Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 114

When Israel went out of Egypt - literally, “In the going out of Israel from Egypt.” This is not to be confined to the exact act of the exodus, but embraces all that properly entered into that migration - the whole train of events which resulted in their being brought into the promised land.

The house of Jacob - The family of Jacob - a name appropriately used here, since it was the family of Jacob that had gone down into Egypt, and that had increased to these great numbers.

From a people of strange language - Speaking a foreign or a barbarian tongue. See the notes at Psalms 81:5.

Judah was his sanctuary - His home; his abode; his sacred dwelling-place. Judah was the principal or leading tribe, recognized as the tribe where power was to be concentrated, and from which the Messiah was to proceed (Genesis 49:8–12); and hence, the name was early used to denote the entire people, and ultimately, as modified in the word Jews, became the common name of the nation.

And Israel his dominion - The nation that he ruled; the nation that had his law; the nation that he governed by his presence—or, of which he was the recognized king. There can be no doubt that the reference here is to God, but it is remarkable that the name “God” is not used. Perhaps the reason may be that this psalm was designed to be employed in connection with the preceding one, and as that consists entirely of the praises of God, it was not necessary to repeat the name when his praise was to be continued under another form, and in connection with another line of thought.

The sea saw it - The word "it" is supplied by our translators, although not very appropriately. It would be more expressive to say, “The sea saw:” that is, the sea (the Red Sea) saw the mighty movement, the marshalled hosts, the moving masses, the cattle, the pursuing enemies, the commotion, the agitation, on its usually quiet shores.

We are to imagine the usual calmness of the desert—the waste and lonely solitudes on the banks of the Red Sea—and then all this suddenly broken in upon by vast hosts of men, women, children, and cattle, fleeing in consternation, followed by the embattled strength of Egypt, all rolling tumultuously to the shore.

No wonder that the sea is represented as astonished at this unusual spectacle and as fleeing in dismay.

And fled - As if frightened at the approach of such a host, coming so suddenly upon its shores.

Jordan was driven back - This refers to the dividing of the waters of the Jordan when the children of Israel passed over to the promised land (Joshua 3:13–17). They also seemed astonished at the approach of the Hebrews and retired to make a way for them to pass over.

The mountains skipped like rams - As flocks in their playful leaps. They seemed to move from place to place; everything seemed to be unsettled, and acknowledged the presence of the Omnipotent One. The word rendered “skipped” means to leap for joy; to dance. See the notes at (Psalms 29:6). The reference here is to the agitations and commotions of the peaks of Sinai, when God came down to deliver the law (Exodus 19:16–18).

And the little hills like lambs - Hebrew, Like the sons of the flock. The reference here is to the less prominent eminences of Sinai. The lofty hills, and the smaller hills surrounding, seemed to be all in a state of commotion.

What ailed you, O you sea, that you fled?... - literally, “What to you, O you sea,” etc. That is, What influenced you - what alarmed you - what put you into such fear, and caused such consternation? Instead of stating the cause or reason why they were so thrown into dismay, the psalmist uses the language of surprise, as if these inanimate objects had been struck with sudden terror, and as if it were proper to ask an explanation from them regarding conduct that seemed so strange.