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PSALM 114

1. When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language.
2. Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
3. The sea saw and fled; Jordan turned back.
4. The mountains leaped like rams, the hills like the sons of the flock.
5. What ails you, O you sea, that you flee, you Jordan, that you turn back?
6. You mountains, that you leap like rams; you hills, like the sons of the flock?
7. The earth brings forth at the presence of the lord, at the presence of the god of Jacob.
8. Who turned the rock into a lake of waters, the stony rock into a fountain of waters.

Verse 1. From a people of strange language; see Psalm 81:5, Exposition.

Verses 2 to 8. Thus is described the departure of the sons of Israel out of Egypt, nevertheless, without an explication by the internal sense, no one can know what these words signify, that the mountains will leap like rams, and the hills like the sons of the flock, also what is meant by the sea seeing and fleeing, and by Jordan turning back, wherefore it must be explained. In the internal sense the establishment of the church is meant, or the regeneration of the men of the church, for the church which was to be established is signified by the sons of Israel, and its establishment by their departure; the separation of evils by the passage through the Red Sea, of which it is said that it fled; and their introduction into the church by the passage over Jordan, of which it is said that it turned back; but to be particular,—that Judah was made for a sanctuary, and Israel for dominion, signifies that the good of love to the lord is the very holy principle of heaven and the church, and that the truths from that good are productive of government, since by Judah is signified celestial good, for Divine truth proceeding from Divine good is the lord's government; by the sea seeing and fleeing, by Jordan turning back, is signified that when evil and false principles are separated, which are in the natural man, they are succeeded by scientific truth, and the knowledges of truth and good; the mountains leaping like rams, the hills like the sons of the flock, signify that celestial good, which is the good of love, and spiritual good, which is from that good; from joy make goods or yield effect; mountains signify the good of love, hills the goods of charity, which in their essence are truths from that good; to leap, as having respect to them, signifies to do goods from joy; it is said as rams, and as the sons of the flock, because rams signify the goods of charity, and the sons of the flock, truths from that good; the establishment of the church, or the regeneration of the men of the church, is signified by the earth bringing forth before the lord, before the god of Jacob, who turns the rock into a lake of waters, and the stony rock into a fountain of waters; the earth is the church, and it is said to bring forth when it is established, or the man of the church is born anew. It is said before the lord, and before the god of Jacob, since, where the good of love is treated of, the lord, in the Word, is called Lord, (adon) and when good principles in act are treated of, he is called the God of Jacob; regeneration by truths from good is signified by turning the rock into a lake of waters, and the stony rock into a fountain of waters; by a lake of waters is signified the knowledges of truth, and by a fountain of waters is signified the Word from which they are derived, and by rock, the natural man as to truth before reformation, and by stony rock, the natural man us to good before reformation. AE 405.

Verse 2. Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion, etc. Sanctuary signifies in the supreme sense, the lord himself, and in the respective sense, the worship of him from the good of love; by Israel is signified the truths of the church from that good; and whereas all power belongs to truths from good, or to good by truths, therefore it is said that Israel was made for his dominion. AE 433.