks these parts of earth to explain why they acted so. The expected answer is that they moved at the command of their Creator, God. Israel, the name given to Jacob (Genesis 32:28), received water from a rock (Exodus 17:6) through God's intervention.
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).
