Psalms

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Psalm 114

1 When Israel left Egypt, when the family of Jacob left a foreign nation behind, 2 Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his kingdom. 3 The sea looked and fled; the Jordan River turned back.⁠ 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 Why do you flee, O sea? Why do you turn back, O Jordan River? 6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains, like lambs, O hills? 7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord—before the God of Jacob,⁠ 8 who turned a rock into a pool of water, a hard rock into springs of water.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.2 IV:25 and Psalm 114:3

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

Summary

Psalm 114 gives Sea and River, Baal's enemies in the Baal Cycle, local roles in Israel's journey, making the Red Sea and Jordan retreat before the people's divine leader.

Passages

KTU 1.2 IV:25

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

You, your name is 'All-Driver' All-Driver, drive Yamm away, drive Yamm from his throne, Nahar from the siege of his dominion! You must leap from the hand of Baal, like a falcon from his fingers. Strike the skull of Prince Yamm (Ocean), the brow of Ruler Nahar (River)! Let Yamm collapse in a heap, and let him fall to the ground!' Then the mace leapt from the hand of Baal, like a falcon from his fingers. It struck the skull of Prince Yamm, the brow of Ruler Nahar. Yamm collapsed in a heap; he fell to the ground. His joints trembled, and his visage was discomposed. Baal gathered Up and drank Prince Yamm to the dregs, he exterminated Ruler Nahar. By name Athtart chided him Dry him Up, O Valiant Baal! Dry him up, O Charioteer of the Clouds! For our captive is Prince [Yamm], [for]

1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Psalm 114:3

Hebrew Bible

1 When Israel left Egypt, when the family of Jacob left a foreign nation behind, 2 Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his kingdom. 3 The sea looked and fled; the Jordan River turned back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 Why do you flee, O sea? Why do you turn back, O Jordan River? 6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains, like lambs, O hills? 7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord—before the God of Jacob, 8 who turned a rock into a pool of water, a hard rock into springs of water.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

“... Secondary application of the motif, that is, instances in which the con flict motif is claimed or assumed to have import for humans, occur in many biblical texts. Examples of the combined conflict and exodus motifs (Ps 77:14–21; Ps 106:7–12; Ps 114; Isa 51:9–11; and possibly Jer 51:36) are par ticularly relevant here. This combination of motifs constitutes a significant development within biblical historiography. Yahweh’s divine combat was inserted within the foundational story of Israel and Judah, specifically into the “paradigmatic story” of Yahweh intervening within a human socio- political circumstance on behalf of the people. ...”

Debra Scoggins Ballentine, The Conflict Myth and the Biblical Tradition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 124.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Psalms150 psalms

Compare KTU 1.2 IV:25 and Psalm 114:3

Summary

Passages

KTU 1.2 IV:25

Psalm 114:3

References

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